Congratulations—or félicitations, as they say in French—are in order, even if we say so ourselves!
Much to our delight, Winterthur has been awarded a coveted three-star rating in Michelin’s first-ever Green Guide for our area: Philadelphia & the Countryside.
Like the famed Michelin star system for restaurants, this exceptional rating represents the highest and rarest honor. The Michelin Green Guide awards destinations with one, two, or three stars to let readers know whether a place is worth a visit, a detour, or a special journey, respectively. And if that weren’t enough, Winterthur is named one of the 10 “unmissable” must-see sites.
While announcing the new book at an event on May 18, Philippe Orain, editor in chief of the Michelin Green Guide collection, revealed why his team chose Philadelphia and its environs as the 8th U.S. destination to be featured. He called Philadelphia “the most important historical city in the U.S. as the birthplace of America” and an “East Coast Gateway” for international travelers to be introduced to the country.
The guide itself is exciting to read, and the entire tourism team—both here at Winterthur as well as our friends at the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), Chester County Conference & Visitors Bureau, and the Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau—are thrilled that so many Delaware sites are included. “We aren’t the destination that we are without the attractions in the countryside,” said Gregg Caren, PHLCVB president and CEO.
Many Pennsylvanians—and I say this as a Pennsylvanian—forget how intertwined the First State is with the Keystone State. My colleagues sometimes like to joke that Delaware makes up “the three southernmost counties of Pennsylvania.” (It’s a comment that amuses Pennsylvanians. Delawareans, probably not.) As it is, I usually have one foot in each state, commuting from one end of the Delaware Valley to the other almost every day. I love where I live, and I love where I work, so I’m delighted that both places have received such prestigious recognition.
One thing we surely agree on is that this honor has left us starry-eyed, and we all look forward to welcoming more visitors from France and beyond to our beautiful region.
You can read about the guide here: https://www.discoverphl.com/blog/michelin-launches-first-ever-philadelphia-guide/. The French edition is out now, and the English version will be available to UK and North American travelers in June.
