From the peninsular beauty of Cape Cod, shaped by its coasts and shaped by the Atlantic, to the lively artist scene of the Berkshires in the west – Massachusetts weaves all facets of the country into a colorful fabric that tells the eventful history of New England. The contemporary mixes with the historical. The beginning of the American Revolution, the emergence of American literature, the first college, all happened in Massachusetts.

According to travelationary, Massachusetts is scenic on the rocky coast to the northeast or in the Berkshire Hills to the west. Boston, the capital, is also the most important metropolis in all of New England. The city, with its red brick houses crouching between skyscrapers, has aged gracefully ever since. The “Boston Common”, today located between the districts of Beacon Hill and Chinatown, was created in 1624 and is considered the oldest public park in the USA. The islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard invite guests to shop to their heart’s content, stroll along golden beaches at sunset and learn all about whaling history.

The “Pilgrims” had fled England, where they were being persecuted as religious dissenters. They reached the coast of Massachusetts in a narrow ship and in March 1621 they went ashore, built log cabins and established Plimoth Plantation, the first permanent settlement in New England. Today you can wander through the founding village as a “Living History Museum” and experience everyday life on a journey through time. The story of the Mayflower and her departure into the unknown is written in every American history book, forging an identity for a country that had yet to invent itself.

Massachusetts’ role in the state fabric has much, if not all, to do with the founding history of the United States. The early settlers, blessed with the new self-confidence of a region that was gaining strength, no longer wanted to endure the arbitrariness of the exploiting colonial power. The American Revolutionary War lasted eight years, starting in Lexington and Concord in 1775. Massachusetts is the cradle of the American nation and the beating heart of New England politically, culturally and economically. The fun-filled anarchy of the Pacific Coast or the cowboyism of the Wild West don’t mix well with the venerable society of this state and its citizens.

In Massachusetts, reference is more likely to be made to writers and philosophers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Nathaniel Hawthorne, all of whom lived in Concord. One thinks of pioneering politicians like John F. Kennedy and places like Martha’s Vineyard, Hyannis, where the rich heritage coagulated into visible prosperity lives on.

Location and size
Massachusetts is located in Massachusetts Bay, bordering New Hampshire and Vermont to the north, Connecticut and Rhode Island to the south, and New York to the west. To the east lies the Atlantic Ocean. The state covers an area of ​​27,336 km², of which 7,031 km² is water.

Population
Nearly 6.5 million people live in Massachusetts. About 617,000 people live in the capital Boston.

Arrival
British Airways, United, Iceland Air, Air Canada, Air France, Lufthansa, KLM, Delta and American Airlines all fly to Boston. Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) is located 4 miles northeast of Boston.

Climate
Despite the fact that Massachusetts is a relatively small state, there are significant climatic differences between the eastern and western parts. Throughout the state, winters are cold and summers are moderately warm. In Pittsfield in the Berkshires, the average temperature in July is 20°C and in January -6°C. In the interior lowlands it is slightly warmer in summer and winter, with the average temperature in July being 22°C. The coastal sections are among the warmest areas of the state. In July, temperatures in Boston are 23° C, in January it is -1° C. The precipitation ranges from 990 mm to 1170 mm annually. The average snowfall in Boston reaches 1070 mm.

Indian Summer
In the Indian Summer it is important to be in the right place at the right time. To find out where that is, the Foliage Network, for example, offers information for all states. Maps regularly provide an up-to-date overview of the degree of discoloration. By the way: The term “Indian Summer” in English describes the warmer period in autumn, but the phenomenon of leaf discoloration is called “foliage” or “fall foliage”.

Average temperatures in Boston, Massachusetts in °C
Month	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	June	July	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max	2	4	8	13	19	25	28	27	23	17	11	6
Min	-6	-4	-1	5	10	15	18	18	14	8	3	-2

Average temperatures in Plymouth, Massachusetts in °C
Month	Jan	Feb	March	apr	May	June	July	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	dec
Max	4	5	9	14	20	25	28	27	23	17	12	6
Min	-7	-5	-2	3	8	13	17	17	12	7	2	-3