Like and follow for events, outdoor activities, history, shopping, dining, insider's tips, and much more. Litchfield, named for the cathedral city of Lichfield in Staffordshire, England, is a town rich with all the amenities that make a great destination—history, scenic beauty, outdoor activities in abundance at stunning venues, sports, shopping, dining, imbibing for connoisseurs (of coffee, wine, and spirits), community events and great people! A recent survey of new residents ranked Litchfield’s natural resources and quiet hospitality as the top draws, and our amenities include the 4,000 acres of the White Memorial Foundation (more than 35 miles of trails), the gorgeous 510-acre Topsmead State Forest (home to the English Tudor style cottage of a brass industry heiress and miles of trails), the Litchfield Land Trust, with its expanding greenway, the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society and its Boyd Woods Sanctuary, and Bantam Lake, Connecticut’s largest natural lake and home to a state boat launch, a campground, the Litchfield Hills Rowing Club and the Bantam Lake Yacht Club. So the opportunities are almost boundless for hiking, mountain biking, boating, swimming, fishing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and more. Each June, the center of town also buzzes with the excitement of the world-famous Litchfield Hills Road Race, as well as the Gallery on the Green event the day before. Before or after outdoor activities, visitors and residents enjoy Litchfield’s collection of artisan coffee shops, scratch bakeries, breakfast spots, and fine restaurants—as well as the award-winning spirits of the Litchfield Distillery, the wines of Haight-Brown Vineyard, and the just-harvested bounty offered by vendors at the seasonal Litchfield Hills Farm Fresh Market. The town offers fabulous shopping with the difficult-to-find local and personal touch, in the historic center of town, in the increasingly hip Bantam Borough, and along the main thoroughfare (Route 202). An independent toy story, sophisticated clothing boutiques, jewelry, art galleries—that’s just a small sampling. Community resources where intriguing things are always happening include the Litchfield Community Center, the Litchfield Historical Society and The Oliver Wolcott Library. The Wisdom House Retreat & Conference Center, as well as Lourdes in Litchfield Shrine, are also popular attractions. And finally, the town’s history. As the State of Connecticut affirms on its tourism website, Litchfield is truly a revolutionary town. It was home to Colonel Benjamin Tallmadge, commander of the 2nd Connecticut Light Dragoons and Washington's spymaster during the Revolutionary War, as well as famous patriot Ethan Allen, Harriet Beecher Stowe (“Uncle Tom’s Cabin), and Tapping Reeve, who founded the first law school in America, which is preserved by the historical society and open as a museum. Many of the town’s fine historic properties are also open to the public once a year as part of Litchfield Open House Day in July. On your way into or out of Litchfield, why not take the road less traveled and enjoy the beauty of the Milton, Northfield, and East Litchfield sections of one of Connecticut’s largest towns by area.
