From coast to coast: 10 US cities that transport you to past centuries

Portals to the past

From coast to coast: 10 US cities that transport you to past centuries

Many major American cities are defined by towering skyscrapers and sleek modern buildings, symbols of the contemporary world. But across the United States, there are places that have preserved their history so well they feel as if they belong to another time or continent. From castles and cobblestones to gas-lit streets and historic squares, join us as we explore 10 US cities that will transport you far from home.

Boston, Massachusetts

Image: Aman Nagpal

On the Atlantic coast of Massachusetts, you’ll find Boston, the largest city in New England. Founded in 1630 by English Puritans, it played a central role in the American Revolution, and its architecture still reflects layers of English, Irish, and Italian influence. Neighborhoods like Beacon Hill preserve early street patterns, with narrow lanes and brick sidewalks, while landmarks such as King’s Chapel (1754) showcase the British colonial architecture.

St. Augustine, Florida

Image: Mr. Great Heart

On Florida’s northeast coast, along the Atlantic Ocean, about 40 miles south of Jacksonville and 100 miles north of Orlando, you’ll find the charming town of St. Augustine. Founded by the Spanish in 1565, it is the oldest continuously inhabited European-founded city in the continental United States. Spanish forts and castles, narrow lanes, and cobblestone streets make it feel like a portal to the colonial era, enriched by layers of Spanish, British, and early American history.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Image: João Francisco

The vibrant city of New Orleans was founded in southeastern Louisiana in 1718 by the French Mississippi Company. And that’s why today, its architecture reflects a unique blend of French, Spanish, and Creole culture, influencing much of city life. European influences are visible in its historic churches, plazas, and fountains, but nowhere more so than in the French Quarter, with its winding streets and iconic cast-iron balconies.

Williamsburg, Virginia

Image: Anthony DeWitt

Williamsburg, a city in southeastern Virginia about 50 miles east of Richmond, feels like a trip back in time. Founded in 1632, it served as the capital of colonial Virginia from 1699 to 1780. Its Georgian-style buildings, with symmetrical designs, brick façades, and steep roofs, showcase its British colonial heritage and make strolling through the town feel like walking through the 18th century.

Savannah, Georgia

Image: Diane Picchiottino

Along the Savannah River, on the southeastern coast of Georgia, lies the city of Savannah. Founded in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe, it became one of the earliest planned cities in the United States. With a current population of roughly 150,000, its historic squares arranged in a grid show reminiscences of European town planning. The Colonial and Federal styles can be seen in its typical houses with wrought-iron balconies and its brick sidewalks.

Newport, Rhode Island

Image: Radu Lin

Founded in 1639, Newport, Rhode Island, is renowned for its maritime history, sailing culture, and Gilded Age mansions. Originally a colonial port, the city later became a favored summer retreat. Today, its brick streets and waterfront are filled with impressive European-inspired mansions that preserve centuries of architectural heritage and design.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Image: Nick Castelli

At the base of the Rocky Mountains lies the beautiful city of Santa Fe, in north-central New Mexico. Founded in 1610 by Spanish colonists on the site of earlier Pueblo Native American settlements, the city has a current population of about 85,000. Its adobe buildings give Santa Fe a unified style, with the heart of its historic center, the Plaza, as a hallmark of Spanish colonial town planning.

Helen, Georgia

Image: Tolga Ahmetler

Much newer than the other mentioned cities, Helen, Georgia, was founded in 1913 as a lumber mill town. But in the late 1960s, it took a completely new direction: the town was redesigned as a Bavarian-style Alpine village to attract tourism. Today, Helen feels old-world, but it’s entirely modern, inspired by the charm of European mountain towns.

Charleston, South Carolina

Image: Leo Heisenberg

South Carolina is home to the beautiful city of Charleston, founded in 1670 as "Charles Town" after King Charles II of England. Its picturesque cobblestone streets, illuminated by romantic gas-lit lanterns, run between historic homes in Georgian, Federal, and Colonial Revival styles, alongside plantation-style mansions and pastel-colored row houses. As a result, the city feels distinctly old-world, with the unique charm of the American South.

Annapolis, Maryland

Image: Terry Granger

Annapolis sits on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, at the mouth of the Severn River. Founded as Providence in 1649 by Puritan exiles from Virginia and renamed in 1694 after Princess Anne of England, the city’s downtown preserves its history very well. In Annapolis, we can enjoy 17th- and 18th-century European-influenced architecture and urban design, with the Maryland State House, built in 1772 in Colonial/Georgian style, standing as a prime example.