A headless horseman has been galloping through the American imagination for two centuries, and this is where he set off. By publishing The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in 1820, Washington Irving forever fixed the image of this little valley in the Hudson Valley, with its Dutch church, its mossy cemetery and its autumn mists. The village, long called North Tarrytown, officially took back the name Sleepy Hollow in 1996. River ships stop here on the east bank of the river, some forty kilometres north of Manhattan.

Philipsburg Manor, colonial life by the water

A few minutes from the landing, this colonial-era estate recreates the daily life of a large Dutch farm: a gristmill powered by the river, a barn, a manor house with whitewashed walls. Costumed interpreters run the millstones, explain the grain trade and address head-on the history of the enslaved people who kept the estate running. The visit, concrete and lively, provides a solid background for everything else the valley will show you.

The Old Dutch Church and the cemetery

On the neighbouring hill stands the old stone Dutch church, one of the oldest in the country still in use, the central setting of Irving's legend. All around stretches Sleepy Hollow Cemetery: 36 hectares of monuments, obelisks and mausoleums shaded by century-old maples. Washington Irving rests here among industrialists and New York notables; the winding paths lend themselves to a strangely peaceful wander, between funerary sculpture and glimpses of the Hudson. Fans of ghost stories will find what they're looking for, and so will lovers of calm.

Sunnyside, the writer's den

Downstream from the village, the little house of Sunnyside seems straight out of a fairy tale: stepped gables, climbing wisteria, paths leading down to the river. Washington Irving shaped it in his own image during the last quarter of his life, receiving admirers and statesmen in tiny rooms crowded with books. Guides in period costume tell of the man behind the legend: the first American author to make a living from writing, a diplomat, a celebrity of his time. The charm of the place works on every visitor, readers or not.

The lighthouse and the riverside promenade

At the foot of the village, an 1883 cast-iron lighthouse stands guard over the river, freshly restored and reopened to visitors. The landscaped promenade along the riverfront links it to neighbouring parks, with views of the immense bridge spanning the Hudson at its widest point. The main street of the neighbouring municipality, a short distance away, rounds out the port call with its cafés and antique shops.

Making the most of the port call

• The main sites are spread over a few kilometres; shuttles and organized excursions make getting around easier.
• Allow about an hour per site for Philipsburg Manor and Sunnyside.
• The cemetery can be explored freely; themed guided tours are offered in season.
• In October, book early: the harvest and Halloween season draws visitors from across the region.

Tarrytown, the friendly neighbour

A detour along Tarrytown's main street adds a lively note to the day: independent cafés, a neighbourhood bookshop, artisans' shops and posters for shows at the century-old music hall. The two municipalities blend into one another; residents move between them without thinking, and visitors do the same.

As dusk falls

Be on deck at departure, when the light fades over the valley. The hills darken, the church disappears into the trees, and you understand where Irving drew his galloping shadows from. Sleepy Hollow pulls off a singular feat: making legend and history, thrill and gentleness, coexist in a village that seems never to have stopped listening to its own tales.