Alburg

Jutting into Lake Champlain on a peninsula that nearly touches Canada, Alburg is one of Vermont's most geographically unusual towns. Chartered in 1781, the town in Grand Isle County is connected to the rest of the state only by a thin strip of land and a series of bridges. For much of its history, residents found it easier to travel to Quebec than to the Vermont capital in Montpelier.

The Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge borders the town, protecting thousands of acres of wetland and floodplain along the Missisquoi River delta. Alburg's position on the lake made it a natural corridor for smuggling during the War of 1812 and Prohibition alike -- a history locals acknowledge with more pride than embarrassment.

Alburg Springs, a mineral spring in town, once attracted visitors who believed in the water's healing properties. That era is long past, but the town's lakefront location still draws seasonal visitors. With a population around 1,920, Alburg conducts its civic business through town meeting and a selectboard, keeping alive the direct democracy that Vermont towns have practiced since before statehood.