Travel Postcard: 48 hours in Baltimore

Watch CNBC-TV18 live only on MYTV >> Nifty BSE | NSE 29/05/12 Are Mutual Funds betting on Nifty?

Known these days as "Charm City," Baltimore is less than an hour's drive from Washington, but it is truly a world apart.

Historic, friendly and full of contrasts, Baltimore offers visitors a wide range of things to do, see and eat.

Local correspondents help you get the most out of a stay in the city whose famous citizens include the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, composer Philip Glass, neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Mo'Nique, the comedian who won the Oscar as best supporting actress for her role in "Precious" earlier this month.

Friday

8:00 p.m. Drive to Baltimore's lively Fells Point neighbourhood, where shipyards once built some of the best known clipper ships of the 19th century and cobblestone streets lead to fine views of the city's harbour.

Grab a table at Bertha's, an institution in this neighbourhood since 1974. Be sure to ask for the signature green "Eat Bertha's Mussels" bumper sticker, which has reportedly been spotted on seven continents.

10:00 p.m. Across from Bertha's is the Broadway Market, which has been in operation since 1784. Grab an ice cream at one of several nearby spots and saunter along the waterfront. There are many pubs to choose from for a night cap, or catch the live jazz back at Bertha's.

Saturday

9:00 a.m. Eat breakfast at Spoons Coffee Cafe and Coffee Roastery in Baltimore's Federal Hill neighbourhood, a warm and inviting coffeehouse that became the first certified green restaurant in the state of Maryland in 2006.