The capital city of Georgia, Atlanta is a thriving, busy city nicknamed the ‘Crown Jewel of the South’. Atlanta is popular with tourists due to its lively dynamic feel, offering everything from sports to arts and lots in between. Atlanta is the gateway city to exploring greater Georgia and the home of Coca Cola, or perhaps more famously, the home of Martin Luther King.
Home to Coca Cola and media giant CNN as well as notably being the birthplace of Marin Luther King Jr, the city is steeped in civil rights movement history. Atlanta boasts some fantastic shopping malls, with Underground Atlanta covering six blocks and housing everything from shopping to dining and entertainment. Atlanta offers real Southern hospitality, best experienced in the food with plenty of scrumptious barbeque cuisine.
Home to a national league baseball team, the Atlanta Braves, as well as ice hockey, basketball and soccer teams which play at national level, Atlanta’s rich history of sport is undeniable. Having hosted the 1996 Olympic Games, the Olympic stadium is now a shrine to the nation’s sporting success. You will need a car to get about, with residents traveling a whopping 33 miles (55kms) a day on average.
Highlights
Centennial Olympic Park: created for the 1996 Olympic Games, the park is set in 21 acres of land and has 500,000 commemorative flags and bricks to honor the nation.
Underground Atlanta: an underground city covering six blocks encompassing everything from shopping to entertainment. With over 100 different places to visit here, you will not be bored.
Atlanta Botanical Gardens: set in 15 acres of fertile land, the gardens boast some fantastic plant species. Look out for the famous seasonal shows.
High Museum of Art: Atlanta’s best display of art ranging from 18th century to contemporary pieces.
Fernbank Museum of Natural History: this museum houses a 315-seat IMAX theater - a surreal way to teach visitors about natural history.
World of Coca Cola: a glossy shrine to Atlanta’s most famous soft drink, providing the history of the drink as well as the chance to taste some unusual Coca Cola products.
Georgia State Capitol: with its impressive 240-foot-high dome, this building houses Atlanta’s colorful history and is a registered National Historic Landmark.