With an oceanside setting, renowned whale watches, harbor cruises, deep-sea fishing trips, and seafood fresh from the dock, Gloucester draws tourists from spring through fall.

Did you know it is also a great cultural attraction, a place to walk in the footsteps of history, and a place to enjoy  the winter holiday spirit in fine and authentic style? 

Tourists stop to pose by the city landmark, the Fisherman’s “Man at the Wheel” Memorial and cenotaph with names of the thousands of fishermen lost at sea. There is a tendency to continue directly to the better known attractions of Rockport. 

However, the hidden gems of Gloucester-- some of Cape Ann’s best historical, cultural, and culinary attractions and much of what went on during Gloucester's four centuries in the fishing industry--are just a block or two away.

We visited Gloucester two recent weekends, and with so many holiday events right in the downtown area, we ventured farther afield only for concerts and a sightseeing drive along the island’s perimeter.

There’s the Cape Ann Museum, with fine and decorative arts reflecting Gloucester's maritime and granite quarrying heritage, 

homes of ship captains, patriots,  merchants, and civic leaders,

a charming old-fashioned downtown,

restaurants and historic inns,

and architecture made famous internationally by painters like Edward Hopper.

Other well-known artists associated with Gloucester include Winslow Homer and William Morris Hunt. Maritime artist Fitz Henry Lane was born here in 1804.

Most businesses are family run, and folks are enthusiastic about sharing their local lore, especially during the more leisurely winter season.

Artists, writers, and filmmakers have long been inspired by this picturesque region, and our nation’s oldest working artist colony is in Gloucester’s Rocky Neck. 

Gloucester was founded in 1623, and area signs reveal the pride in being America’s oldest seaport.  The first schooner is said to have been built here. 

Our Lady of Good VoyageChurch stands on a hill overlooking the harbor.

It was built for the area's Portuguese community and is modeled after another church in the Azores.

A statue of Our Lady of Good Voyage is on a pediment atop the church, clutching a ship in her left hand.

The grand Victorian City Hall was designed not only as a seat of local government but also as an entertainment center.

Buffalo Bill, P.T. Barnum, and John L. Sullivan are among those who performed here.

The season’s celebration began the weekend after Thanksgiving with a full house and standing ovations at Gloucester’s Holiday Pops Concert.

The Cape Ann Singers added their voices to the Cape Ann Symphony’s performance of holiday classics in The Magic of the Holidays.

Shop windows were being decorated in maritime holiday style.

Meanwhile, the Santa Parade began at 3 p.m. at the State Fish Pier and continued through Main Street to Kent Circle for the Annual Tree Lighting. 

For the eleventh straight year, Gloucester’s signature Lobster Trap Christmas Tree was erected at Court House Square.

On December 11, the downtown area was abuzz with the Middle Street Walk. This annual event features open houses in historic homes, trolley tours, musical concerts,

special programs, and children’s activities--all free of charge--from one end of Middle Street to the other and beyond.

During this year’s holiday Middle Street Walk, City Hall was the site of an impressive Big Band concert, 

as well as a gingerbread house competition, Schooner brunch, and Girl Scout bake sale. 

There were tours of the tower, and narrated historic trolley tours departing outside with seasonal music by The Songbirds.

Where else but Gloucester can you join revelers in painting a buoy for a lobster pot Christmas tree ? 

On Main Street, children of all ages helped create a giant ice sculpture or paint a buoy for the Lobster Trap Tree, both at Cape Ann Art Haven. 

The buoys will be auctioned off at Cruiseport Gloucester January 27 with proceeds benefitting programs at Art Haven.

Shoppers found distinctive hand crafted gifts at the seARTS (Society for the Encouragement of the Arts) 4th Annual Wearable Arts Show and Sale, held in the Saunders House at the Sawyer Free Library.

The grand finale was lighting of the Lobster Pot Tree, all decked out with the colorful lobster buoys painted by at ArtHaven. 

Santa was, of course, in attendance.

With so many local artists and shopkeepers, Gloucester offers an unparalleled opportunity to find a very special gift--from an antique book to fine local arts and crafts--at one of the many unique local galleries and shops.

Here are just a few:

There are handmade furniture and gifts from the whimsical to the practical in the 6,000 square feet of floor space in a turn-of-the-century building at Menage Gallery, 134 Main. 

Owner Ed Soucy designs the one-of-a-kind custom furniture known as Ring Leg Furnishings. 

Folks in search of rare and used books head for Dogtown Book Shop, named for the once prosperous Commons Settlement in the middle of Cape Ann that became a ghetto for impoverished widows of Revolutionary War soldiers and now a ghost town. 

Orla Fallon, internationally renowned Celtic vocalist, songwriter, and former harpist for Celtic Woman who has performed for American and Irish Presidents and the Pope, wowed the audience with holiday and traditional Irish music and the stories surrounding them at the new Shalin Liu Performance Center in nearby Rockport. The two-time winner of the International Feis Ceoil and International Pan Celtic Competition for harp, she also won international acclaim for her solo album Distant Shore. 

The 330 seat Shalin Liu Performance Center opened June 10, 2010. The stage is backed by a wall of undulating wood woven to replicate wave movement that can be retracted to reveal a spectacular two-story window overlooking the harbor and the Atlantic Ocean.

The exterior of the Shalin Liu Performance Center has the appearance of the original 1870s Haskins Building that it replaced, with an awning rather than a marquee.

The professional theater company, the Gloucester Stage Company, is on Smith’s Cove in East Gloucester, near Rocky Neck. December 16-19, scenes from classic holiday stories including Dickens’ A Christmas Carol were portrayed through stories, songs, and dance as part of Holiday Delights.

For independent films and other events in a funky, living room-like setting, the place to be is the Cape Ann Community Cinema, Main Street. It is above the music-themed Mystery Train shop. Tickets are half price with dinner at Alchemy.

Locals in the know head for the unpretentious Two Sisters Coffee Shop on Washington Street for the best breakfast in town. 

Lunch is also served. The coffee shop is run by sisters Patricia Philbrick and Mary Reynolds. Chef Dottie Chastaine is in charge of the homemade soups and bread. Try the Monte Cristo, made with Portuguese sweet bread. 

To spice up a winter night, try Jalapenos, 86 Main Street. With specialties like Mariscada (shrimp, scallops, fish, and squid) Veracruzana and Caldo Tlalpeno (no ordinary chicken soup), it is one of the longest-standing and most popular restaurants in Gloucester. This authentic Mexican restaurant will soon be expanding to 1277 Commonwealth Avenue in Allston and Route 1 in Saugus, Massachusetts.

Latitude 43's Red Wine Poached Pear Salad

Right on the waterfront, and with a nautical feel, try the sushi and other creatively prepared seafood at Latitude 43 Restaurant and Bar, 25 Rogers Street, Gloucester. 

Enjoy a drink by the roaring fire in the living room and reserve a table by the back windows for the harbor view.

On Wednesday nights at Latitude 43, it’s all you can eat sushi for $25.

Check the website or call ahead for the live music schedule at the Lat, from Karaoke Mondays to Dan King’s Xmas Jam and Professor Harp.

Latitude 43's Gloucester Bay Pan Seared Scallops

Alchemy's French press coffee with triple timer for a customized brew

Alchemy Tapas & Bistro, 3 Duncan Street, 978.281.3997 is owned by the same family as Latitude 43, and offers chic casual dining with an inventive menu for the discerning guest. 

Free-range meats and wild-caught seafood are free of antibiotics and growth hormones.  French press coffees are made of beans ground to order, and tea is brewed from loose leaves. 

For a romantic evening, try the menu designed for sharing--small plates and sharing platters--of bite-sized morsels and discover the magic of Alchemy.  

Sundays, there’s live music with the Bluegrass Brunch 11-3 (try the Eggs Benedict with lobster) and Celtic Sessions 6-9 p.m. 

Alchemy's Lobster Eggs Benedict

Gloucester House's twin lobster dinner

With its own boats, Gloucester House, 63 Rogers Street, is renowned for its freshly caught seafood.

A Linquata family business for over 50 years, it lives up to its reputation as the best place for chowder, steamed lobster, and a great view. 

An episode of Bewitched was filmed at this site 1972-1973. The Today Show was here in the ‘70s at the original building, which was rebuilt after the devastating 1991 storm featured in the film The Perfect Storm.  A group function facility has been added and is a popular spot for celebrating special occasions.

If you are lucky, you may meet Lenny, raconteur extraordinaire, who tells some of the best stories in town. 

Gloucester House

You may want to book a stay at one of the area’s charming B&Bs or inns that are  within walking distance of the historic downtown. Gloucester is also a convenient drive to the pricier Salem, Rockport, and Boston. The commuter rail also runs to Rockport and Boston.

Julietta House

The historic Julietta House is a comfortably furnished self-catering inn originally built in the Italianate style in the 1860s for Sea Captain Benjamin Low.

The wealthy Proctor sisters bought it in 1905 and redesigned the house into a Georgian style with state-of-the-art amenities.

Warner Brothers executives stayed here during the filming of The Perfect Storm.

Present owners Rick and Susan Albiero Gadbois have information available on topics ranging from Dogtown to the mysterious death of Captain Low. 

Susan commissioned research on homes in the area painted by internationally renowned artist Edward Hopper in preparation for a book on the topic, and has a walking maps for guests. 

Special pricing is available for groups renting the entire house.

One of the houses painted by Edward Hopper

The Harborview Inn

The impeccably maintained and well appointed Harborview Inn is  diagonally across the road from Gloucester’s Fisherman’s Memorial.  The front of the house and porch have a stunning view of the ships sailing out or returning from the sea. 

It was built in 1839 by the family associated with what later became the area's best-known seafood business, Gorton’s of Gloucester Seafood Company . 

It was later sold to Sam and Lelia Golub for use as a guest house. Mr. Golub was a couturier for England’s Queen Mother and Rose Kennedy.

The property is run with attention to detail, and innkeepers John and Marie Orlando’s four season getaway was featured in the 1994 winter issue of Decorating Magazine, a Better Homes and Gardens publication.

The Harborview Inn