example, but it was less intensive, and agriculture retained a larger share of the economy. In the middle of the 20th century, both Amish and non-Amish entrepreneurs began to promote the area as a tourist destination. Though there are still plenty of Amish attempting to follow their traditional way of life, tourism and population growth have significantly changed the appearance and cultural flavor of the area. The region is within 50 miles of Philadelphia, Baltimore, Maryland, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and has not escaped the effects of being located on the western edge of the East Coast conurbation which stretches from Washington, D.C. to New York City. The Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonites, who have resisted these urbanization efforts most successfully, have retained aspects of their 18th century way of life, including the Deitsch dialect; however, these groups have changed significantly in the last two hundred years. Nevertheless, for the Old Order groups, change has come slower, and gradually they have become more and more distinctively different as the surrounding rural and urban population of Pennsylvania has changed. See also Ohio Amish Country Pretzel Belt West Nickel Mines School shooting Witness (1985 film) Notable locations Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania Blue Ball, Pennsylvania Clinic for Special Children Fertility Intercourse, Pennsylvania Paradise, Pennsylvania Ronks, Pennsylvania Virginville Nearby attractions Crystal Cave in Berks County Dutch Wonderland, an amusement park Gettysburg National Military Park (nearby) Hersheypark Indian Echo Caverns, Hummelstown Koziar's Christmas Village Limestone Inn Bed and Breakfast listed in the National Register of Historic Places Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Roadside America in Shartlesville Strasburg Rail Road, a steam locomotive-driven heritage railway Susquehannock State Park Union Canal Tunnel, Lebanon References External links Pennsylvania Dutch Country Welcome Center Hiwwe wie Driwwe – The Pennsylvania German Newspaper Dutch Country Dutch Country Pennsylvania German culture German-American history German communities in the United States