Lenox & Tanglewood

Stately homes and fabulous mansions mushroomed in this former agricultural settlement from the 1890s until 1913, when the 16th Amendment, authorizing income taxes, put a severe crimp in that impulse. But Lenox remains a repository of extravagant domestic architecture surpassed only in such fabled resorts of the wealthy as Newport and Palm Beach. And because many of the cottages have been converted into inns and hotels, it is possible to get inside some of these beautiful buildings, if only for a cocktail or a meal.

The reason for so many lodgings in a town with a population of barely 5,000 is Tanglewood, a nearby estate where a series of concerts by the Boston Symphony Orchestra is held every summer.

Lenox lies 7 miles south of Pittsfield. The Lenox Chamber of Commerce (tel. 413/637-3646; www.lenox.org) provides visitor information and lodging referrals.

Getting Outside

Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, 472 West Mountain Rd. (tel. 413/637-0320; www.massaudubon.org), has a small museum and 7 miles of hiking and snowshoeing trails crossing its 1,300 acres. Beaver lodges and dams can be glimpsed from a distance, and waterfowl and other birds are found in abundance -- bring binoculars. Hours for the nature center are Tuesday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm; admission is $3 for adults and $2 for children 3 to 15. To get here, drive north about 6 1/2 miles on Routes 7 and 20 and turn left on West Dugway Road.

More extensive trails can be found at October Mountain State Forest or at Beartown State Forest, 69 Blue Hill Rd., in nearby Monterey (tel. 413/528-0904). The Appalachian Trail, which runs from Maine to Georgia, connects with a loop trail around a small pond with a nice swimming area. To get here, take Route 7 south for 3 1/2 miles, then turn left onto West Road. After 2 1/2 miles, turn left at the T intersection onto Route 102 east. Turn right over the bridge onto Meadow Street, then turn right onto Pine Street and follow the signs.

Shopping

The Bookstore, 11 Housatonic St. (tel. 413/637-3390), with author signings and poetry readings, helps fill a yawning gap in the Berkshires, which are curiously short on comprehensive bookstores. Those in pursuit of art and antiques, on the other hand, cannot easily exhaust the possibilities. For fashion-forward clothing for men and women, much of it Italian-made, check in at Casablanca, 21 Housatonic St. (tel. 413/637-2680). L.L.Bean, it isn't. Out on Route 7, heading toward Pittsfield, serious cooks should watch for Different Drummer's Kitchen, 374 Pittsfield Rd. (tel. 413/637-0606).