Maryland's diverse topography has earned it the nickname "America in miniature", with its sandy coasts in the east, to rolling hills, and mountains and rivers in the west. Its largest city and port, Baltimore, dates back to the earliest colonial times. Baltimore is made up of more than 300 districts, each with its own unique culture and social flavor – which leads to year-round cultural festivals, concerts, and events. One of the most famous Baltimore districts is Little Italy, one of the city’s busiest restaurant areas. Perhaps the most often visited area of Baltimore is the Inner Harbor, the city’s historic seaport, lined with museums, shops, and restaurants. The National Aquarium in Baltimore is one of the Inner Harbor’s main attractions, and known for its multi-story shark tanks, dolphin shows, and rooftop rainforest. The city is rich in art, home to the American Visionary Art Museum, a hub for self-taught art, as well as the Walters Art Museum and Baltimore Museum of Art. The Baltimore hostel is located right across the street from the Baltimore Basilica, the oldest Catholic Cathedral in the United States. The Knoxville-Harpers Ferry hostel sits high on a bluff overlooking the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, just an hour away from Washington DC, Baltimore, Maryland, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The nearby Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, consists of the historic town of Harpers Ferry, the scene of John Brown’s abolitionist rising during the Civil War. The park also features whitewater rafting, boating, fishing, and hiking along the Appalachian Trail. For all you history buffs, the Western Maryland Civil War battlefields of Antietam, Catoctin, and Monocacy are also close by.