ZZZ
DENVER
Colorado’s laid-back capital is the mountainous gateway
to the West, but dig deeper to discover craft beer and
cocktail dens, indie boutiques, design hotels and street art
WORDS: Aaron Millar PHOTOGRAPHS: Rebecca Stumpf
T
he Rocky Mountains rise from the
Great Plains like a mirage of granite,
ice and snow. Seeing them for the
first time feels like a dream, jagged peaks
jutting suddenly 14,000ft to the sky, too vast
to be real. But they are, and even better: they
built a city on that view. Austin may have
the live music, Portland might be the capital
of cool, but Denver has something even
better — Rocky Mountain bliss.
Long viewed through the filter of its
Wild West heritage, when gold was found
here in 1858 and pioneers rushed in to make
their fortune, that filter has now changed.
Today, Denver consistently ranks among
the most liveable, walkable, healthiest cities
in the country. And as one of America’s hip
urban centres, it’s young, creative and up
for fun.
It hasn’t forgotten its roots, either; it’s just
that the city’s roots have just grown. There’s
rodeo, country music and cowboy boots
if that’s your thing, but walk the streets of
Denver today and you’re more likely to find
tattoo parlours and trendy trainer shops
than anywhere touting Stetsons and spurs.Cowboys may be good at lassoing steers,
but it’s the young urbanites, who have
flocked here in their thousands in recent
years, that are good at what Denver stands
for now: art, food, music and craft beer. Lots
of beer: a staggering 148 breweries at the
last count to be precise. But a good pint is
one thing. A good pint with a jaw-dropping
view of the Rocky Mountains is the stuff of
dreams for many.
Especially when that view is waiting for
you to jump in. Just a few miles west of the
city proper, but within its jurisdiction, there
are hundreds of miles of trails, some of the
highest peaks in the lower 48 (all US states
but Alaska and Hawaii) and even a ski train
to take you straight from the city to the
slopes. Adventure by day, cocktails by night.
Denver is surprising people, which is
why, perhaps, it’s already won two top
international travel accolades for the best
place to visit in 2020. The secret is simple
and the secret is out: Denver doesn’t just
have the mountains and it’s more than just
the gateway to the West. It has the music,
the culture and the cool too.CITY LIFE124 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel