Located just 90 minutes from Philadelphia, Lancaster County, PA, offers a perfect escape from the city where families can immerse themselves in the charm of rural living. This is the heart of the Amish community, a people who have maintained a lifestyle centered on the land and tradition for centuries. By choosing to live without electricity, cars, or modern technology, they offer a unique glimpse into a different world. Visitors can see horse-drawn buggies, witness traditional farming methods, and experience a culture rooted in deep community and family values—a truly eye-opening experience for children raised in the city.
While they choose to live without modern technology, the Amish are not isolated; they engage with the world through trade, selling handcrafted furniture and agricultural products, and by welcoming tourists. Visiting an Amish village is the best way to experience their authentic way of life.
Here is a recommended one-day itinerary to experience Amish culture:
📍Location: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Explore towns like Bird-in-Hand, Ronks, Intercourse, and Strasburg.
🗓️Itinerary Highlights:
💞Head to the town of Intercourse for a AAA Buggy Ride to experience Amish travel firsthand.
💞Browse local shops for handcrafted wooden furniture and unique garden decorations.
💞Visit an Amish bakery or cafe for fresh, traditionally made ice cream and specialty treats like shoofly pie.
💞Tour a farm to experience the seasonal harvest and see how farm animals work! Watch horses plow the fields and see cows being milked.
💞Visit Strasburg to ride the oldest operating steam train in the United States.
💞Enjoy a traditional Amish smorgasbord (buffet).
Background on the Pennsylvania Amish:
🕊️ Origins & Religion: The Amish originated from the 17th-century Anabaptist movement in Switzerland and Germany. They advocated for adult baptism and religious freedom, leading to persecution by mainstream churches and governments. They immigrated to the U.S. in the early 18th century for religious freedom, primarily settling in Lancaster County, PA.
The Amish live by a set of traditional rules called "Ordnung" (German for "order"), which governs clothing, transportation, education, and technology use.
🚜 1. Rejection of Modern Technology
· No public electricity, TV, cell phones, or computers. Horse-drawn buggies are used instead of cars. They don't use electric lights, opting for gas lamps, windmills, or batteries for power.
👗 2. Clothing & Daily Life
· Simple, handmade clothing in solid colors like black, blue, and gray. Men grow beards (without mustaches) and don't wear ties; women wear white head coverings and long dresses.
🧑🌾 3. Agriculture & Community
· Mostly centered on farming and crafts (woodworking, sewing, furniture making). They have a strong spirit of mutual aid, such as community harvesting and "barn raising."
📚 4. Education
· They attend their own schools through the 8th grade, taught by Amish teachers. The focus is on morality, practical skills, and community values rather than academic competition. Afterward, teenagers typically help on the farm or learn trades like carpentry.
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