Anaheim, California

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derived from the river Santa Ana and the German word "Heim" (home).

Citrus fruits

The cultivation of citrus fruits, especially oranges, proved so successful that this stretch of country became one of the most important orange-growing regions in the USA. So it is not surprising that the county founded in 1889 - an offshoot of Los Angeles County - should be named "Orange County". However, Santa Ana was nominated as the capital of the area, not little Anaheim.

"Utopian" colony

In the year 1876 Anaheim attracted a group of Polish intellectuals, whose intention was to found here one of the many "Utopian Communities" found in the United States in the 19th century. The writer Henryk Sienkiewicz (later a Nobel Prizewinner for his novel "Quo Vadis") and the actress Helena Modjeska and her husband were at the head of the group. However, their dreams quickly vanished; only two years later the author returned to his homeland. Modjeska remained, however, and started a successful theater career (there is even a town in Orange County which bears her name).

Upswing

Not until 1955 when Walt Disney decided to choose Anaheim as the site for his Disneyland Pleasure and Leisure Park, did Anaheim develop rapidly into an industrial town. Since then the number of visitors annually has been in the millions. Hotels have mushroomed, some with over 1,000 rooms, and there is also plenty of accommodation for meetings and congresses.

Sport

Anaheim is the smallest of the 20 American towns which have a first-class baseball team. The Angels play there from the middle of April until the beginning of October.

How to get there

By air, Anaheim can be reached from Los Angeles airport (40mi/64km away) and from John Wayne Orange County Airport (14mi/22km to the south). There are direct coach connections from both airports.

By car, you can drive to Anaheim from Los Angeles via Freeway No. 5 (Exit 78, Katella Ave. and Anaheim Blvd. lead direct to Disneyland).