Holiday in San Francisco

What makes San Francisco special as a destination?

San Francisco, the city by the bay, is a total work of art made up of iconic landmarks, cultural diversity, and an atmosphere that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. The Golden Gate Bridge, perhaps the most famous structure in the USA, spans 2,737 meters in bright International Orange across the strait between the Pacific and the bay — particularly impressive when the famous fog (Karl the Fog) envelops the pillars. Alcatraz, the former high-security prison island in the bay, tells the stories of Al Capone and the infamous escape attempt of 1962. The historic Cable Cars have been climbing the steep hills since 1873 and are the only mobile National Historic Landmark in the USA. Fisherman's Wharf at Pier 39 offers sea lion spectacles, clam chowder in sourdough bread, and views of the skyline. San Francisco's neighborhoods are worlds unto themselves: Chinatown, the oldest and largest in North America, Haight-Ashbury as the cradle of the hippie movement, the Castro as the heart of LGBTQ culture, and The Mission with its colorful murals and Mexican taquerias. The Painted Ladies, Victorian houses against the skyline, are a postcard classic. The de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, the art collections of the Legion of Honor, and the SFMOMA complement the cultural program. The gourmet scene is top-notch — from the sourdough tradition to Michelin-starred restaurants. San Francisco is compact enough to explore and large enough to always surprise.