Locked in the crook of the Rocky Mountains' bulky arm, and nestled up to the western fringe of the Great Plains, Denver is a perfect blend of big city living and country charm.

As Middle America's biggest city, Denver offers all the perks of a metropolis without the hassle of actually having to live there. It has an impressive commitment to culture and the arts, having doubled the size of the Denver Art Museum, whilst the redevelopment of the Lower Downtown (LoDo) area continues, with galleries, restaurants, bars and impromptu theatres springing up in the old warehouses.

With big league sports teams in ice hockey, baseball, American football, basketball and football, Denver also claims to be ‘Sports Town USA'. As well as the many parks that line Denver's suburbs, the city also has two beautiful stretches of paved bike paths along Cherry Creek and the South Platte River, and numerous hiking and climbing opportunities in the Rockies. Unsurprisingly, these facilities plus the abundance of sunshine has led Denver to be dubbed the thinnest city in America.

However, it's not all early mornings and fresh air. Denver is home to some of the finest micro-breweries in America, and hosts the annual Great American Beer Festival, where visitors get merrily drunk on 1,300 varieties of beer. For more refined tastes, head to the upmarket Larimer Square, the historical and geographical centre of Denver which now doubles as a hotspot for restaurants, bars and clubs.