The southern states of the USA are a very special part of America. Here, it's hot; the streets are emptier than in the bustling cities, and music fills the air. This region birthed blues, country, and rock 'n' roll, with friendly people, numerous historical sites of great cultural value, and unique landscapes.
Nashville, Memphis, and Chattanooga are among the most renowned cities in Tennessee. Chattanooga's attractions include not only the "Weeping Stairs" and the Trail of Tears but also the stunning Lookout Mountain and Ruby Falls.
A very nice City
Chattanooga, with a population of 550,000, sits idyllically on the banks of the Tennessee River, close to the Georgia border. You can enjoy a leisurely stroll along the waterfront, where some of the city's most attractive buildings, restaurants, and museums are located.
One photogenic building, constructed in 1904, now houses the Hunter Museum of American Art, named after the industrialist George Hunter (1886-1930). The museum focuses on 19th-century and modern American art.
Located at the foothills of the Appalachians, Chattanooga offers easy access to hiking, biking, and climbing adventures. Originally, the Cherokee operated a ferry here around 1835, when indigenous people and white settlers coexisted peacefully.
However, later, Native Americans like the Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, and Chickasaw were forcibly relocated to less fertile lands in Oklahoma, an event known as the Trail of Tears. In 1938, over 15,000 Cherokee were among those rounded up in Chattanooga for this tragic journey, costing many lives.
Lookout from the mountain
Lookout Mountain, named after the local baseball team, looms over Chattanooga. This 730-meter-high peak, located at the junction of Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama, was a strategic point during the Civil War. Today, it's one of the region's prime viewpoints, accessible via a winding road.
Access to the viewing platform requires a fee, as the area has transformed into a theme park known as Rock City Gardens, famous for its panoramic views across seven states and its geological and botanical wonders.
To make the entrance fee worthwhile, plan to spend ample time enjoying these sights, especially if you wish to visit Ruby Falls, an underground waterfall discovered in 1928 by Leo Lambert in a 200 million-year-old cave system deep beneath the mountain.
The railway hub
A quicker visit can be made to the Chattanooga Choo Choo, historically significant during the Civil War as a railway hub. Now, the old train carriages have been converted into rooms for the Historic Hotel of America, with the foyer being the former train station's grand lobby.
Chattanooga gained worldwide fame through Glenn Miller's "Chattanooga Choo Choo," which topped the charts for 23 weeks and became the first gold record in 1942. "Choo Choo" mimics the sound of a train's steam release.
The song was later covered by German singer Udo Lindenberg as "Special Train to Pankow."
A walk through Chattanooga reveals why it's often voted the USA's most lovable city, even surpassing San Francisco in livability rankings. Stroll across the 722-meter-long Walnut Street Bridge at sunset to experience Chattanooga's spectacular beauty. Enjoy local pubs, explore the mural gallery, or catch a game with the Lookouts.
