Denver, USA

I’m from Denver, and here’s the most important information about the city I want to share with you:

If you don’t believe that Denver was once the mining capital of Colorado, take a look at the gold-plated dome of its Capitol or the local branch of the US Mint, which holds a quarter of the country’s gold reserves. The days of the Wild West are long gone, but the locals still prefer to wear a cowboy hat and plaid shirt, as in ancient times. The architectural appearance of the city is completely modern, except for one street, which has survived from the time of gold mining. But the most amazing thing you see as soon as you enter the city is the stunning view of the Rocky Mountains, a kind of scenic scenery of Denver.

The US Mint on Colfax Avenue on weekdays organizes tours of the shops where the coin is minted. You will see a bar of gold and a counting room full of finished products. In addition, on Colfax Avenue is the majestic building of the local Capitol (14th East Street and East Colfax Street). When climbing the west stairs, stop at the 18th step and you will find yourself at a height of a mile above sea level.

In contemporary Denver, the Art Museum stands out (West 14th Avenue and Bannock Street; tel .: 720-865-50-00; www.denverartmuseurn.org). The walls of the seven-story building are covered with a million glass tiles, and their surface is messed with window openings, which creates a fascinating spectacle. The museum presents a wonderful collection of Native American works of art: totem poles, clothing and carpets, as well as changing exhibits of works from various fields of world art.

You can get to know old Denver on Larimer Street, where Victorian buildings have survived in the form of art galleries, shops and cafes, as well as several good Mexican restaurants. Larimer Square is formed by courtyards and vaulted galleries lit by gas horns. But the real fragment of ancient Denver is located in the spacious lobby of the Brown Palace Hotel (17th Street and Tremont Place) built in 1892 – a refined forerunner of the atrium with a glass roof of modern hotel skyscrapers.

From September to May, the Denver Symphony Orchestra plays in the Betcher Concert Hall (14th and Curtis streets) with beautiful acoustics and semicircular tiers of seats, which allows you to see the experiences on the faces of the performers. Classical and popular music is performed 26 km southeast of the city on the open area of ​​the amphitheater in the Red Rocks, among the picturesque red sandstone.

If you do not have time for a long trip to the Rocky Mountains, you can still admire one of the highest mountains here, entering its top on a paved road. To the east of Denver rises Mount Evans at a height of 4346 m (57 km on Highway 70 to Idaho Springs, then turn south and take Highway 103 to Route 5).

Rocky Mountains State Reserve. Located on a continental watershed in northwestern Colorado west and between Fort Collins and Boulder, the national park is a wonderful land of sky-high peaks, 150 lakes, mountain rapids, alpine tundra, virgin forests and diverse flora and fauna. The largest mountain in the park is Longs Peak, 4345 m high, rising in the western part of the reserve, which is difficult to conquer for experienced climbers. Another place that is popular with visitors is Bear Lake, Bare Lake, at the foot of Hallett Peak, where many hiking trails begin.