A small city teeming with capital comforts

January 06, 2010|Ron Driscoll, Globe Staff

The nation’s smallest state capital (population 7,806 in 2007), like the little state it represents, offers outsized opportunities for shopping, relaxation, and fun, making it a good weekend getaway for singles or couples. Its downtown winds around branches of the Winooski River and includes bookstores, art galleries, a regional theater, and a surprising depth of dining options. State Street runs from downtown to the striking capitol building, which is surrounded by other state offices, several of them hewn from the famous Barre granite that helped fuel the central Vermont economy for generations. Through it all runs the hardy, indepen-dent spirit of the region, mak-ing a current motto seem apropos: a little capital goes a long way.

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Though locals may not like to admit it, Montpelier was chartered in 1781 to a group of settlers from Massachusetts. It was named for the city of Montpellier in southern France, and itself became a city in 1895. The Inn at Montpelier (147 Main St., 802-223-2727, www.innatmontpelier.com, $132-$229) dates to the early 1800s, just as Vermont was settling on Montpelier as its seat of government. The inn boasts 19 rooms in two buildings with a sweeping wraparound porch. The Capitol Plaza Hotel (100 State St., 802-223-5252, 800-274-5252, www.capitolplaza.com, $106-$329) sits within view of the 1859 State House and features 62 rooms. Betsy’s Bed and Breakfast, 74 East State St., 802-229-0466, www.central-vt.com/web/betsybb, $70-$140) has 13 rooms in a pair of Victorian homes a block from downtown.

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