Pittsburgh Travel Guide

The U.S. Steel Tower is the most recognizable skyscraper on the Pittsburgh skyline, completed in 1971, 256 meters tall with 64 floors, once the tallest building in Pennsylvania. This triangular prism steel tower has a steel frame with polished stainless steel cladding, the facade composed of triangular stainless plates reflecting city light and clouds, earning the nickname Crown of Steel. The top floor houses a restaurant and observation deck with 360-degree views over Pittsburgh's three-river confluence and Golden Triangle. Pittsburgh is known as the Steel City, and U.S. Steel Corporation headquarters here make the tower a monument to the steel industry. The unique triangular floor plan gives every office natural light and corner views, a classic case of 20th-century modernist office architecture.

Fallingwater is one of the greatest architectural masterpieces of the 20th century, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935 for the Pittsburgh Kaufmann family. This cantilevered concrete house miraculously straddles a waterfall on Bear Run stream in Pennsylvania, appearing to grow organically from the rock. Wright's philosophy of organic architecture reaches its fullest expression here: stone floors, natural rock walls, custom walnut furniture, and forest views flow seamlessly together. The living room corner window opens directly onto the rushing stream, dissolving the boundary between inside and outside. Since 1964 the house has operated as a museum, and in 2019 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, making it a lifelong pilgrimage destination for architecture lovers.

Mount Washington rises at the triangle formed by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in Pittsburgh, the city's most prominent natural landmark, rising about 110 meters. The summit is served by the Duquesne Incline, operating since 1877 and one of the oldest funiculars in the United States, carrying visitors up a 5.8-degree grade to a panoramic overlook of the Pittsburgh skyline and the meeting of three rivers. The overlook is counted among the most beautiful city views in America, especially dazzling at night. Mount Washington is also served by the Monongahela Incline, another historic funicular linking the base to Station Square. The hilltop retains century-old Victorian houses and slate-paved streets, with Grandview Avenue and Shiloh Street lined by scenic restaurants and boutique hotels. It is both a witness to Pittsburgh's industrial past and a modern destination for sightseeing and leisure.