NEW ORLEANS – THE EUROPEAN AMONG AMERICA’S CITIES
According to ask4beauty, the city of New Orleans, with a population of around 345,000, is located in the south of the state of Louisiana and is the most European of all US cities.
The United States of America has many cities that deserve the attribute “unique”. New York, for example, or San Francisco. But New Orleans is definitely one of the country’s distinctive metropolises.
The city in the south of the state of Louisiana is located in the Mississippi Delta directly on the Gulf of Mexico and is the most European of all US cities. If you didn’t speak English in New Orleans, well, you might as well be in France. Almost anyway. Incidentally, Hurricane Katrina did not change that in 2005. The severe devastation caused by this natural disaster never affected the historically significant districts in the city center, but “only” ravaged the residential areas a little further out of town. Much has gotten better there too.
Even Napoleon made history here
It was the French aristocrat Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville who founded New Orleans in 1718 and named the small town Nouvelle Orléans in honor of the Duke of Orléans. The place grew rapidly and was named the capital of Louisiana just a few years later. The political situation was less straightforward. In 1762 the colony was sold to Spain under a secret agreement, which was officially confirmed a year later in the Peace of Paris. Even then, it took a few years before a Spanish governor was actually installed. Napoleon ensured that the city went back to France after various fires and even more political maneuvers in 1800, but that didn’t last long either. Just three years later, the little Corsican sold the entire colony on the Mississippi to the United States of America. He is said to have received $ 15 million for it. On December 20, 1803, New Orleans officially belonged to the young confederation on the North American continent. The city already had its architectural stamping by the Europeans with the “French Quarter” and has not lost it to this day.
Exciting mix of cultures on all levels
But the Europeans did not stay to themselves in New Orleans. Today the city is a great mix of diverse cultures and people from different countries and continents. The traveler can feel this in every nook and cranny – and especially when he is hungry. In addition to influences from Africa and the Caribbean, European traditions and American ingredients simmer in the saucepans of New Orleans. The result is a cuisine that is valued all over the world and is known as “Creole” cuisine. They exist at every level; you can enjoy them in a completely uncomplicated way at markets, but you can also get to know them at star level. That is determined solely by the wallet and personal preferences.
The music scene is at least as diverse as the restaurants. Rhythm’n ‘Blues, Jazz, Classical, Country, Rock; there is nothing musically in New Orleans nightlife that is not there. Jazz, which supposedly was invented here, is really typical for the city. If you are lucky enough to be at the largest festival in town, the “Mardi Gras” in New Orleans, you will believe it without batting an eyelid.
What not to miss
The “French Quarter” as the old town of New Orleans is a must for every visitor anyway, you can’t escape this quarter. During the day, people shop and eat here; at night there is music, dancing, and having fun without inhibitions. There are voices who describe the French Quarter by night as “rampant”; but everyone can form their own opinion on this.
The Garden District, another historic neighborhood, has an impeccable reputation. In the 19th century, wealthy English people who wanted to do business in the New World settled here. The well-kept villas still look as if they were in classic Arcadia. Only the tropical plants in the front gardens – for example banana trees, magnificent bougainvillea, oleander and jasmine – are an indication that you are in the hot south of the USA. Here New Orleans presents itself from its dignified side and invites to wonderful walks.
The Audubon Zoological Garden (6500 Magazine St.) is ideal for a relaxing day trip. Majestic wild animals such as Bengal tigers, monitor lizards, white alligators and orangutans live here in a uniquely designed landscape zoo. The faithful replica of a swamp village is one of the additional attractions of this zoo.
What’s the best way to get from A to B in New Orleans? For example with the tram, which has a decisive influence on the overall image of the city. The “Cities of the Dead”, the cemeteries, are also typical of New Orleans. They are actually a tourist attraction as the dead are buried in mausoleums in New Orleans. Earth burials are not allowed in New Orleans for fear of epidemics. The city is very deep and the ground is extremely wet.
