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Founded as the sole Catholic colony in strongly Protestant America, and isolated as the northernmost slave state, MARYLAND has always been unusual. Within its small, irregularly-shaped area, its attractions range from the frantic, boardwalk beaches of Ocean City to the sleepy fishing villages of the Chesapeake Bay , and the bustling urban center of Baltimore to peaceful Appalachian hill country. Once one of the world's most productive fishing areas, Maryland's Chesapeake has recently been brought back from the brink of complete annihilation due to pollution and overfishing. Its abundant oyster stocks are a thing of the past, but legendary soft-shell blue crabs and sweet rockfish are more plentiful than ever, and now support a diverse, decentralized economy, buoyed by the hundreds of weekend boaters who cruise from one to another of its colonial-era towns.

Maryland's heritage isn't quite as obvious as Virginia's, with nowhere near as many historical sites, but it boasts plenty of firsts for the United States, including the first Catholic Cathedral, gas-lit street and telegraph line between Baltimore and Washington DC. Kent Island on Maryland's Eastern Shore was the third permanent English settlement (behind Jamestown and Plymouth Rock) in 1631. And during the War of 1812, the British forces attempted a last-ditch effort to wrest back the colonies, in which they burned down much of Washington DC and moved onto the shipyards of Baltimore. In a valiant battle, they were staved off at Fort McHenry ; the fort's resistance inspired an onlooker, Francis Scott Key, to write the words to the United States' national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner .

Maryland's largest city is the busy port of Baltimore , a quirky and engaging metropolis with a revitalized urban waterfront, thriving cultural scene and eclectic neighborhoods that characterize its diverse residents. Western Maryland stretches over a hundred miles to the Appalachian foothills, its rolling farmlands noteworthy chiefly for the Civil War battlefield at Antietam . Just twenty miles south of Baltimore, along the Chesapeake Bay, picturesque Annapolis has served as Maryland's capital since 1694. Some of the state's most worthwhile destinations, from the pretty fishing and yachting town of St Michaels to the untouched wilderness of Assateague Island , are across the Chesapeake Bay on the eastern shore, connected to the rest of the state by the US-50 bridge but otherwise still a world apart - except for the sprawling resort of Ocean City.

The best way to get around Maryland is by boat , sailing around the gorgeous Chesapeake Bay. If you lack either the money or the good fortune needed to do this, you can hop aboard the Chesapeake Flyer catamaran (tel 304/639-7241), which cruises the bay from Baltimore to Annapolis and the eastern shore towns of St Michaels and Rock Hall. Cycling is also a good option, especially on the eastern shore, where the roads are wide-shouldered and little-traveled, winding through cornfields from one colonial-era hamlet to another - the state tourist office puts out an excellent free map of the safest and most scenic routes. Baltimore is on the main Amtrak line between New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC, and is linked by regular buses with Annapolis.

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