Pennsylvania Dutch Country

Popular name given to the areas of eastern Pennsylvania that were settled by German immigrants. This influx of settlers began in 1683, and reached its peak in the early and mid-18th century. They included persecuted sects such as the Moravians, Mennonites (including the Amish), Dunkards (members of the Church of the Brethren), Schwenkfelders, and others. The designation ‘Dutch’ is a corruption of Deutsch.

German immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania either directly from Europe or from earlier settlements in New York's Hudson River valley. Attracted by the religious tolerance proclaimed in William Penn's colony, they set up home in the rich farmland around Philadelphia. A ring of Pennsylvania Dutch settlements surrounds the city at a distance of some 80 km/50 mi, running from the Lehigh Valley in the north to the Amish Country of Lancaster County in the west. In this area, where names, arts and crafts, building styles, farming techniques, and local dialect all still strongly reflect a German heritage, the major cities are Allentown, Bethlehem, Reading, and Lancaster; other communities include Nazareth, Kutztown, Ephrata, Strasburg, and Lebanon.