Stretched between the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers, just across from Camden, New Jersey, Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the sixth largest city in the USA.

History lurks around every corner in Philadelphia. This is the birthplace of the United States and the nation's original capital from 1790 to 1800. In one of the great experiments of the British colonies, it was founded in 1682, by the English Quaker William Penn, who envisioned the settlement as a land of tolerance and religious freedom. Many colonists fleeing persecution flocked to it. Penn named the town after the Greek word for 'brotherly love'.

Philadelphia's most important sights are preserved in Downtown's picturesque Independence National Historical Park, including the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, and the Constitution Center, honouring the US Constitution.

Colonial Philadelphia was also home to the great statesman, Benjamin Franklin, founder of the country's first hospital, library, fire company and university. He is easily the city's favourite native son, with some fascinating exhibits dedicated to him.

Besides its iconic historical sights, 'Philly', as natives refer to it, also has a vibrant arts scene, with a renowned orchestra, world-class museums and some fantastic restaurants. The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is the city's crown jewel, though Philadelphia is also home to art house cinemas, forward-leaning galleries and traditional and avant-garde theatre.

Over 100 multi-ethnic neighbourhoods have created a colourful tapestry of the urban setting, from the bustling Italian market to African-American festivals, from blues and jazz clubs to the traditional Amish community who sell produce and foodstuffs in Reading Terminal Market.

Philadelphia is also the gateway for those travelling west into Pennsylvania Dutch Country, north to the ski resorts of the Pocono Mountains and southeast to the Delaware Peninsula and Atlantic Seaboard beaches.

Thanks to William Penn, a logical grid pattern for the streets makes Philadelphia easy to navigate. The downtown area is known as Center City. Main thoroughfares of Market Street, running east-west, and Broad Street, running north-south, meet at the central hub of City Hall and form four quadrants around City Hall.

Regions include the Parkway Museums, Convention Center, Washington Square and Rittenhouse Square districts. Old City and Society Hill/Waterfront are Philadelphia's oldest areas.