As a result of the ethnic mix in Chicago, visitors will hear up to 50 different languages spoken and witness a culture-fest of annual parades and festivals that jam the social calendar.

Chicago is therefore rich in attractions and sights. The top three tourist stops are arguably the Art Institute of Chicago, Grant Park and the Sears Tower.

The Art Institute houses an unsurpassed collection that is both extensive in origin and history, from Monet to African and ancient American.

Built from reclaimed marshland in the 1890s, Grant Park, meanwhile, is an ideal place to take time out.

At over 1400 ft, the Sears Tower offers fantastic views over the city so long as you don’t suffer from vertigo or impatience to wait in line for the 70 second elevator ride to the ‘skydeck’. Around 1.5 million people have made the journey to the top of the 110-storey skyscraper which, depending on your criteria, is either the tallest or second tallest building in the world.