Las Vegas – Sin City

Las Vegas did not exist until the 20th century, but today 1.8 million people live there when you count the surrounding areas. This growth feels dramatic when you consider that nuclear weapons were still being tested about 100 kilometres outside the city as recently as 1992.

World capital of gambling

Las Vegas has more than 150 casinos, giving it the highest concentration of gambling venues per square kilometre in the world. The largest and most luxurious casino resorts are located along the Strip, which is a street that is nearly seven kilometres long. In the 21st century, Las Vegas has expanded its tourist attractions and is now known as the entertainment capital of the United States. The city hosts major music and sports events, partly because Las Vegas has more hotel rooms than any other city in the country.

The biggest casino resorts are basically like small towns. There are more than 30 along the Strip alone, and even the most devoted gamblers cannot visit them all. I would like to highlight just a few that really stand out.

Caesars Palace was the first luxury casino resort in Las Vegas, themed around the Roman Empire. Bellagio was inspired by the beautiful Lake Como and is best known for its dancing fountains. The Venetian recreates Venice so faithfully that it even has canals running through the resort, complete with gondola rides. The MGM Grand is the largest hotel in the world and is famous for the huge bronze lion statue at its entrance. Other resorts follow with unique themes, such as Paris, New York-New York, Luxor, Treasure Island and Excalibur. Personally, I was most impressed by the Wynn, which also has the largest casino in the city.

Things to do in Las Vegas beyond gambling

Las Vegas offers much more than just gambling. One of the most popular activities is watching shows at the casino resorts. I would recommend seeing one of the Cirque du Soleil shows at the MGM Grand or Bellagio. Magic and comedy shows are also very popular. I would suggest seeing magician David Copperfield at the MGM Grand or the comedy act of the Blue Man Group at the Luxor.

Sports fans can watch American Football at Allegiant Stadium or ice hockey at T-Mobile Arena, which also hosts boxing and MMA events. The city attracts the biggest crowds with its annual night-time Formula 1 street race.

If you are going shopping in Las Vegas, I would recommend the Fashion Show Mall and the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, while the most famous luxury brand stores are at the Forum Shops in Caesars Palace and the Grand Canal Shops in the Venetian.

For anyone interested in concerts, events at the Sphere are sure to be unforgettable experiences. It is the most expensive entertainment venue in Las Vegas, featuring a 16K LED screen that wraps around its exterior over an area of about 54,000 square metres. The Sphere also hosts a futuristic show with robots and holograms every day.

Las Vegas takes on a special charm at night when neon signs and lights switch on across the casinos, making it, according to NASA, the brightest city on Earth. For the best views of the illuminated Strip, head to the top of the 350-metre-tall tower at the STRAT resort. Another option is the High Roller observation wheel, which is the tallest in the world and is located near Linq Resort.

The earliest casinos in the city were not on the Strip, but in the downtown area to the north. The first casino, Golden Gate, opened its doors in 1906. There are still some smaller casinos here, but tourists are mainly drawn to the Fremont Street Experience. It is a promenade covered by a neon-lit canopy, where visitors can also ride a zip line. Nearby is the Mob Museum, which shows how organised crime controlled the city in the early days of gambling. Even more unique is the Neon Museum, a kind of outdoor gallery where old neon signs from Las Vegas casinos are on display.

Day trips outside Las Vegas

Las Vegas is in the desert, which also offers opportunities for trips outside the city. Just a short drive away is Red Rock Canyon, a nature reserve known for its sandstone cliffs and unique rock formations. About an hour’s drive from the city, on the border between Nevada and Arizona, is the Hoover Dam, a concrete barrier in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River. For a longer trip, you can drive about two hours to reach Death Valley. This national park is home to the lowest and hottest point in the entire United States.

Less than five hours drive from the city stands one of the greatest natural wonders, the Grand Canyon. I guarantee that the first sight of it will leave you speechless. The western part of the canyon is the closest section you can reach from Las Vegas. There you have two viewpoints, Guano Point and Eagle Point. A special experience is the Grand Canyon Skywalk, where you can walk on a glass walkway and look straight down into the 1,450-metre-deep canyon.

For a long time, Las Vegas was considered just a place to gamble. This is no longer the old Las Vegas. It has become a city of luxury and excess. It has grown into one of the most visited cities in the United States, where people from all over the world come to have fun. You can travel to and enjoy Las Vegas without ever gambling. This is shown by the fact that for several years now, tourism revenue from non-gambling activities has exceeded that from casinos.