The Historic Triangle , on the thin peninsula that stretches east of Richmond between the James and York rivers, holds by far the richest concentration of colonial-era sites in the US. Jamestown , founded in 1607, was Virginia's first settlement; Williamsburg is an animated, if overly theatrical, resurrection of the colonial capital; and it was at Yorktown that American independence from the English crown was finally secured. All three sites are within an hour by car, bus or train from the capital.

Although I-64 is the quickest way to cover the fifty miles from Richmond to Williamsburg, a far more pleasing drive along US-5 rolls through plantation country, where many eighteenth-century mansions, with invariably lovely grounds, are open to the public. Once you're in the Historic Triangle area, the best way to get around is along the lushly landscaped Colonial Parkway , which winds west to Jamestown and east to Yorktown, twenty miles end-to-end. Most of the area's numerous tourist facilities - this is the most visited destination in the state - are to be found around Williamsburg.

Historic Triangle: Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown

• Historic Triangle: Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown
• Historic Triangle practicalities

Explore Historic Triangle: Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown

• Colonial Williamsburg
• Jamestown National Historic Site
• Jamestown Settlement
• Williamsburg
• Yorktown Victory Center
• Yorktown battlefield

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