Washington DC was founded 1791 and is the first planned capital city in the world; seat of American governement and the White House is home to current president Barack Obama; today the 2-mile-long National Mall is lined with important monuments like the U.S. Capitol, Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the classical Jefferson Memorial, and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial; probably the most moving one is the V-shaped Vietnam Memorial - a simple black granite wall inscribed with the names of more than 58.000 American men and women died in Vietnam war; don`t forget the culinary highlights with restaurants like "Alinea", "Schwa "or the famous "Charlie Trotters". If you want to sleep like a politican try the "Hay Adams hotel" (with White House views from some of the room) or take a drink with the locals at the bar of "Hotel Washington"