When people refer to the "Amish country" in Pennsylvania, they are most likely referring to Lancaster County, which has the most well-known Amish community in the country. The Amish country, however, extends across the state and so do the attractions.
Visitors who are interested in sampling the simple life of the Amish should have no trouble finding things to do in Lancaster County. Among the activities patrons can choose from are Amish buggy rides, farm trail rides on horseback, touring an actual Amish family homestead, air-conditioned motor coach tours of the countryside, or touring The Amish Village, which is an 1840s farmhouse furnished as a Lancaster County Old Order Amish home. In addition, visitors may shop for Amish woodcrafts and handcrafted furniture, as well as quilts.
Lancaster County is not comprised of only Amish culture and merchandise. It is also known for its outlet stores, Rockvale and Tanger Outlets, where shoppers can find brand-name items at far more reasonable prices. The outlets line Route 30 and are surrounded by dozens of restaurants and coffee shops.
Hershey chocolate, made in Hershey, Pennsylvania, is known the world over for its chocolate confections. It is also known for owning and operating Hersheypark, an amusement park featuring traditional rides such as rollercoasters and merry-go-rounds, but also a virtual boardwalk, beach and wave pool. If you are interested in seeing just how Hershey makes its goodies, Chocolate World offers a tour of the chocolate factory by train. The Create Your Own Candy Bar feature is forthcoming.
During Halloween, the park is decorated and select rides are operational for the "Hersheypark in the Dark" experience. Hersheypark is also decorated for Christmas with thousands of lights and the shops are open for holiday gift-buying during "Christmas Candylane."
Lititz, which is pronounced "Lit-its," is approximately 10 miles north of Lancaster City and much of the Amish community is settled there. Aside from the Amish, however, Lititz offers many attractions to keep visitors busy, including Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, which was established in 1861 and is the first commercial pretzel bakery in the country. Visitors are given a tour of the factory and make their own pretzel, which is then baked for them to eat.
Hershey is not the only town with a chocolate factory. Lititz is home to the Wilbur Chocolate Factory, where they produce the locally beloved Wilbur Buds. The factory houses a museum and chocolate shop, and if you come early enough in the day, you are likely to smell the scent of chocolate wafting through town.
Pennsylvania boasts 197 covered bridges, many of which are over 150 years old. There are 28 of these bridges in Lancaster County alone. Covered bridges are often referred to as "kissing bridges" among locals because of the many couples who have strolled across them over the years, stopping to admire the view.
