Rated as one of
America's most liveable cities, Pittsburgh has come a long way from the days it was known
as Smoky City for its pollution causing coal-based steel furnaces. Located at the site
where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers merge into the Ohio River, Pittsburgh is a
charming city with many historical and modern attractions to offer to the visitor.
The first settlement was established in 1754 when the French built Fort
Duquesne here. In 1758, the British destroyed the French fort and built their own, naming
it Fort Pitt. The setting up of iron foundries boosted industrial growth in the 1800s,
making Pittsburgh a major industrial center. However, the industrial development brought
with it a reputation for pollution and dirt. Since the 1950s, the city has been
reinventing itself helped along the way by generous bequests from its millionaire citizens
such as Andrew Carnegie, the Heinz food company founders and many others.
Pittsburgh enjoys an annual
precipitation of 57 inches. Summers are warm with temperatures touching the 80s in July.
Winter temperatures drop to 40 ºF in December.
