The Litchfield and Housatonic region of northwest Connecticut present a lovely palette of New England village life

This beautiful, peaceful corner of northwestern Connecticut is bounded on the west by the New York border and the Housatonic River. It is a place of quiet, pretty villages with the traditional steepled churches and village greens. This region of rolling Litchfield Hills offers luxuries for vacationers in all four seasons: hiking and bicycling in the spring and summer; relaxing drives along Route 7, which parallels the Housatonic, to enjoy the fall foliage; cozy weekends spent in comfortable inns or prowling antique stores in the winter (the town of Woodbury is the region’s epicenter for antiquing). The Housatonic River and smaller streams are renowned for trout fishing – and trout by their nature, live only in beautiful places.

Summer entertainments for children and families include the beloved Lake Compounce Theme Park in Bristol, with the usual assortment of summer fun, including the legendary Boulder Dash wooden roller coaster, and the Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury. Local museums offer a variety of topics. They include the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art in Ridgefield; the Carousel Museum of New England in Bristol; and the Mattatuck Museum, a showcase of Connecticut industry and 19th- and 20th-century art. There are also two railway museums, in Danbury and Thomaston, with opportunities to take a scenic ride in a vintage, steam-powered train. Even simpler, get out of the inn or the car and take a walk through the villages of Kent, Cornwall Bridge, and Litchfield. Relax and enjoy the beauty of small-town New England life.