Chicago’s motto, Urbs in Horto — the City in a Garden — is a way of life and the city provides a wealth of outdoor opportunities. Architect Daniel Burnham and landscape designer Fredric Law Olmsted are remembered as the men who envisioned a city complete with lakefront parks for citizens’ enjoyment.

Chicago is bordered on the east by Lake Michigan, the world’s fifth largest body of fresh water. The lakeshore is lined with 26 miles of clean beaches, parks, bike paths and hiking trails, plus several harbours where you can join a dinner cruise or a boat tour.

Millennium Park, since opening in 2004, has quickly become Chicago’s crown jewel, offering a world-class pavilion for outdoor concerts along with engaging sculptures and fountains mere steps from Chicago’s skyline.