Baltimore travel tips: Where to go and what to see in 48 hours

Travel essentials

Why go now?

"The Star-Spangled Banner" celebrates its bicentenary this month. The lyrics of the national anthem of the United States were written by Francis Scott Key, a lawyer and amateur poet, after he witnessed the British defeat at the Battle of Baltimore in September 1814. There have been some notable interpretations since then: Jimi Hendrix's feedback rendition at Woodstock in 1969; Marvin Gaye's soul adaptation at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game; and Aretha Franklin's gospel version at the 2006 Super Bowl. The city of Baltimore commemorates the anthem's 200th anniversary with a packed schedule of live music, air shows and fireworks throughout the autumn (starspangled200.com).

Touch down

British Airways (0843 493 0787; ba.com) flies daily, non-stop from Heathrow to Baltimore-Washington International (BWI), 10 miles south-west of the city centre.

A Light Rail service (mta.maryland.gov/light-rail) connects the airport with downtown. The journey to Camden Station (1) in downtown Baltimore takes around 25 minutes and costs $1.60 (£1) each way. A taxi to downtown takes 15 minutes and costs about $35 (£22).

Get your bearings

Baltimore, the largest city in the East Coast state of Maryland, is spread out around a colourful inner harbour. The city centre and Penn Station (2) lie to the north, extending into the historic district of Mount Vernon, an outcrop of grand 18th- and 19th-century buildings. To the south east is Fort McHenry (3), the star-shaped defence work from where the US army successfully defended the city from British attack in 1814.

The tourist office (4) is at 401 Light Street (001 877 225 8466 baltimore.org; open daily 9am-6pm April to September, 10am-4pm October to March). The Star-Spangled Banner Pass ($18/£11) offers discounted entrance to a range of historic monuments including Fort McHenry (3) and The Maryland Historical Society (5) at 201 Monument Street (001 410 685 3750; mdhs.org) – which houses the US anthem's original manuscript.

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Check In

The city's poshest digs are to be found at The Four Seasons (6) at 200 International Drive (001 410 576 5800; fourseasons.com/baltimore), a 21-storey glass monolith in the heart of the Inner Harbor. The Wit & Wisdom restaurant is under the command of Michelin-star chef, Michael Mina. Doubles from $529 (£330), room only.

A few blocks north of Downtown at 868 Park Avenue, the Hotel Brexton (7) (001 443 478 2100; brextonhotel.com) is a redbrick Victorian mansion with many original features including an elegant spiral staircase. The hotel is the former residence of Wallis Simpson, the wife of Edward VIII. Doubles from $210 (£131) including breakfast.

Well located downtown, the Mount Vernon Hotel (8) at 24 West Franklin Street (001 410 727 2000; mountvernonbaltimore.com) has reasonably priced rooms in a Beaux Art building. Doubles from $79 (£49), with breakfast.

Day one

Take a hike

Start at St Paul's Episcopal Church (9) on Charles Street. Then head north to the Walters Art Museum (10) at 600 North Charles Street (001 410 547 9000; art.thewalters.org; Wednesday to Sunday 10am-5pm; free) housing national and international collections including works by Monet and Turner.

Walk uphill to the Washington Monument (unfortunately encased in scaffolding until summer 2015) then duck into the Peabody Institute (11) (001 410 234 4500; peabody.jhu.edu; free) – a music conservatory founded by British-American philanthropist George Peabody in 1857. Don't miss the astonishing George Peabody Library: a 60ft atrium soars from a black-and-white marble floor, with five tiers of cast-iron balconies and gold-scalloped columns.

In the Hampden district north-west of Downtown, it's hard to miss Café Hon (12) at 1002 West 36th Street (001 410 243 1230; cafehon.com) due to the 30ft fibreglass flamingo outside. This comfort-food emporium is a Baltimore institution: the fried oyster platter ($13/£8) – a local speciality – comes with tartar sauce, fries and coleslaw.

Window shopping

In the spirit of such films as Pecker, Hairspray and Cry-Baby – all movies directed by local hero John Waters – the Hampden district is ultra-hip and ultra-kitsch, with an extra dollop of tackiness thrown in. Buy vintage shirts and jackets at Sixteen Tons (13) at 1021 West 36th Street (001 410 554 0101; shop16tons.com); mid-century antiques at Paradiso (14), 1015 West 36th Street (001 410 243 1317; paradisohampden.com); and left-leaning literature at Atomic Books (15), 3620 Falls Road (001 410 662 4444; atomicbooks.com).

An aperitif

If you're a fan of John Waters, head to one of this director's favourite haunts, space-age dive bar Rocket To Venus (16) at 3360 Chestnut Ave (001 410 235 7887; rockettovenus.com). During happy hour (5-7pm) a pint and a half of local brew, Natty Bo (National Bohemian Beer) costs just $4 (£2.50).

Otherwise make a beeline for The Brewer's Art (17) at 1106 North Charles Street (001 410 547 6925; thebrewersart.com), a restaurant and bar set in an ornate turn-of-the-century townhouse with 33 home-brewed beers.

Dining with the locals

In a converted 19th-century flourmill on a tranquil riverbank, Woodberry Kitchen (18) at 2010 Clipper Park Road (001 410 464 8000; woodberrykitchen.com) serves exceptional farm-to-table contemporary American cuisine; even the mozzarella is made onsite. Dinner costs around $120 (£75) for two, with wine. You can pop next door afterwards to see multi-coloured designs at Corradetti glassblowing studios (001 410 243 2010; corradetti.com; to 9pm, Weds-Sat).

There's nothing fancy about the café-style interior at LP Steamers (19) at 1100 East Fort Ave (001 410 576 9294; locustpointsteamers.com), but the signature snow crab legs with butter and Old Bay seasoning ($15/£9) is out of this world.

Sunday morning: go to church

The Baltimore Basilica (20) at 409 Cathedral Street (001 410 727 3565; americasfirstcathedral.org), dating from 1806, was the first cathedral built in the post-constitution US. There's a free guided tour at midday every Sunday.

Out to brunch

Gertrude's (21), at 10 Art Museum Drive (001 410 889 3399; gertrudesbaltimore.com), is an upscale restaurant in the sculpture garden of the Baltimore Modern Art Museum. Order Gertie's Baltimore crab cakes ($23/£14), made according to chef John Shields's grandmother's recipe.

A walk in the park

A steep path leads you up to Federal Hill Park (22), a pretty patch of green, topped with a flapping national flag, from where you can get unmatched views of the harbour.

Take a ride

See through the eyes of Francis Scott Key, author of "The Star-Spangled Banner", on a Fort McHenry Boat Tour (001 410 962 4290; friendsoffortmchenry.org; $10/£6). The 45-minute trip outlines the main events of the 1814 Battle of Baltimore. There are seven daily departures from Fort McHenry Pier (3), leaving on the hour from 10am.

Cultural afternoon

Baltimore wears its wackiness on its sleeve at The American Visionary Art Museum (23) at 800 Key Highway (001 410 244 1900; avam.org; 10am-6pm daily except Mondays; $15.95/£10).

Writer Edgar Allen Poe's house (24) is a modest affair at 203 North Amity Street (001 443 327 9789; poeinbaltimore.org; open weekends 11am-4pm; $5/£3). He lived there between 1833 and 1835.

The icing on the cake

Legendary baseball stadium Oriole Park (25), at 333 West Camden Street (001 410 685 9800; orioles.com), has Sunday tours (April-September) at noon, 1, 2 and 3pm; other days 10am-1pm ($9/£6).