Seattle

Pike Place Market is the soul of Seattle and the essential first stop — one of the oldest continuously operating public markets in the United States, tumbling down the hillside above Elliott Bay since 1907. Beneath its famous clock and “Public Market” sign, a warren of stalls and shops sells fresh fish (where the fishmongers theatrically toss salmon), flowers, fruit, crafts and street food, alongside characterful eateries, the gum-covered “Gum Wall” and the original 1971 Starbucks store across Pike Place. Below the market, the revitalised central waterfront along Alaskan Way — reborn after the removal of an old elevated highway — strings together piers, parks, restaurants, the Seattle Aquarium and the Seattle Great Wheel, with views across Puget Sound to the Olympic Mountains and ferries gliding in and out. From here you can take a harbour cruise or hop a Washington State Ferry across the Sound for the classic skyline view. Together, the market and the waterfront capture Seattle's blend of working port, food culture and natural setting, and they are where most visits begin.

Seattle's skyline icon, the Space Needle, was built for the 1962 World's Fair and still defines the city — a 184-metre tower with an observation deck and a rotating glass floor offering 360-degree views over the city, the Sound and the mountains. It anchors the Seattle Center, the fair's legacy campus, which gathers some of the city's best attractions: the Chihuly Garden and Glass, a breathtaking indoor-outdoor showcase of Dale Chihuly's vivid blown-glass art; the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), in a swooping Frank Gehry building, celebrating music (with deep Seattle grunge and Hendrix collections), science fiction and pop culture; and the Pacific Science Center, all linked to downtown by the retro Monorail. Across the city, Seattle's museums run deep — the Seattle Art Museum downtown, the superb Museum of Flight (charting Boeing and aviation history), and more. For the definitive view, head to Kerry Park on Queen Anne hill, where the Space Needle, downtown skyline and Mount Rainier line up in the city's most famous panorama. These sights showcase Seattle's mix of mid-century optimism, artistic flair and innovation.

Seattle's culture is as much a draw as its sights. This is the city that launched modern coffee culture — Starbucks was founded at Pike Place in 1971, and a thriving scene of independent roasters and cafés makes Seattle a coffee-lover's pilgrimage. It is also the birthplace of grunge, the sound that defined the early 1990s through Seattle bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, building on the legacy of homegrown legend Jimi Hendrix — a musical heritage explored at MoPOP and felt in the city's live-music venues. Seattle's character comes alive in its neighbourhoods: historic Pioneer Square, the city's red-brick birthplace, with art galleries and the quirky Underground Tour beneath the streets; the Chinatown-International District; the lively, LGBTQ-friendly Capitol Hill, full of bars, music and nightlife; the U District around the University of Washington; and Fremont, with its eccentric public art. The Scandinavian-rooted, maritime neighbourhood of Ballard preserves Seattle's strong Nordic immigrant heritage — home to the excellent National Nordic Museum and the busy Hiram M. Chittenden (Ballard) Locks, where boats pass between the Sound and the lakes and salmon climb the fish ladder. Exploring these distinct districts is one of the best ways to feel the city's creative, independent spirit.

Few big cities sit so close to such grand wilderness, and Seattle's outdoors are a huge part of its appeal. On the water, Washington State Ferries — the largest ferry system in the country — glide across Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island (an easy, scenic round trip with skyline views), the Kitsap Peninsula and, further out, the beautiful San Juan Islands, with their orca-watching and island calm. In the city, green spaces abound, from Discovery Park's bluffs and beaches to the Washington Park Arboretum and Green Lake. But the headline acts are the great national parks within reach: Mount Rainier, the glaciated 4,392-metre volcano that dominates the horizon, with its wildflower meadows and trails (a few hours away); the wild, varied Olympic National Park across the Sound, with its rainforests, mountains and coast; and the rugged North Cascades to the north-east. Add the wineries of Woodinville, the Boeing tour and the Snoqualmie Falls nearby, and Seattle works as both a vibrant city break and the gateway to the Pacific Northwest's mountains, forests and islands. Just come prepared for the region's soft, frequent rain outside the glorious summer months.