Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania

Beautiful Jim Thorpe, known as the “Switzerland of America,” is nestled along the Leigh Gorge’s Lehigh River in eastern Pennsylvania’s scenic Pocono Mountains. It is a cute, touristy little village in a dramatic setting that seems to enchant just about everyone. 

The town’s extraordinary Victorian architecture, a compact mix of Gothic Revival, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Richardsonian Romanesque, Shingle and more, creates a wonderfully elegant cityscape reminiscent of a Swiss village. 

Mauch Chunk, a Native American term for “sleeping bear” was the town’s original name.  It name changed in 1953 when the widow of renowned athlete Jim Thorpe convinced the struggling coal hamlet to buy her husband’s remains and rename the town in his honor. 

These days, the legacy of Jim Thorpe and the architecture draw tourists from around the region, but so does the abundant outdoor recreation. Whitewater rafting, in particular, is top notch. 

Shopping is mostly of the specialty type, but there is a general store for basic supplies.