Dramatically situated 1.6km (1 mile) above sea level on the Colorado Plains, with the Rocky Mountains soaring to 4,200m (14,000ft) in the background, Denver, known as ‘the Mile High City’, lies at the geographical centre of America, midway between Mexico and Canada. It is a major transport hub where highways and railways converge, and its international airport has become a focus of worldwide trade. In-comers make up over 60% of the population, attracted by the lack of crowds, friendly people, a good lifestyle and a mild climate. With over 300 days of bright sunshine each year, Denver outshines San Diego and Miami Beach.

At the heart of Denver, the tree-lined red and grey granite, pedestrian shopping area of 16th Street is dominated by the D&F Tower, a 99m (325ft) replica of the campanile of St Mark’s in Venice. On sunny days, people sit around the fountains or at the pavement cafés, chatting and watching the street performers. At night, the buzz continues, because everything remains open late. A few miles southeast, on Speer Boulevard, serious shoppers visit Cherry Creek with more than 400 shops and boutiques, including the famous Tattered Cover Bookstore, where readers can browse all day, relaxing on sofas and drinking coffee.

However, it was not until 1953, with the construction of the first skyscrapers, that Denver started the transformation from cow town to vibrant modern city. Founded during the ‘Pikes Peak or Bust’ gold rush of 1858, Denver still maintains a mining and oil exploration industry, although this is now a much smaller part of its economy. The city’s new prosperity is a result of timely diversification into high-tech industries. Its success is evident everywhere – in new buildings, business opportunities and population growth. But nowhere more so than in the transformation of the Victorian Lower Downtown area (called ‘LoDo’ by the locals) from skid row to entertainment district, with galleries, restaurants, bars and nightclubs occupying the former derelict warehouses.

Denver is expanding at a phenomenal pace. Since 1990, the population in the city’s six-county metro area has increased by nearly 30%, making it the 20th largest metro area in the country. The Colorado Convention Center, located Downtown, underwent a major expansion that doubled its exhibition space in 2004. This, along with new hotel development, is bringing new business to the city. Denver’s commitment to the arts is no less impressive. The Denver Art Museum was also doubled in size when the spectacular new Frederic C Hamilton building opened in October 2006. Meanwhile, the land at the former Stapleton Airport has undergone redevelopment, with new housing and a 32-hectare (80-acre) urban park.

Denver was originally the centre of entertainment for the roughnecks of the West, and its first permanent building was a saloon. The tradition continues in the countless brewpubs and microbreweries in LoDo. However, although Denver residents may have some of the best beer in the country, they do not overindulge. Denver is the ‘thinnest’ city in America, with less than half of Colorado adults being overweight. The active lifestyle, the abundance of sunshine and the outstanding sporting and outdoor facilities must play a part.

With five big-league sports teams, football, basketball, baseball, soccer and ice hockey, Denver also can claim to be ‘Sports Town USA’. As well as the many parks, the city has two beautiful stretches of paved bike paths, along Cherry Creek and along the South Platte River. Beyond the city, Colorado’s National Forests provide miles of wilderness areas for camping, backpacking and exploring, while in the Rocky Mountains there is skiing from November to June, as well as opportunities for hiking and mountain biking.