Much-loved B'more, as it's affectionately known to its resident Marylanders, is a city with real character and palpable history, all rounded off with a gritty blue-collar edge and some of the best seafood this side of Chesapeake Bay. Come here to board historic ships, trace the tale of the War of 1812, munch clam chowder with uber-friendly locals, and get lost in immersive port districts that are clad in cobblestone. 

Baltimore tour guides usually start things off down on the buzzy Inner Harbor. This is the epicenter of the city's sightseeing. Look up to spy out the rigging of vintage frigates. Delve into the National Aquarium to find bottlenose dolphins, rare rays, and formidable reef sharks. Head to the acclaimed Maryland Science Center with the kids in tow if you're looking for fizzing chemistry labs and whirring physics experiments to wow and bamboozle. It's all there.

As the city spreads away from that central core, it throws out enthralling neighborhoods and landmarks aplenty. Fells Point is a real charmer, unfolding to the east with its stone-dressed streets, mariner taverns, and lantern-lit alleyways. Keep going and you soon come to famous Fort McHenry. A national monument, it was once bombarded by the Brits and claims to be where The Star-Spangled Banner was written back in the early 1800s.