Nestled On The Vermont-New Hampshire Border Is A Scenic City With Idyllic Nature And A Charming Downtown

A quintessential New England city invokes images of stately brick buildings set around a leafy square and surrounding hillsides aflame with fall foliage. These visions come to life in Lebanon, New Hampshire, located in the Upper Valley region that straddles the Connecticut River, which serves as the Vermont-New Hampshire border. While Lebanon's western border is the Connecticut River, its charming and historic heart is nestled on the river's smaller tributary, the winding Mascoma River. Here, Lebanon's storybook downtown is anchored by its Federal-style city hall building, which also houses the Lebanon Opera House, and Colburn Park. Tucked around the central square and the river are a handful of charming restaurants, shops, galleries, and more.

Lebanon was first settled in the mid-18th century, and due to its riverside location, it flourished as a mill town. Its mill industry further developed with the advent of the Northern Railroad in Lebanon in the mid-19th century. Today, Lebanon is renowned for its picture-perfect ambiance and serves as a gateway to outdoor adventures in the Upper Valley. Lebanon is the western trailhead for the Northern Rail Trail, a nearly 60-mile non-motorized trail that follows the former Northern Railroad route. The city also boasts Storrs Hill, a historic family-friendly ski resort, and Mascoma Lake, a scenic natural lake for swimming, boating, and fishing.

Lebanon's small-town charms are easy to access, as Boston is just a two-hour drive or bus ride away. The small Lebanon Municipal Airport (LEB) also receives nonstop flights from Boston and Westchester County, New York. Lebanon is beautiful to visit year-round, from hiking and lake adventures in the summer, brilliant foliage in the fall, and skiing come winter.

Lebanon's petite downtown on the Mascoma River is part of the Colburn Park Historic District, which is renowned for its well-preserved historic architecture, cultural offerings, and walkable nature. The green heartbeat of the town is Colburn Park, which is a tree-lined square where community events, such as the weekly summer farmers market, take place. Occupying a prominent position on the square is Lebanon's City Hall, a stately Federal-style building crowned with a cupola. You'll also find the Lebanon Opera House. This vibrant theater hosts a packed calendar year-round of performances, including concerts, film screenings, comedy shows, musicals, plays, ballets, and lectures.

Stroll to the western end of Colburn Park where you'll see the Lebanon Public Library, an elegant Carnegie library built in the early 1900s. Across the street from the library is the AVA Gallery and Art Center, a community arts center with art studios, gallery exhibits, classes, and other art-focused programs. The galleries are free to visit, and you can browse exhibits showcasing the work of local artists. If you're inspired, AVA Gallery and Art Center also offers adult and youth classes in artistic mediums such as plein air painting, photography, wood turning, blacksmithing, and more.

If you've worked up an appetite walking around Lebanon, head to the town's beloved Three Tomatoes Trattoria, which has stood across from Colburn Park for over 35 years. In this convivial trattoria, you can enjoy delicious Italian cuisine, such as wood-fired pizzas, ravioli with house-made tomato sauce, and chicken Parmigiana. For a quick coffee break, you can also stop into Lucky's Coffee Garage for freshly brewed coffees sweetened with local maple syrup, hearty sandwiches, and homemade pastries. After exploring Lebanon, drive about 6 miles north to the charming and picturesque town of Hanover, which is home to the prestigious Dartmouth College. 

Lebanon's bucolic location in the Upper Valley with skiable peaks, scenic rivers, and a large lake ensures plenty of outdoor adventures. To enjoy Lebanon's surrounding nature, visitors should head out on the 59-mile Northern Rail Trail, which begins a 5-minute stroll away from Colburn Park and is rated the top activity in Lebanon on Tripadvisor. The trail, which can be traversed by foot, bikes, cross-country skis, and more, begins by running along the curvaceous Mascoma River and bypasses several natural and historic landmarks. You'll see the Packard Hill Covered Bridge, a beautiful timber-framed bridge first built in the 1780s. After various iterations, it was later rebuilt and restored in 1991. The trail also hugs the northern shore of Mascoma Lake, an over 1,100-acre natural lake that offers year-round fun. Here, you can swim in the refreshing waters at the lake's public beach, canoe to the lake's islands, or fish (and ice-fish) for rainbow trout or perch.

In the late summer and fall, enjoy Lebanon's idyllic nature at Patch Orchards, which has been a family-owned farm since the late 18th century. Here, you can pick a wide range of apples, from Honeycrisp to Fujis, explore the corn maze, and pick up fresh produce at the farm stand. Once the snow falls in the winter, skiers can head to Lebanon's Storrs Hill, one of America's oldest ski resorts. First established in 1923, Storrs Hill is a family-friendly ski hill with seven trails across 20 acres. Children can learn the basics of the sport on green hills, intermediates can practice on the blue runs, and experts can try out thrilling jumps on the double-black terrain park. For more skiing nearby, you can head just 6 miles away to the family-friendly alpine retreat of Whaleback Mountain.