Located in the northwest of the southern state of Georgia, Atlanta is an exciting state capital with plenty of the traditional southern charm. As host to the 1996 Olympic Games, Atlanta has been beautified somewhat and offers a plethora of diverse and interesting attractions.

The city covers an enormous area with charming suburbs sprawling out from the glitzy, skyscraper-clad downtown area. The centre of town is situated on the aptly-named Five Points intersection and offers fantastic shopping and dining options, while iconic landmarks such as the Martin Luther King monument, Jr National Historic Site and a wealth of museums are nearby. To the north of the city, you will find Midtown, the heart of the night clubbing scene, while to the west is Atlanta’s most historic neighbourhood, West End.

Those looking for history and relaxation will find the many museums, historic sites and numerous parks and delightful gardens. The Sweet Auburn area was the African-American downtown during segregation and features many Caribbean restaurants, while the Atlanta History Center showcases the city’s past with an array of fascinating photographs. Stone Mountain Park and Centennial Olympic Park are the city’s most prominent parklands featuring several distractions.

The best time to visit Atlanta is during the spring or autumn when the weather is more comfortable. There are cooler temperatures and less rain as well as less of the summer tourist hordes. There are festivals and events going on year-round so you are bound to catch at least one major event whatever time of year you visit.

Atlanta has a wide array of accommodation on offer catering to all budgets. There are numerous options in the city centre, as well as along major thoroughfares including: Courtland Street, Lenox Road Northeast, Peachtree Street and Piedmont Road. The Buckhead area, to the north of town, also has some great hotel accommodations as does Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport

Atlanta has one of the world’s busiest airports and daily flights arrive from all over the world. There are numerous direct flights from Europe and Great Britain throughout the day and a there are a number of transfer options available for getting to downtown and back. Atlanta is also a major rail terminus with Amtrak services coming in from all directions, while Greyhound Buses provides a cheaper option for those already in the States

Founded with the original name of Terminus in 1836, Atlanta is the chief commercial centre of the south-eastern United States and is Georgia’s capital city. It was renamed Atlanta in 1847 and has been a strategic player in the US rail system every since.

Atlanta is best known historically for the American Civil War, when in 1864, the entire city suffered complete devastation in the invasion of the Federal Government. The campaign was known as the ‘March to the Sea’ when Union forces swept past the southern states on their march south. Consequently, the great majority of the historic buildings in Atlanta only date from the late 1860s.

Atlanta began to prosper not long after the American Civil War with the abolition of slavery and in the 20th century, it became a major commercial player with the likes of Coca-Cola setting up shop here. The city was also a major centre for the American civil rights movement. Martin Luther King was born here, on Auburn Avenue, which is today preserved as a National Historic Site. His tomb can be found under the reflecting pool at The King Center.

Although Atlanta is not regarded as a particularly popular tourist destination, it does receive an enormous amount of interest from visitors making a short stop off on the way south and for those who have come to pay tribute to Martin Luther King.

Atlanta is located at a higher altitude, giving it cooler temperatures than most other cities in Georgia, although summers do get pretty hot and winters cold. The best time of year to visit Atlanta is in late spring and autumn where temperatures are still warm and precipitation is fairly low. The majority of the annual rainfall occurs in the wintertime.

Summers in Atlanta (June, July and August) are very warm and humid, with daytime temperatures often climbing to 30°C and higher in July. Unfortunately, July also sees frequent thunderstorms. Temperatures in the spring are very respectable and tend to hover around 25°C by day.

Temperatures usually remain above freezing on average during the winter months of December, January and February yet they can easily drop below freezing at night. There are also heavy downpours and snow is not uncommon.