Information
City: New OrleansCountry: USA Louisiana
Continent: North America
New Orleans, USA Louisiana, North America
Overview
In southeastern Louisiana, near where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf, New Orleans bursts with vibrant culture, rich history, and a landscape shaped by winding waterways.
The city brims with French, Spanish, African, and Creole influences, alive in its wrought-iron balconies, spicy gumbo, brass band parades, and colorful street festivals.
The city takes its shape from the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, with neighborhoods clustering around old brick-lined districts, winding canals, and the long earthen levees built to hold back the floods.
Founded in 1718 by the French Mississippi Company, New Orleans thrived as a bustling port, its docks clattering with cargo thanks to its prime spot on the Mississippi River.
In 1763, the city shifted from French to Spanish rule, returned briefly to France decades later, and finally, in 1803, was sold to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase.
Its past weaves together the legacy of slavery, centuries of French and Spanish rule, and a rich blend of traditions-like the spice-laden aroma of gumbo-that shaped its Creole and Cajun roots.
The city holds a special place in jazz history-it’s where the music was born in the early 1900s, in smoky rooms filled with the sound of trumpet and piano.
New Orleans unfolds around a few main districts, with the French Quarter at its heart-its narrow streets lined with wrought-iron balconies, Bourbon Street buzzing late into the night, and centuries-old buildings telling the city’s story.
The Central Business District is a modern hub of commerce, lined with gleaming high-rises and just a short walk from the lively French Quarter.
The Garden District brims with antebellum mansions and wide streets shaded by ancient oaks, each turn steeped in historic charm.
Treme is one of the oldest African American neighborhoods in the country, alive with brass bands and a deep musical soul.
Uptown and Mid-City are home to tree-lined streets, century-old houses, green parks, and a mix of museums and theaters.
Bywater and Marigny are lively neighborhoods, full of bright shotgun houses, walls splashed with murals, and music drifting from tucked-away bars.
Mardi Gras bursts to life each year with parades rolling down the streets, brass bands blaring, and dancers swirling in glittering masks and ornate costumes.
Frenchmen Street hums with live music-jazz pouring from open doorways, blues drifting down the sidewalk.
Jackson Square sits in the heart of the French Quarter, ringed by stately old buildings and lively rows of artists’ stalls where the smell of paint and coffee drifts through the air.
St.
Louis Cathedral, one of the oldest in the nation, towers over Jackson Square with its white spires catching the sunlight, while the National WWII Museum offers vast, detailed exhibits that bring the war’s history vividly to life.
Step aboard the Steamboat Natchez for a historic ride down the Mississippi, where you can watch the sunlight glint off the water and hear live jazz drifting through the air.
Culture and Music: In New Orleans, jazz drifts from open doorways, brass bands parade through the streets, and Mardi Gras Indians bring their vibrant traditions to life.
Creole and Cajun traditions weave through its culture, showing up in steaming bowls of gumbo, spicy jambalaya, crusty po’boys, and sugar‑dusted beignets.
Beyond Mardi Gras, festivals like the Jazz & Heritage Festival fill the streets with live music, swirling dancers, and the smell of sizzling gumbo.
Sustainability and Environment: The city grapples with hurricanes that lash its coast, streets that flood after heavy rain, and the steady creep of rising seas.
To boost resilience, cities are building levees, installing pump stations, restoring wetlands, and adding green spaces-like tree-lined parks-that cut environmental impact while keeping historic neighborhoods intact.
Besides Mardi Gras, New Orleans comes alive with the Jazz & Heritage Festival, where brass bands blare in the streets and music from around the world fills the air.
Voodoo Music + Arts Experience is an annual festival bursting with live bands, vivid art installations, and the smell of food trucks drifting through the crowd.
French Quarter Festival brings the streets alive with sizzling crawfish, live jazz, and hometown talent.
The Essence Festival celebrates African American culture with soulful music, powerful voices, and a spirit of empowerment that fills the air.
Visitor Tip: See the city up close-wander its streets on foot or hop a rattling streetcar to soak in the charm of its historic neighborhoods.
Tasting dumplings from a bustling street cart and savoring a slow-cooked stew in a century-old café gives you the city’s true flavor.
Pay attention to weather and flood alerts, especially when hurricane season rolls in and the air feels heavy with rain.
Step into a museum, wander through a creaky old house, or explore a lively cultural center, and you’ll see the city’s layered history come alive.
In New Orleans, history hums through the streets, blending with brass-band melodies, the scent of gumbo, and a joy for celebration you won’t find anywhere else in America.
The city brims with French, Spanish, African, and Creole influences, alive in its wrought-iron balconies, spicy gumbo, brass band parades, and colorful street festivals.
The city takes its shape from the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, with neighborhoods clustering around old brick-lined districts, winding canals, and the long earthen levees built to hold back the floods.
Founded in 1718 by the French Mississippi Company, New Orleans thrived as a bustling port, its docks clattering with cargo thanks to its prime spot on the Mississippi River.
In 1763, the city shifted from French to Spanish rule, returned briefly to France decades later, and finally, in 1803, was sold to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase.
Its past weaves together the legacy of slavery, centuries of French and Spanish rule, and a rich blend of traditions-like the spice-laden aroma of gumbo-that shaped its Creole and Cajun roots.
The city holds a special place in jazz history-it’s where the music was born in the early 1900s, in smoky rooms filled with the sound of trumpet and piano.
New Orleans unfolds around a few main districts, with the French Quarter at its heart-its narrow streets lined with wrought-iron balconies, Bourbon Street buzzing late into the night, and centuries-old buildings telling the city’s story.
The Central Business District is a modern hub of commerce, lined with gleaming high-rises and just a short walk from the lively French Quarter.
The Garden District brims with antebellum mansions and wide streets shaded by ancient oaks, each turn steeped in historic charm.
Treme is one of the oldest African American neighborhoods in the country, alive with brass bands and a deep musical soul.
Uptown and Mid-City are home to tree-lined streets, century-old houses, green parks, and a mix of museums and theaters.
Bywater and Marigny are lively neighborhoods, full of bright shotgun houses, walls splashed with murals, and music drifting from tucked-away bars.
Mardi Gras bursts to life each year with parades rolling down the streets, brass bands blaring, and dancers swirling in glittering masks and ornate costumes.
Frenchmen Street hums with live music-jazz pouring from open doorways, blues drifting down the sidewalk.
Jackson Square sits in the heart of the French Quarter, ringed by stately old buildings and lively rows of artists’ stalls where the smell of paint and coffee drifts through the air.
St.
Louis Cathedral, one of the oldest in the nation, towers over Jackson Square with its white spires catching the sunlight, while the National WWII Museum offers vast, detailed exhibits that bring the war’s history vividly to life.
Step aboard the Steamboat Natchez for a historic ride down the Mississippi, where you can watch the sunlight glint off the water and hear live jazz drifting through the air.
Culture and Music: In New Orleans, jazz drifts from open doorways, brass bands parade through the streets, and Mardi Gras Indians bring their vibrant traditions to life.
Creole and Cajun traditions weave through its culture, showing up in steaming bowls of gumbo, spicy jambalaya, crusty po’boys, and sugar‑dusted beignets.
Beyond Mardi Gras, festivals like the Jazz & Heritage Festival fill the streets with live music, swirling dancers, and the smell of sizzling gumbo.
Sustainability and Environment: The city grapples with hurricanes that lash its coast, streets that flood after heavy rain, and the steady creep of rising seas.
To boost resilience, cities are building levees, installing pump stations, restoring wetlands, and adding green spaces-like tree-lined parks-that cut environmental impact while keeping historic neighborhoods intact.
Besides Mardi Gras, New Orleans comes alive with the Jazz & Heritage Festival, where brass bands blare in the streets and music from around the world fills the air.
Voodoo Music + Arts Experience is an annual festival bursting with live bands, vivid art installations, and the smell of food trucks drifting through the crowd.
French Quarter Festival brings the streets alive with sizzling crawfish, live jazz, and hometown talent.
The Essence Festival celebrates African American culture with soulful music, powerful voices, and a spirit of empowerment that fills the air.
Visitor Tip: See the city up close-wander its streets on foot or hop a rattling streetcar to soak in the charm of its historic neighborhoods.
Tasting dumplings from a bustling street cart and savoring a slow-cooked stew in a century-old café gives you the city’s true flavor.
Pay attention to weather and flood alerts, especially when hurricane season rolls in and the air feels heavy with rain.
Step into a museum, wander through a creaky old house, or explore a lively cultural center, and you’ll see the city’s layered history come alive.
In New Orleans, history hums through the streets, blending with brass-band melodies, the scent of gumbo, and a joy for celebration you won’t find anywhere else in America.
Landmarks in New Orleans
