Discover Nashville: Music, History and Greenways

Nashville combines a rich musical history with expansive green spaces, historic sites and a distinctive food culture. Anyone planning a trip with varied interests can combine concert history, walks, city parks and regional specialities here. When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home, it is therefore worth defining your personal focus first: Should the trip be shaped primarily by music and culture, or should greenways and culinary discoveries be part of it too?

Music History Between Stage and Exhibition

Every week, the Grand Ole Opry presents a live show featuring current country music stars and up-and-coming artists. Its history dates back to a radio show from 1925; from there, it developed into a cultural landmark and a global music phenomenon. The Hall of Fame Rotunda honours all members of the Country Music Hall of Fame, offering another way to explore the development of country music.

The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum also focuses on an active musical experience. In an interactive gallery, visitors can sing, play instruments, DJ and explore the recording process. The Ryman Auditorium was formerly the home of the Grand Ole Opry and is a landmark of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Its acoustics create a special concert experience. This gives you a clear choice when planning your trip: you can focus on the history of the venues or include interactive stops where music itself takes centre stage.

History, Architecture and Urban Landscape

Fort Negley was the largest stone fortification of the Civil War built in the interior of the country. Information panels and paths with limited barriers make it an opportunity to engage with this chapter of history. Two Rivers Mansion is one of the best-preserved early Italianate-style houses in Middle Tennessee and adds an architectural accent to the historical impressions.

Centennial Park is home to the Parthenon, the world's only full-scale replica of the ancient Parthenon in Athens. The park also includes a one-mile walking path. Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park is a 19-acre urban park in central Nashville. There, you can explore a large granite map of the state, fountains depicting important rivers, memorials and paths with information about Tennessee's history engraved into them. These places are especially suitable for travel groups that want to experience culture not only through exhibitions, but also through architecture, memorial sites and public spaces.

Greenways and Trails for Active Days

Metro Nashville Parks currently manages 15,134 acres of open space, including 178 parks and 99 miles of greenway. The greenways run mainly along eight major waterways: Cumberland River, Stones River, Mill Creek, Seven Mile Creek, Browns Creek, Whites Creek, Richland Creek and Harpeth River. This means a stay in Nashville can also include time outdoors without giving up the city's cultural focus.

As of April 2019, the trail network in the Nashville area comprised more than 300 miles of trails for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking and paddling. When planning your days, consider which activity should take priority. A shorter walk in Centennial Park fits well with a cultural itinerary; a stay involving longer trails or other outdoor activities requires a different allocation of time. The information about the trail network refers to the status as of April 2019.

A Distinctive Nashville Flavour

The local identity also includes Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, which is considered the birthplace of Nashville hot chicken. This speciality adds a culinary accent alongside music, history and parks. If your travel group has different preferences, you can plan your stay accordingly: a museum or historic attraction, a walk and then a regional meal create varied, clearly distinct elements of a trip.

When searching for a holiday apartment in Nashville, the key consideration is therefore less a blanket recommendation for a particular location than which experiences should define your stay. Music enthusiasts can make the venues and museums the focus, while culture and active holidaymakers can place greater emphasis on historic sites, parks and greenways. Other places you can consider when planning your trip include Harbour Town and Joelton. Other places you can consider when planning your trip include Goodlettsville, Whites Creek, Antioch and Belle Meade.

For the overarching travel overview: Davidson.