More than just a famous collection of hills and mountains, the Berkshires of western Massachusetts are chock-a-block with world-class cultural offerings and natural beauty.

So it's possible to carve out a day of sightseeing that includes taking in a Monet exhibition, a Shakespeare stage production and a bike ride through the woods, topped off with a deep-tissue massage and dinner at a AAA five-diamond restaurant.

With its raw material of panoramic mountains, streams and unspoiled lakes, it's no surprise that the Berkshires have long been a draw for painters, poets, philosophers, writers and singers.

Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The House of Seven Gables in a cottage outside Stockbridge; Norman Rockwell spent the latter part of his life there; and for the past several years, James Taylor has called the Berkshires home. Possible destinations include:

GREAT BARRINGTON

Both a summer resort and home to Ski Butternut, this Berkshire County town includes the villages of Van Deusenville and Housatonic, but at its center, you'll find a college town (Simon's Rock is located there) filled with progressive boutiques, a triplex movie theater, art galleries and restaurants (the town is known for its sushi joints).

There's also the Great Barrington Historical Society and Museum and the newly restored Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, which offers live performances and films year-round.

Be sure to check out: Karen Allen Fiber Arts at 8 Railroad St. (www.karenallen-fiberarts.com). When the Indiana Jones actress semi-retired from the world of films, she took up a second act as a fiber artist. Her boutique features an impressive selection of handmade sweaters, hats, scarves and jackets.

LENOX

Its crown cultural jewel is Tanglewood, summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Tanglewood Music Festival and the Tanglewood Jazz Festival. Lenox is also home to the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum and the Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, with seven miles of trails through meadows, wetlands and the hardwood forests along the slope of Lenox Mountain.

Be sure to check out: The Mount Estate and Gardens. Built by novelist Edith Wharton, The Mount is set on acres of elegantly manicured gardens and is considered one of Lenox's grandest ''cottages.'' The Mount has been in the news as one of America's historic house museums that's experiencing financial troubles, but it is definitely open for public tours this summer (www.edithwharton.org).

NORTH ADAMS

This small city is known for being home to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (www.massmoca.org), the largest contemporary art museum in the country. MASS MoCA is located on a 13-acre campus housed within renovated factory buildings. In addition to more than half a dozen traveling and ongoing exhibitions, the museum also has a full performing arts schedule encompassing theater, music and dance. North Adams is also home to Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts. At 3,491 feet, the summit offers dramatic 90-mile views. Access by car is closed until 2009, but visitors can hike or mountain bike to the summit.

Be sure to check out: The Western Gateway Heritage State Park, an urban park housed in a former railroad yard that pays homage to the history-making and perilous construction of the Hoosac Tunnel, considered to be one of the great engineering feats of the 19th century: 4.75 miles of tunnel dug through Hoosac Mountain (www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/western/wghp.htm).

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