Portsmouth is a small, historic seaport city on the Piscataqua River in southeastern New Hampshire. Founded in 1623, it is one of the oldest cities in the United States, and its compact downtown is packed with well-preserved colonial and Federal-era architecture. The streets are walkable and full of character — independent bookshops, craft breweries, and some of the best restaurants in northern New England sit shoulder to shoulder in old brick buildings.
The standout attraction is the Strawbery Banke Museum, a ten-acre outdoor history museum with restored buildings spanning four centuries of Portsmouth life. Down on the waterfront, Prescott Park is a beautifully maintained public garden that hosts a popular summer arts festival with theater, music, and dance performances against the backdrop of the river. The Isles of Shoals, a small archipelago about ten miles offshore, are accessible by excursion boat and worth a half-day trip for the seabird colonies and the views back toward the coast.
Portsmouth works well as a base for exploring the New Hampshire seacoast. The town itself rewards a day or two of wandering — the historic houses, the harbor, and the food scene are reason enough to linger.