According to ACT-TEST-CENTERS.COM, San Francisco, also known as ‘City by the Bay’, is the fourth largest city in California located in Western America . It is also the only city in California that coincides with a county: it is officially called the City and County of San Francisco. During a holiday in San Francisco you will discover a bustling city with many highlights. For Europeans, the city feels a bit more familiar than Los Angeles, because San Francisco has a more compact and clear center. A high quality of life, tolerance and acceptance of who is ‘different’ are elements that are intertwined in many ways in the daily life of San Francisco. It is not for nothing that San Francisco is also called the ‘gay capital of the United States’. San Francisco is also perfect for a San Francisco city break . Would you like to complete your San Francisco holiday? Book one of our car tours. How about our Western Experience car tour, Taste The West Deluxe car tour or Western Impressions car tour.
San Francisco landmarks
Alcatraz San Francisco
Alcatraz Island, located in San Francisco Bay, was used as a maximum-security prison from 1934 to 1963. The island can only be reached by ferry. A famous prisoner of that time was Al Capone. Today the museum is a national park.
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge connects the San Francisco Peninsula to Marin County. The San Francisco Bridge is visited annually by approximately 9 million visitors. The bridge makes a big impression on everyone because of its size, colour, light and sound. Nearby is the city park “Golden Gate Park”, which you can also visit during your vacation in San Francisco.
Alamo Square
Alamo Square is a residential area, but also a park. The houses here are special: because of their Victorian architecture they are characteristic of the city of San Francisco. The houses are also called “Painted Ladies”. Because this neighborhood is located on a hill, you also have a fantastic view of San Francisco.
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Fishermans Warf San Francisco
Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco is located at Pier 39 and is an old seamen’s neighborhood. Here dozens of seals are enjoying the sun and they like to be watched. Fisherman’s Wharf is now a lively neighborhood with many seafood restaurants, various shops and often live entertainment. A nice place to stroll around during your San Francisco vacation.
Cable car San Francisco
A very authentic way of getting around in San Francisco is by cable car, or: the tram. There are three routes, which can be recognized by the color on the front of the cable car. You can also buy a ticket from the conductor.
Chinatown
San Francisco has the oldest Chinatown in the United States. Many Asian buildings adorn the streets in this part of San Francisco. It is nice to visit Chinatown during your vacation in San Francisco and then take a walking tour through Chinatown. An estimated 100,000 people of Chinese descent live in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
History
Around 3000 BC, the San Francisco Bay Area was inhabited by an Indian tribe, later called the Ohlone. On November 16, 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo sailed along the coast near San Francisco and discovered the Farallons there. In 1575, Sebastião Rodrigues Soromenho was stranded in Drakes Bay and claimed the land for Spain. He named it Puerto de San Francisco (Port of Saint Francis). Later, in 1579, Sir Francis Drake was also stranded in the bay. He claimed the land for England and named it Nova Albion.
Pioneers, including José Francisco Ortega, of a Spanish expedition led by Gaspar de Portolá, discovered the Golden Gate on November 2, 1769. Seven years later, on March 28, 1776, another Spanish expedition, led by Juan Bautista de Anza, founded the Presidio and then in June of the same year the San Francisco de Asís mission.
In 1906, San Francisco was hit by a massive earthquake. Several thousand people were probably killed and many buildings were destroyed. The city was then quickly and extensively rebuilt. In the second half of the twentieth century, San Francisco developed into a city with alternative cultures. In the sixties of the 20th century, the city was seen as the hippie capital of the world. Councilman Harvey Milk was one of the first openly gay city officials in the 1970s. Even today, San Francisco is seen as the gay paradise of the United States because it is a relatively gay-tolerant city.