New York City is not the place to go for a relaxing vacation. Visitors are forewarned by ol’ blue eyes himself that “it’s the city that never sleeps.” For residents, the daily frenetic pace can get you as jittery as Britney on her 11th daily Frappucino. But just because we get caught up in the exciting, zipping, fast-paced conundrum that is NYC, it doesn’t mean it can’t have a magical escape, right in its own backyard. Folks, Unicorns have been spotted in upper Manhattan surrounded by land so beautiful that John D. Rockefeller bought it to protect it from development! Now that’s an enchantment that is quickly disappearing.

And it’s yours for the taking at the Cloisters, situated in Fort Tryon at 190th Street in Manhattan. Just simply go north, very north. And if you get wet, you’ve gone too far.

In the Middle Ages, places of great value were protected by an alligator infested moat. With regards to the Cloisters, perched atop one of the highest natural points in Manhattan, try to think of the 140 blocks between Midtown and the historical area as an urban protector that has allowed this spot to remain one of the most naturally beautiful and peaceful daytrips you will ever take during your tenure on the island.

The Cloisters, a branch of New York’s Metropolitan Museums, represents the crowning achievement in both Art and Architecture representative of Europe’s Middle Ages. The structure is comprised of five French monasteries organically incorporated into the central museum complex. The walkways, garden cloisters and arched chapel rooms lend themselves to a unique day in a museum, and like its previous monastic occupants, allow peaceful strolling and conversation. Fantastic examples of the evolving design concepts are introduced, with notable differentiations between Early and Late Gothic styles. For horticulturists, authentic historical gardens offer abundant discoveries for medicine, art, cooking and a bit of the supernatural.

The Cloisters’ architectural medley accompanies 6000 objects, both religious and secular, allowing a rare opportunity to view “art within art.” The collection is a medieval hodge-podge and the most geographically diverse grouping in the United States. Pay special attention to the stunning Spanish frescoes, apse and metalwork, which are rarely highlighted under the dominant French and Italian works of the period. Also, showing their prominence are the Northern European countries including the Netherlandish master Robert Campin’s triptych representing the Annunciation. The downstairs Treasury houses the gilded, for fun and functionality: a set of 15th century playing cards, illuminated manuscripts for the queen of France, stunning ewers and tableware.

The crowing achievement of the collection is the illustrious and famous Unicorn Tapestries, the only to exist outside of Europe. Donated into the collection personally by John D. Rockefeller, the coveted and mysterious storytelling wall coverings were meticulously restored in 1999 by the Met. Woven in Brussels circa 1500, “The Hunt for the Unicorn” series, and its brethren “Maiden and the Unicorn” tapestries found in Musee Cluny in Paris, are of unknown origins. The star of the Cloister’s collection is the simply spellbinding “Unicorn in Captivity”. The tapestry depicts the tamed Unicorn, content to be whimsically chained to the pomegranate tree inside its circular pen. Whether he represents the Christ figure or a tamed bachelor in marriage is for the visitors to decide. Indisputable is the beauty woven into the peaceful face of this mythical creature.

Surrounding the Cloisters, is Fort Tryon, which offers some of the best views in Manhattan. The grounds earned its name in the summer of 1776, after a fierce Revolutionary War battle featuring Hessian mercenaries fighting for the British. Previously called Fort Washington, the victorious British Army renamed the area for Sir William Tyron, the last British Governor of colonial New York.

Today, the park’s 66 acres lends itself to more peaceful ventures. Less coifed and manicured than Central Park, Fort Tyron’s rocky foothills allow strollers to gaze upon undeveloped hills across the Hudson River. To protect his impeccable hilltop vantage, Rockefeller purchased the cross river New Jersey acreage and donated it for parkland, adding more value to the picturesque escape.

Coming back from NYC’s quiet history may require some bracing. So, slip into the New Leaf Café, a sit-down restaurant in Fort Tryon for some earthy, simple fare and a glass of red wine before heading back down into the jungle. Maybe if you ask real nice, the staff will let you sip from the gilded ewers from the Cloister Treasury. At minimum, they will be happy to join you in a toast to your day out of the city—magically spent, in the city.

For more information on the Cloisters, visit www.metmuseum.org.