Savannah

The city's great park, 12 hectares of paths lined with moss-draped live oaks, crowned by its white fountain of 1858, with a Saturday farmers' market and spring concerts.

💡 Enter from the north, on the Gaston Street side, to arrive straight at the fountain, and come early in the morning for a photo without crowds, or in the late afternoon when the light slips under the oaks. Price: free.

Twenty-two of the 24 squares laid out by James Oglethorpe in 1733 survive, from Johnson Square, the oldest, to Monterey Square and the Mercer-Williams House, each with statues, benches and oaks.

💡 Walk down Bull Street from north to south, from the gold-domed City Hall to Forsyth Park: it crosses five squares in 1.6 km. Make a detour via Lafayette Square, one street to the east, in front of the cathedral. Price: free; the cathedral can be visited freely outside services.

The ballast-stone quay on the Savannah River, lined with 19th-century cotton warehouses turned into bars, restaurants and praline shops, with the iron walkways of Factors Walk above.

💡 The free Savannah Belles ferry crosses the river to Hutchinson Island for the view of the quays. To the west, the Plant Riverside District has turned a former power station into a complex of bars and restaurants. The stone stairs are slippery and very steep, so use the handrails. Price: free.

A 40-hectare cemetery on a former plantation by the Wilmington River, where Victorian tombs fade beneath avenues of oaks and moss, made famous by John Berendt's book in 1994.

💡 The gates open from 8am to 5pm, and the keepers usher visitors out on time: arrive before 3.30pm. The visitor centre hands out a map of notable graves at weekends, and the historical society offers a free tour on the second weekend of the month. Price: free.

Savannah's beach island, 29 km away across the salt marshes, with five kilometres of Atlantic sand, a pier, houses on stilts and a lighthouse climbed via 178 steps.

💡 Parking is paid almost everywhere on the island, by meter or app, and spaces fill up quickly on summer weekends. The lighthouse is closed on Tuesdays and sells its tickets only on site. Price: beach free, lighthouse $14 for an adult, about €12.