Packed with iconic museums and monuments, together with low-key treasures cherished by locals, Paris is a city that emanates "la belle vie" (the good life).
What is Alabama known for? Top facts and attractions
21.07.2023 - 07:41 / roughguides.com
A region rich in history and culture, natural beauty, southern hospitality, gorgeous white-sand beaches, forest-smothered mountains and NASA’s first moon rockets – Alabama is full of surprises.
The information in this article is inspired by the Rough Guide to The USA: the South , your essential guide for visiting South states of the USA .
Known as ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ the US state is the anchor of America’s Deep South. It actually has French roots, with Mobile founded in 1702, and American Indian civilizations here thousands of years before that.
Today the state’s biggest city is Birmingham, a thriving cultural centre with a fantastic foodie scene. Huntsville in the north is a hub for space and tech industries. Mobile, in the South is the original capital of the Louisiana territory and first home of America’s Mardi Gras. Montgomery, the state capital, Selma and Tuskegee are rich in African-American and Civil Rights history.
The Cheaha Mountain State Park In Alabama © Vallee/Shutterstock
The range of natural wonders on offer is perhaps one of Alabama’s biggest secrets. From the wooded foothills of the Appalachians, ablaze with colour every autumn, to the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. Twenty two state parks harbour everything from caves and caverns to swamps and towering waterfalls.
You can drive or hike to the highest point in Alabama, Mount Cheaha, which rises above Talladega National Forest like an island above a sea of green. Trails criss-cross the slopes, while Bunker Tower tops the summit amidst granite boulders and weathered trees. From here all of Alabama seems to spread below you like a giant quilt.
To find more ideas for your trip to the USA take note of our list of the most beautiful places in the USA.
Further west, hiking the floor of Dismals Canyon is like entering a slice of Tolkein’s Middle Earth. The path twisting along and sometimes through the Dismals Branch stream, glittering cascades, fern-filled grottos, moss-covered rocks and ancient hemlock, beech and sweetgum groves. Take a night tour to see the “Dismalites,” bioluminescent larvae that glow blue-green on the rocks.
To the south the Gulf Coast beaches are swathes of sugar-white sand lapped by turquoise waters. The beaches on Dauphin Island are great for families – shallow, safe and peppered with shells, hermit crabs and small fish. At Gulf State Park, another pristine beach is backed by ancient maritime live oak forest, lakes and swamps, where bike trails reveal foraging armadillos and basking alligators.
Get more information about Gulf Coast in our guide about Alabama outdoor adventure.
Fort Payne, Little River Canyon near Johnnies Creek © Alabama Travel
Unexpected kindness is a part of everyday life in the south. Southern
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