First sighted as Indian portage to Lake Pontchartrain and Gulf in 1699 by Bienville and Iberville, New Orleans has been founded in 1718, and named in honor of the Duke of Orleans, Regent of France. It was later called the Crescent City because of its location on the bend of the Mississippi, which resembles a crescent moon.

Just 2 km shorter than the longest river in the United States, the Mississippi River ranks second for its length of 3,766 km. Passing through 10 states, it ends before flowing in the Gulf of Mexico. Many explorers struggled in these troubled waters, and in the end, the colonists found a great place for their trade, recognizing New Orleans as an important commercial hub with the rest of the world. As it runs along the edge of the most important neighbourhood, the French Quarter, the Mississippi River offers great views along the waterfront. Here we started our walk and getting to know the city.

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Right on the edge of the river is one of the most important places from New Orleans that you could not miss: Jackson Square. Established in 1721 by French explorers, the site was part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, and known as Place d’Armes until 1856. The centerpiece of the square is the statue of Andrew Jackson, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, who became a symbol of American democracy triumphing over the old European ideas of aristocracy and entitlement.

Walking around Jackson Square to see the surroundings, I was surprised to see how alive the square was. I didn’t really know what to expect, but we found a different pulse of a new life.

With a burst of energy from Café du Monde,

we were ready to immerse into what the city had to offer. The heart and cultural center of New Orleans is the French Quarter, a must-see for its vivacity, history, architecture.

After watching jugglers and magicians entertain the audience, and all sort of psychics reading travelers’ fortune, we took a quick look inside of St. Louis Cathedral. The Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France is famous to be the oldest Catholic cathedral in continuous use in the United States.

After another walk around the square, admiring artists at work, and their wonderful artwork,

and a quick stop at the French Market ,

we continued our tour through the French Quarter. The neighbourhood ‘s architecture and the colourful houses famous for their wrought-iron balconies, provided us with a distinct backdrop for all kind of views.

Between the historic buildings and landmarks, and various restaurants offering Creole and Cajun food, live jazz, various performers filled the streets of this famous district.

With a French, African, and Anglo influence, this is a unique city, unlike anything else in the United States. The French Quarter is the area where French first settled in 1718, and where the creation of New Orleans’ Afro-Creole culture too place. As a major port city at the mouth of the Mississippi River, New Orleans grew over years, blooming rapidly into what it has become today.

And so jazz music evolved too. Originating in the African-American communities of New Orleans in the late 19^th – early 20^th centuries, it turned out soon to a new genre called ragtime. When ragtime blended with blues, it created a whole new style of music, and such jazz began to emerge. Playing and dancing was the way to let the worries free, and feel alive and have a good time, a feeling that imprinted the city a jovial attitude “Laissez les bons temps rouler!” (“Let the good times roll!”), which is probably where the city’s nickname The Big Easy comes from.

If you like U.S., and American cities, you might like to read: The best things to see and do in Fort Myers

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A district full of historic houses, restaurants, or other points of interest, we eventually ended up on Bourbon Street. Full of people wandering just like us, Bourbon Street is one of the most notorious streets in the world. As the light fades, and the sun prepares to set, the neon signs start slowing, while blasting music is heard everywhere.

Restaurants open their doors, waiting their partygoers while lone DJs and entertainers try to attract undecided customers. Drums, snakes, dancers, singers, performers of all kind, show after show make up for a big entertainment. Crowds of people roam the streets, building up an atmosphere we never knew it could exist.

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Next morning found us walking around Garden District. A quiet walk, away from the hustle and bustle of the French quarter, we found this neighbourhood being a nice and relaxing place. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1974, this district is famous for its 19th century homes and gardens, for Lafayette cemetery, and its historic graves. This area was originally part of Livaudais Plantation, and annexed by the City of New Orleans in 1852.

With a rich history and connection to the city, St Charles Avenue is a well-known and major Mardi Gras parade route. The wide-opened windows of the tram we took provided us a full view of this avenue, and its oak trees, and palm trees that were filled with colourful beads and throws. It seems that the adornments are here for some time, and although the parades are long gone, the beads will remain there, competing with the Spanish moss in time.

If you enjoy the city breaks, you might like to read: Vienna vs Budapest – Two cities in five days.

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Another quiet place for a relaxing stroll we found is Louis Armstrong Park. Honoring the jazz and the great Louis Armstrong, the park is located just steps from the French Quarter. Born in New Orleans, Louis Daniel Armstrong was among the most influential figures in jazz, and the most famous person in all of New Orleans history. The trumpets are still heard blowing through the streets of New Orleans, giving you something to live for, if not the memory of Louis Armstrong.

There is so much to see and do in New Orleans, that we never let a moment go by without experiencing something new. We gave up on visiting a couple of former plantations, or visiting any of Louisiana’s swamps and bayous. We also didn’t have enough time to visit some of the famous museums, nor to book a cruise on the famous Steamboat Natchez. Instead, we chose to walk a little further. The Warehouse district, and Algier Point were some of our selections, while trying to find local food away from the central and touristic places.

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Right between the French Quarter and the Garden District sits a whole area that has seen an incredible revitalization over the last few years. Old, empty warehouses have been transformed into shops, art galleries, fancy restaurants and coffee shops, interesting boutiques. Founded originally in the 19^th century to store goods that were passing through New Orleans’ port, Warehouse district became a bustling place after 1984 World’s Fair, transforming into the cultural and artistic hub that it is today.

If you like strolling through new cities, then you might want to read: A walking guide to the southernmost city in the continental U.S.

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Before heading to another tumultuous night, we selected another quiet neighbourhood: Algiers Point. Originally called the “King’s Plantation”, it was established in 1719, as the second neighbourhood in New Orleans, and it was first used as the location for the city’s powder magazine and slaughterhouse, a holding area for the newly arrived enslaved Africans, and the first port of call for the displaced Cajuns. A leisurely walk, a relaxing dinner and a trip across the mighty Mississippi filled our afternoon nicely.

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The fourth and final day in New Orleans found us walking in a green, and peaceful site: the City Park. Dating back to 1854, City Park is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. With several attractions spread over 1,300 acres, the park is the largest recreational area in the entire region. There is something for everyone, whether you are an artist, an athlete, or a nature lover.

There are many interesting attractions, such as Botanical Garden, Couturie Forest, Arboretum, or Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, but the most astonishing fact is that the park is home to some of the largest grove of mature oaks in the world, some of which are nearly 800 years old. Although several old and great oak trees can be seen along St. Charles Avenue, around Garden District, and some of the old plantations, City Park is one of the places famous for the world’s oldest and most stunning collection of live oak trees. Not as old as the oaks themselves, the charming adornments the Spanish moss, make the trees look like from another world.

If you like gardens, then you might be interested to read about our amazing experience at Butchart Gardens.

And so, we wrapped up our 4-day city break in New Orleans, a city with so much more to offer.

But if you are not tired yet and feel like walking more, you can always join Jo on her Monday walks😊

Interesting facts:

*New Orleans became in 1796 the first place in the United States to document an opera performance.

*NOLA is home to the most historic districts of any US city

* Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, the longest continuous bridge in the world is located here

* St. Louis cathedral is the oldest continually operating cathedral in the U.S.

* American pirate Jean Laffite gained notoriety for his role he played in defending the city from the British during the War of 1812.

*Poker and craps originated in New Orleans

*One of the iconic building types associated with American South is the shotgun house. They are believed to have originated from New Orleans, and are still popular in certain neighbourhoods. They are narrow houses, with a living room entered from the front door, and other rooms going from one to the next to the back of the house where there is another door. There is basically no hallway, and most of them have one bathroom. (Beware the groups wanting to rent one, as the bathroom access goes through the other people bedroom; although some of these houses are upgraded).

Tip(s) of the day:

*Best time to visit New Orleans is from February to May, when the weather is comfortable, and the events are in full swing. If you are not interested in Mardi Gras, you can visit outside of the celebrations, when the city is calm;

*NOLA can be quite expensive, hotel and transportation wise. Average hotel rates drop to their lowest in July, August, September, but then you might intersect with the hurricane season;

*A minimum 3 full days are advisable for maximum sightseeing.

~visited in April 2023