Saratoga Springs Travel Guide

Introduction

35 miles N of Albany; 190 miles N of New York City; 290 miles E of Buffalo; 200 miles NW of Boston

Saratoga residents proudly call their town a city in the country, one that offers the sophistication and culture of a major metropolis, but the greenery and unhurried pace of a rural area. A historic and stately town that saw its fortunes rise with the explosion of casino and thoroughbred-racing tourism in the late 19th century, Saratoga has confidently bounced back from its postwar, 20th-century malaise (when corruption and scandals led to a gambling prohibition, the closing of the race course, and widespread urban decline). Today, Saratoga is again proudly strutting its stuff as a resort hot spot in upstate New York. In warm months, Saratoga hits high stride with the advent of 6 weeks of horse racing at one of the world's prettiest tracks, public parks in full bloom, and an enviable offering of culture, with both the New York City Ballet and Philadelphia Orchestra in summer...