Hudson Valley: Broadway is in Tivoli

Gilded Age, pleasure region and green lung

Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley is only 90 minutes from New York City and combines a charming lifestyle with fascinating history.

They are located in the most beautiful places in Dutchess County: the National Historic Sites - witnesses to some of the most dazzling eras in the United States, chiseled in stone and glitteringly polished with glitz, glamor and historical storytelling. And they tell of Dutch settlement, the Gilded Age or provide a glimpse into the lives of the Roosevelts. Ultimately, however, they are just one of many reasons for a trip to Dutchess County, a scenically and historically fascinating region in the Hudson Valley.
After the Civil War, there was a tremendous growth spurt here - technologically, industrially and socio-politically. Tycoons such as Cornelius Vanderbilt, J. P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller and others took advantage of the fresh wind - fueled by a never-ending stream of immigrants - and acquired wealth by founding railroads, banks and large agricultural enterprises, which they soon invested in a luxurious lifestyle. Weekend parties with endless guest lists from rich and poor, horse studs, salons, tennis courts and swimming pools included.

The process of "gilding" an object gave the period between 1870 and the beginning of the 20th century its name: Gilded Age. During this period, some members of the establishment viewed the upstart dynasties with skepticism. In their eyes, they were nothing more than parvenus who lived in extravagant palaces, threw expensive balls and used their money to buy their way into the society columns of the major newspapers as dazzling celebrities.

This story of American visionaries - and their demise - is not only timely, it's also easy to get to know in person because it's set just 90 minutes from New York City and is even easily accessible by train. Dutchess County is a relaxing contrast to the city that never sleeps. Exciting? Yes! Relaxing? Yes! Because in addition to a journey through time into American history, this insider destination today also attracts foodies from all over the world with innovative local delicacies "from farm to table", lovely boutique hotels and a stunning landscape: the Hudson River, which flows majestically, calmly and serenely through the country as a defining lifeline.

The agony of choice

Dutchess County is a foodie's paradise, with a wide array of gourmet choices: farmers markets, gourmet restaurants, wineries and local distilleries. At the forefront of the culinary scene is the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the leading American "cooking school" - or rather: THE university training center for the future successors of Paul Bocuse & Co.





What fun to stroll through the corridors of the institute and watch students in white coats and chef's hats through the windows, stirring sauces or rolling out dough with verve. Afterwards, browsing through the institute store, which sells everything from cookbooks to unusual kitchen crafts, is a must for amateur chefs! On the campus itself, students give tours of their everyday university life and teach guests the art of tasting, smelling and preparing food properly. There are also four public restaurants staffed by students - located somewhere between Apple Pie Bakery and Paul Bocuse, depending on your mood and advance reservation (!), they are ambassadors for the culinary artists of tomorrow. In this breeding ground for gourmet talent, people are also happy to take a look into the pots and pans in an American-style relaxed manner: at cooking and baking courses, where some of the world's best up-and-coming chefs are already confidently wielding their spoons.





And the wine pairing is also perfect: The Hudson Valley is considered the first wine-growing region in the United States, with a correspondingly well-developed wine culture.




Lovers of high-proof drinks get their money's worth with unconventional hosts. For example, at the Dassai Blue Sake Brewery: fresh water from the state of New York and Yamada Nikishi rice combined with decades of experience lead to the essence of Junmai Daiginjo, the highest level of sake art. Guests are welcome to taste the sake.





Further north in the county, however, other experiences large and small provide culinary splendor. Stop at the Montgomery Place Orchard farm stand: 70 different varieties of apples are produced here by "vintage orchard". Apple cider and apple donuts are a popular addition to the shopping basket. In the charming little town of Rhinebeck with its interesting settler history - it was founded by the Dutch in 1686 - surrounded by more than 30 restaurants, pubs and cafés, you can not only enjoy the historical atmosphere of a walk-in small-town museum, but also good, homemade cookies, espressos and teas in Samuel's Sweet Shop. New Yorkers in particular appreciate the luxury of the nearby Mirbeau Inn & Spa - the best hotel in Rhinebeck and the perfect starting point for excursions into the culinary world of the farms and fields of Pleasant Valley, Clinton, Milan and Stanford - or to Tivoli. The hotel of the same name is located on Broadway, 53 Broadway to be precise, but you don't have to look far, Broadway in Tivoli is easy to find.





No comparison with Manhattan - even if the big namesake sparkles across. Fans of the Broadway musical "Hamilton", which has been playing in the Theatre District for ten years, know that Aaron Burr sought refuge here in Dutchess County after shooting Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Hamilton himself spent some time in nearby Poughkeepsie in 1788 to persuade New Yorkers in the County Courthouse to vote in favor of the U.S. Constitution. Lovers of the Broadway musical "Hair" visit nearby Woodstock. And inspired by "Dear Evan Hanson", musical connoisseurs in the Valley can "explore the Appalachian Trail by bike" or "write a book and learn to sail". On Broadway at Tivoli, however, there is no sign of the glittering world of Manhattan.

Instead, artist couple Helen and Brice Marden have created an eclectic retreat for connoisseurs - an artwork consisting of furniture, spectacular light objects and extravagant art. In addition to the sleek and cool design rooms, the highlight is their restaurant The Corner, highly praised by the New York Times and its readers for its honest and authentic farm-to-table cuisine with seasonal highlights and the good-humored head chef Christopher Colby Miller.

Walk through US history

What do "real New Yorkers" do when they want to work off their calories? They head out of the city and into the Hudson Valley to explore the great outdoors. Of all the hiking and riding trails, the "Walkway Over the Hudson" is an absolute must - and definitely an Instagram motif. It's the longest pedestrian bridge in the world. Kayaking and swimming in the great outdoors, 75 hiking trails and almost 200 parks will make any nature lover's heart beat faster. Many of the picturesque gardens are also perfect for long walks. Perhaps the most beautiful garden is at Bard College in Annadale-On-Hudson. Between the Catskill Mountains and the Hudson River, the landscape architectural vision of Beaux-Arts master Francis Hoppin stretches for five kilometers. The unobstructed view of the river opens up like a huge hall into the open air, with trees more than 300 years old standing vigil on its banks.

Back in idyllic Hyde Park, Dutchess County shows its historical side, as mentioned at the beginning: in the National and State Historic Sites. There you can visit the Eleanor Roosevelt Cottage, home of Franklin D. Roosevelt - the only president to be elected to four terms - and the FDR Presidential Library & Museum - America's first and only presidential library to be used by a sitting president. Guided tours of the mansions of the Lord of the House and First Lady Eleanor give a good insight into the lives of this extraordinary couple. An excellently designed museum guides visitors through the stock market crash and the Great Depression, the New Deal and the Second World War - right up to the founding of the United Nations.





A few miles down the road, Vanderbilt Mansion, an important social meeting place for New York high society in the late 19th century, provides an insight into the lives of the American multimillionaire couple Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt. And while you have just moved between the original furniture of the super-rich of the Guild Age and enjoyed the Millionaire's View of the Hudson, the next highlight is already waiting with anecdotes about the legendary "historical" figures Ogden Mills and his wife Ruth Livingston Mills: the Californian gold-digger tycoon and his wife only used Mills Mansion with its 79 rooms as a modest country residence - the Mills also owned estates in New York City, San Francisco, Newport and Paris. An army of servants kept a kind of Downton Abbey household running here: Misses Mill's pink bedroom - faithfully preserved - achieved some notoriety. Her neighbor and contemporary Louise Vanderbilt, on the other hand, probably had a preference for the opulence of the French court. She furnished the 54-room property in the Beaux-Arts style like a doll's house, based on the palaces of the French kings Louis XIV, XV and XVI. The next day, it's excitingly contrasting and funky to end up in the hypermodern Dia:Beacon museum. One of the most significant collections of modern art, from the 1960s to the present day, enriches the 30,000 square meter former industrial site on the banks of the Hudson. As always in Dutchess County, culture and pleasure are perfect companions in lively Beacon: galleries, boutiques and the most diverse culinary discoveries make the "#1 coolest small town in America" the ideal end point for a voyage of discovery up and down the Hudson before heading back to New York.