Burlington is Vermont's largest city, though at around 45,000 people it hardly feels urban. It sits on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain, with the Adirondack Mountains of New York visible across the water and the Green Mountains rising behind.
Church Street Marketplace, a four-block pedestrian street in the centre, is the heart of the city — lined with restaurants, cafes, and independent shops. The waterfront park along the lake is good for walking or cycling, and in summer the lake itself offers sailing, kayaking, and swimming. Burlington has a lively food and craft beer scene that punches well above its weight for a city this size — the Vermont Pub and Brewery was Vermont's first brewpub, and the craft beer tradition runs deep.
The University of Vermont campus gives the city a young, progressive character, and the Fleming Museum of Art on campus holds a 24,000-piece collection open to visitors. The ECHO museum on the waterfront explores the science and ecology of Lake Champlain, including the famous lake monster Champ. In winter, several ski resorts — Stowe, Smugglers' Notch, Bolton Valley — are within easy driving distance.