Pennsylvania is full of small-town gems. Did you know that one exists in the middle of the farmland in Lancaster County? For the past seven years, Lititz has been voted the “Coolest Small Town” by Budget Travel. And perusing its website and seeing all that is available to visitors – from tea shops and pubs to soap, furniture and candy shops, bookstores and blanket boutiques – it’s easy to understand why.
Thinking of taking a weekend trip to Lititz? Be sure to check out its website at lititzpa.com for all it has to offer.
Here are a few highlights:
Hotel Rock Lititz
The Hotel Rock Lititz, located at 50 Rock Lititz Blvd., is a music-themed place to bed down for the night.
According to Kim Levenson, director of sales at the hotel, Hotel Rock Lititz is a “one-of-a-kind experience in a hotel stay with thoughtful repurposing of past concert tour elements infused into the decor of the hotel.”
“From custom backstage pass wallpaper to doors made from road cases to a circular stage that has been re-purposed into outdoor patio benches, our atmosphere is made for the music lover,” Kim says.
Fetish Brewing Company
A brewery to check out is Fetish Brewing Company. In 2012, this microbrewery – and their notorious “Ghost Pepper Fetish” beer – was born.
Located at 201 Rock Lititz Blvd., the brewery has since created a menu of 27 different Fetishes and brewed and hand-delivered thousands of bottles of beer specifically to a unique community of beer drinkers.
Boutique Shops
The Tiger's Eye, 49 E. Main St., is a woman’s boutique store that features jewelry and accessories from many well-known American and European designers, including Eileen Fisher, Joseph Ribkoff, Alembika, and Simon Sebbag – to name a few.
Clemintines, 25 E. Main St., carries upscale clothing and accessories. Prices range from $30 for a top to $200+ for a one-of-a-kind sweater coat. Earrings start at $16 and a large amount of unique, show-stopping necklaces range from $28 to $110. Renuar pants are the store’s best-selling product. Other popular brands include Tribal, Clara Sun Woo and many more.
Sonnie's Secret, 22 E. Main St., is a clothing store for the woman with a little bit of an edge in styling. Items range in price from $39 to $396. Collections include jewelry from the John Medeiros of Rhode Island collection; Italian leather handbags from Pietro Handbags, a family-owned business from New York City; and Mongolian cashmere sweaters by Zoe Couture.
Historical Fun
Being named a town in 1756 and incorporated in 1888, Lititz has a long history in Lancaster County. And there’s a lot of history to visit.
One such historical landmark for the town is the Wilbur Chocolate Museum and Store at 45 N. Broad St. The Wilbur Bud just celebrated its 125th anniversary, with the first bud produced in 1894. The product, named for its flowerbud shape, is the signature product for Wilbur Chocolate Retail today.
And what’s a visit to Lititz without seeing where Tom Sturgis Pretzels got its start? Visitors can stop by the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, 219 E. Main St., to buy and enjoy freshly baked, hand-twisted soft pretzels, as well as a selection of flavored, chocolate-coated, and crispy pretzels.
Did you know?
Wilbur Chocolate was started by H.O. Wilbur in 1884 in Philadelphia. Wilbur Chocolate consolidated operations and made Lititz its primary location by 1930.
In the Moravian community of Lititz, church officials encouraged the malting of grain for a time, in hopes that increased production of beer would discourage the growing consumption of distilled liquor.
