Autumn foliage in the Berkshires region of Massachusetts

Nestled in quiet western Massachusetts, word is slowly getting out about this summertime arts Mecca.

Generally viewed as a playground for the rich, there's more to the Berkshires than lofty estates and upscale digs (although these, too, are fun to explore - check out Wheatleigh or Blantyre in Lenox, MA).

The fantastic Tanglewood concert series, summertime home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, features performances of classical and jazz as well as a "wine and food classic".

While Tanglewood put the Berkshires on the map, there are other important festivals here - Jacob's Pillow, near Becket, MA, is the country's foremost contemporary dance festival, and (further north) is the renowned Williamstown Theatre Festival.

Williamstown is also blessed with two lovely art museums: the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute and the Williams College Museum of Art. The area's creative showstopper however, is the Mass MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art), a whimsical, sprawling former textile factory that's now filled with modern art installations, contemporary videos and upside-down trees.