Travel South: Florida and the landscapes of the south

Orlando is a city of fun. It owes its fame to DisneyWorld and its theme parks (EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom), SeaWorld and Universal Studios with its fantastic Wizarding World of Harry Potter and countless other exciting attractions.

Tallahassee, whose name derives from a Muskogee Indian word generally translated as "old fields" or "old town", is the capital of Florida. Very popular in high society in the 19th century, it experienced a decline along with the cotton industry and is now not frequently visited; it has also developed in the commerce sector and is home to an important university, but it still maintains a predominantly agricultural vocation.

Pensacola is located in Florida, but only 30 minutes from the Alabama border. It directly faces the Gulf of Mexico and is famous for the US Navy base, as well as its magnificent white beaches and emerald-colored waters.

Inhabited by the creole aristocracy descended from Spanish and French settlers, New Orleans embraces a bend in the Mississippi River. At the center of it all is the French Quarter, decadent but still alive, with narrow bustling streets and hidden courtyards. Stop for a few days to soak up the atmosphere, taste the beignets & café au lait at Café du Monde, discover Bourbon Street at night, excessive, raucous, infamous, with music pouring out of every window; board the St Charles streetcar to reach the seductive Garden District and stroll among elegant homes and majestic trees. Exploring the surrounding area, with an airboat tour in a nearby swamp or a visit to a historic plantation, completes the vision of a nostalgic and fascinating South.

Vicksburg owes its fame to the eponymous Siege that, as well as the Battle of Gettysburg, sealed the fate of the Civil War. A pleasant harbour town by the Mississippi River, Vicksburg boasts a fine historic centre with several Victorian houses.

Memphis in three words: Blues, Barbecue, Elvis. Perhaps even more than Nashville, Memphis is the capital of popular music, with essential pilgrimage sites. Even for those who are not fans of the king of rock, Graceland is worth a visit: the house, the car museum, the private plane, the huge collection of gold and platinum records, the stage costumes, and of course the Meditation Garden, where Elvis is buried. However, the visit to the city must start from the legendary Sun Studio, where in the early 1950s Elvis Presley marked the birth of rock 'n' roll, exciting even for non-experts. Other stops for enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts include the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, the Gibson's Guitar Factory, and the nearby Rock 'n' Soul Museum.

Nashville – aka Music City, USA, draws millions of music enthusiasts every year to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium and the Johnny Cash Museum – the shrines of country and pop music. Nashville and its surroundings are also brimming with typical honky-tonks. The city overlooks the Cumberland river, making for very pleasant riverbank walks.

Gatlinburg, at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is known for its many lively music festivals and various distilleries. Nearby, in Pigeon Forge, is the Dollywood theme park, a complex with attractions and shows based around country music queen Dolly Parton.

Charleston is one of the most elegant cities in the USA, with nineteenth-century mansions dating back to before the Civil War, warm hospitality, century-old trees, and azalea gardens. In three centuries of history, the city has survived hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, and the Civil War, which broke out here on April 12, 1861. Not to be missed is a visit to the typical villas, decorated with wrought iron and painted in different colors, the Battery, the historic waterfront, the City Market, where you can buy baskets made of hemp from the ancient rice fields, a plantation at Middleton Place, and the Fort Sumter National Monument, where the American Civil War began.

In Savannah, you will encounter the famous Southern Living, a different America, with old-fashioned homes, colorful eccentricities, ancestral traditions, charming lacework, and gothic shadows. Savannah stretches lazily along the river, with green squares, cafes, romantic houses, magnolias, oaks, and Spanish moss swaying in the wind. You start from the River Street waterfront and explore the squares, which are actually subtropical parks with oak trees, dogwood trees, and blooming magnolias. The most famous is undoubtedly Chippewa Square, with Forrest Gump's bench. The old rice and cotton warehouses, perched on the river, are accessible via iron walkways and are now overflowing with shops and restaurants.

St Augustine's Spanish colonial heritage, the oldest European settlement in North America, can be seen and felt in its historic district. A Mediterranean atmosphere pervades the pedestrian area, just a short walk away from a beautiful beach.