The capital of the US state of Colorado, Denver, is one of the most exciting cities in the USA and one of the real insider tips for a city trip. Away from the well-known metropolises such as New York City, Los Angeles, New Orleans or Miami, you will not only find a melting pot of different cultures, but above all a vibrant metropolis with history and character. With the Rocky Mountains in the background, an exciting nightlife and all kinds of sights, the city has developed into a real hotspot for culture and typical life in the USA in recent years. Both cultural travelers and foodies will get their money’s worth here.

The city of mineral resources – from gold mining village to oil metropolis

As so often in the history of the USA, it was the gold diggers who made sure that Denver developed. At the foot of the Rocky Mountains, first silver and then gold were found, and at some point the loose villages merged to form a city. Over time, new raw materials were discovered in the area from time to time, and most recently it was oil fields in the 1980s that led the already rich metropolis to new prosperity. Around 750,000 people now live directly in the city and well over a million people in the suburbans of Denver in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains.

The history of the city and the surrounding area can still be admired today on every corner of the city. In addition to a wide selection of museums, there are many historic buildings that document the construction of the city over the past centuries and are proof of how Denver has developed from a small village into one of the most important metropolises in the USA. Denver is not only interesting for tourists itself, but also various places in the immediate vicinity invite you to excursions and give you the opportunity to discover even more sights.

Discover the must-see attractions in Denver

If you only want to spend time with the most interesting sights of Denver itself, you should definitely take a path to the State Capitol. In addition to being the Colorado state legislature, the historic building is located in the middle of a green area in the heart of the city and also offers guided tours to learn more about the history of the state and the country. With a little luck, you can get a room at the Brown Palace Hotel in the immediate vicinity – it was built in 1892 and is still a striking eye-catcher in the middle of the city and offers some interesting history about the development in the past decades.

The Daniels & Fisher Tower is one of the city’s landmarks and is hard to miss, even in the spectacular skyline. From here you can orientate yourself well and perhaps find your way to one of the most interesting shopping centers in the city. The 16th Street Mall offers a variety of restaurants, cafes and bars and is one of the centers of the city where there is actually something going on at any time of the day or night. By the way, if you want to move around the city, you don’t necessarily have to take a taxi. Especially the free shuttle buses in Denver are a convenience that you don’t want to miss when exploring the capital of Colorado.

Culture and fun in the heart of Denver

If you want to experience a lot of excitement in addition to sightseeing, you should take a trip to the Denver Botanic Gardens. It is one of the largest collections in North America and is also commonly considered one of the most beautiful botanical gardens you can find in the USA. Plants from all over the world have been prepared here in a unique landscape and offer the opportunity to find out more than just about what grows in Colorado. Speaking of plants, marijuana was legalized in Colorado a few years ago and the corresponding shops can be found in many parts of the city.

Visits to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science or the Denver Arts Museum are a great way to learn more about the USA and the city and are also real architectural eye-catchers. So if you are looking for a little education, there are many other variants to choose from in addition to these two museums. At the end of the day, Denver is also a city of museums and education.

A look at the surrounding areas of Denver

If you are planning a trip out of the big city by car, you should definitely stop by Boulder. In recent years, the city has developed into the little brother of the big metropolis, is a little less hectic, but above all offers a lot of good restaurants and a large scene of artists who make their goods available at markets or in small shops.

Another popular excursion point – in addition to the Rocky Mountains, which can be reached quickly from here – is the Red Rocks Amphitheater. The theatre, which was carved into the red rocks, has already been the venue for many famous concerts and the stars regularly come and go. In addition, even on days without performances, it is a great sight to see when visiting Denver.

Alabama is one of the best known among the so-called southern states of the USA. For a long time, Alabama was associated with racial segregation and slavery because of its history. Because in this state, plantation agriculture predominated economically. Cotton was mainly grown, which is why Alabama is also known as the Cotton State . In the past, dark-skinned slaves from Africa were often used to harvest cotton. Today, Alabama is trying to get rid of the bad image that has arisen more and more, which is also succeeding. Because Alabama has a lot to offer visitors.

There are several larger cities, such as Birmingham or Montgomery, that are worth visiting. There, as well as in the smaller towns of the state, there are numerous bars and clubs where live music is played. Alabama has produced many great musicians such as Aretha Franklin, Nat King Cole and the Rolling Stones. The musical spectrum that is played here ranges from blues to country and gospel to rock and jazz. In addition, there are interesting museums of all kinds to visit in Alabama and exciting outdoor adventures to experience.

A visit to the lively industrial metropolis of Birmingham

Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama with a good 215,000 inhabitants. Many well-known jazz musicians were born here, for example Billy Valentine. If you stop off in Birmingham, you should definitely visit the Birmingham Museum of Art. Founded in 1951, the art museum has a collection of no less than 17,000 exhibits. In addition to paintings and drawings, sculptures, graphics and video installations are also on display. The thematic arc that the collection of the Birmingham Museum of Art covers is enormous. Because the works on display come from a wide variety of cultures and epochs.

On display are African, Native American, European and Asian works of art. Contemporary art is represented in the Birmingham Museum of Art as well as works of art from the Renaissance or Baroque periods. If you prefer to exercise in the fresh air rather than in a closed building, you should visit the city’s zoo and botanical gardens in Birmingham. Both facilities are located right next to each other. There are about 550 animals in the zoo , which can be attributed to 180 different animal species. Among them are some that are already threatened with extinction. The Birmingham Botanical Garden has numerous expertly landscaped themed gardens and the impressive Long Life Lake Bridge, which is considered the main attraction of this botanical garden.

Learn all about space in the Rocket City of Huntsville

Huntsville is only the fourth largest city in Alabama, but you should definitely stop by the city in the far north of the state. Especially if you are enthusiastic about technology and space. Because Huntsville is not called Rocket City for nothing. With the Redstone Arsenal, a rocket development center and test site of the US Army is located here. And NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, where the Apollo space program was developed, can also be found here. Visitors can visit the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. Here you can learn everything about the American space program and visit rockets and rocket parts. In addition, there is the opportunity to feel like a real rocket scientist and astronaut in flight or underwater simulators. If you are more in the mood for dignified art, visit the Huntsville Museum of Art. The collection focuses on American and regional art. Around 2,300 exhibits can be visited, including works by Andy Warhol.

Alabama’s pristine white coast: the city of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach

Alabama’s coastline is not necessarily one of the longest in the USA, but the beaches of the city of Gulf Shores, which has only about 12,000 inhabitants, easily make up for the lack of space with breathtaking beauty. The beaches here have pristine white and extremely fine-grained quartz sand, which shimmers in the sun in a very special way. Nestled between Gulf Shores and Orange Beach is Gulf State Park. The beach section there is three kilometres long and invites you to take relaxing walks on the beach. However, Gulf State Park has a whole host of other exciting things to do.

You can play golf, kayak, sail, surf or dive in the park’s man-made reefs. Deep sea fishing is also possible here under guidance. In addition, a wide variety of themed tours by boat are offered. Here, tourists can, for example, familiarize themselves with the world of dolphins and visit them in their natural habitat. If you prefer to move on land rather than in the water, Gulf State Park has a variety of well-marked hiking and mountain biking trails. These lead through pine forests as well as through swamps. If you are lucky, you will meet a bald eagle on the way.

Among other things, alligators swim in the park’s lakes, which is why you should strictly follow the instructions regarding any bathing bans here. Spending the night in Gulf State Park is also no problem. In addition to lodges that can be rented, there is also a campsite. Visitors interested in history also have the opportunity to learn about the history of the Native Americans and the civil war that once took place here. The Baldwin County Heritage Museum takes an in-depth look at local history surrounding Orange Beach. The Fairhope Museum of History focuses on the history and traditions of the region’s Native Americans.

The bluegrass state of Kentucky in the central-eastern part of the USA enjoys great fame beyond the country’s borders. Even though it is not actually a historical southern state, many people associate the southern states with this state. The “Commonwealth of Kentucky” is particularly famous not only for its barbecues and culinary specialties, but especially for the production of American whiskey. Bourbon originated here and even today many of the most famous whiskey brands from the States are closely associated with the state. But there is more to see than old distilleries and steakhouses.

Pure nature in the green Commonwealth of Kentucky

If you are looking for impressive historical sights or a lot of entertainment, Kentucky is probably the wrong place for you. The state is considered one of the green meadows of the USA especially because of its nature and it is the sights of nature that attract vacationers from the USA but also from the rest of the world to the state. The name Bluegrass State, for example, comes from a special coloring of the meadows in autumn, when the extensive grassland shimmers almost blue. Even the Native Americans discovered these peculiarities for themselves and before their expulsion, countless tribes could be found in the fertile land.

The most important cities include the capital of the state, Frankfort, as well as the cities of Louisville and Lexington. Especially in the vicinity of Louisville there are many historic buildings and it is not for nothing that the city has built up the reputation of being a metropolis for country music and jazz. Beyond that, however, urbanization in Kentucky is rather low. Small villages and towns lead along the busiest roads in the state and holidaymakers will quickly find that they are welcomed with intense hospitality, especially here. One more reason why you don’t necessarily have to spend the night in the cities, but can also work your way through Kentucky on your own.

The most beautiful sights in the vast nature of Kentucky

Mammoth Cave National Park is certainly one of the things you should see when visiting Kentucky. It is one of the areas where human activity can be detected well before the year 0 on the American continent. The underground caves are considered to be the most extensive area of their kind and finds by indigenous people probably date back up to 6,000 years. Between the 19. and In the 20th century, it was businessmen and slaves who explored the caves and painted them on the first maps. Over time, the caves with their underground waterfalls and the River Styx developed into a sight to see and have remained so to this day.

Not quite the Grand Canyons, but still an impressive area of canyons and the work of the Red River, is the Red River Gorge. A paradise for climbers and hikers, who can work their way along the bulges that the river of the same name has left in the landscape over millions of years and is now considered one of the most impressive natural spectacles in the state.

If you are looking for beautiful destinations for the hike, you should pay a visit to the Cumberland Falls. The falls in the southeastern part of Kentucky are now a state park in their own right and are crisscrossed by hiking routes that are well suited for both hikers and cyclists. The highlight, of course, are the many small and large waterfalls that the Cumberland River feeds and that run like a swath through the green landscape.

Experience Kentucky’s historic landmarks and culture

As a link between the southern and northern states, Kentucky is of course also an important part of US history and has some landmarks to offer that are worth a visit. For example, there is the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park, which commemorates the birthplace of the famous president. Not only the replica of the former huts is interesting, but also the memorial square that was built and the museum, which deals with the life of the so important president, whose work is of course also strongly connected with the fate of the northern and southern states.

The famous Fort Knox is also worth a visit, although you shouldn’t hope to catch a glimpse of the gold that is supposedly stored here. It is above all a historical museum for the history of the place. In addition, there are many works of the famous whiskey brands in the area that can be visited. But here, too, the expectation should not be that you are allowed to come to a whiskey tasting. This is forbidden in these works and no alcohol may be poured out to the visitors.

Finally, of course, you should also have seen the beautiful cities of Kentucky, with Livingston standing out in particular. The city is still a center of culture in the United States and has a particularly active nightlife with bars and music. In addition, it is home to many famous museums, which can boast exhibits from the history of the USA and especially the southern states, as well as dealing with exactly how jazz and country music came to Livingston.