Northeast Kingdom

Introducing Northeast Kingdom

When Senator George Aiken noted in 1949 that ‘this is such beautiful country up here. It ought to be called the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, ’ locals were quick to take his advice. Today, the Northeast Kingdom connotes the large wedge between the Quebec and NH borders. Less spectacular than spectacularly unspoiled, the landscape is a sea of green hills, with the occasional small village and farm spread out in the distance.

Here, inconspicuous inns and dairy cows contrast with the slick resorts and Morgan horses found in the southern part of the state; the white steeples are chipped, the barns in need of a fresh coat of paint. In a rural state known for its unpopulated setting (only Wy­oming and Alaska contain fewer people), the Kingdom is Vermont’s equivalent to putting on its finest pastoral dress, with a few holes here and there. It’s a region that doesn’t put on any airs about attracting tourists, and locals speak wryly of its ‘picturesque poverty.’

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009