Upstream from Easton along the Lehigh River and US-222, the remarkable small city of Bethlehem (pop. 71,329), famous for its Christmas festivals and as a fun place from which to mail Christmas cards, was originally established in 1741 by a group of Moravian missionaries. The missionaries’ original circa-1803 chapel still stands at the heart of the compact, gas-lighted downtown district, its cemetery full of 200-year-old headstones laid flat so as not to offend God.
The Moravian Museum, at 66 W. Church Street, is housed inside the circa 1741 Gemeinhaus, the oldest building in Bethlehem; besides showcasing historic artifacts, the museum also offers guided walking tours of the downtown area. Another engaging historic site is the Sun Inn at 564 Main Street, a well-preserved former tavern “where the leading figures of the Revolutionary era were entertained,” says a plaque on the wall; it’s now a nice German restaurant.
Across the Lehigh River from the tidy homes and shops of downtown Bethlehem, Lehigh University stands above the rusting remains of the Bethlehem Steel Company. Famous for fabricating engineering marvels such as the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge—cast here in sections, then shipped through the Panama Canal and assembled in San Francisco—the mill was in business for over a century before being closed down in the 1990s. The hulking structure, and most of the machinery and equipment, is still intact and in place, but the future of this historically important industrial site is very much up for grabs.
Back in downtown Bethlehem, the sidewalk tables outside Viennese Pastry, 500 Main Street, are a great place to enjoy a wickedly rich piece of cake or a light lunch; another good spot is the Apollo (610/865-9600), 85 W. Broad Street, a bistro-style sandwich and pasta place.
For dinner, try the aforementioned Sun Inn on Bethlehem’s Main Street, or the more down-to-earth Chicken and Ribs, a local favorite at 2 W. 3rd Street (610/866-1212). On 4th Street across the river from downtown, Godfrey Daniel’s Coffee House (610/867-2390) hosts a range of live folk and jazz music most nights.
For a place to stay, the large Radisson Hotel Bethlehem ($110–135; 610/625-5000 or 800/333-3333), on Main Street overlooking the river, is centrally located. For further information, contact the Bethlehem visitors center (610/868-1513) at 52 W. Broad Street.
