Washington

💡 About Washington

Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, was purpose-built as a seat of government on land carved from Maryland and Virginia, and laid out by the French engineer Pierre L'Enfant with grand diagonal avenues radiating from the Capitol and the White House.

The National Mall is an open-air gallery of democracy — the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the reflecting pools and the war memorials frame a landscape of immense symbolic power. The Smithsonian, the world's largest museum complex, offers nearly all of its 17 museums entirely free of charge.

Beyond the monuments, D.C. is a lively city of leafy neighbourhoods, a vibrant food scene and a diverse international population drawn by embassies and global institutions. In spring, the Japanese cherry trees around the Tidal Basin erupt into a sea of pink blossom.

⭐ Known For