Nashville is the capital and one of the largest cities in the US state of Tennessee. Its history started as a French trading post established in 1717 with the name French Lick. In 1775, Richard Henderson acquired large parts of the area, and four years later he sent an expedition to the Cumberland Valley.

More settlers arrived and formed Fort Nashborough, a name that was changed to Nashville in 1784. Trade and production led to expansion in the city throughout the 19th century, where it became a railway hub. Nashville continued to grow in the 20th century, when the city also became known as the center of country music in the United States.

Today, Nashville is an interesting city where you can enjoy a lovely atmosphere, architecture, music, museums and much more. A good place to start the exploration is at Legislative Plaza, where the Tennessee State Capitol is located. The State Capitol is Tennessee’s government building, where both the state Senate and the House of Representatives sit. The Capitol was built 1845-1859 to the design of architect William Strickland.

You can see the War Memorial Auditorium at Legislative Plaza as well. The War Memorial Auditorium was built in Greek Neoclassicism in 1925 as a memorial building for those who fell during the First World War. The auditorium was known for hosting The Grand Ole Opry 1939-1943. Opposite you can see the modern theater, Tennessee Performing Arts Center. From here you can continue the stroll through downtown to the Cumberland River.

If you make a detour north of the Tennessee State Capitol, there is also something to see. Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park is a large park with various facilities and monuments. You can i.e. tak a look at a large Tennessee state map in a pavement in the park, and a World War II Memorial stands here. Along the park is the Tennessee State Museum, where the history and development of the state is depicted through various exhibitions.

Nashville’s history with country music can be experienced in several places, and one of them is the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum. The museum was established in 1967 and is a music history museum with a huge collection within country music and thereby American folk music. You should also go to the Ryman Auditorium, which is one of the most important concert halls in history. The auditorium was, among other things, the home of The Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974.

The current Grand Ole Opry is also located in Nashville, northeast of downtown. It is a modern theatre, which was built in 1972-1974. Back in downtown Nashville, you can visit the Johnny Cash Museum, which opened in 2013 as a tribute to The Man in Black. At the museum you can experience Johnny Cash’s history, which is also a piece of American history, and there is a large collection of memorabilia here.

The Hermitage is one of the most famous of Nashville’s attractions. It is a residence in the eastern part of the city that was the residence of Andrew Jackson, who was the seventh president of the United States. Jackson owned The Hermitage from 1804 until his death in 1845. The current house was completed in 1835 with added porticoes that gave the house a classicist ambiance. Today, The Hermitage is open as a museum.

West of downtown Nashville is the green space of Centennial Park, which was the site of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, celebrating the centennial of Tennessee’s admission to the United States in 1796. The centerpiece of the park is The Parthenon, a 1:1 reconstruction of the Parthenon in the Greek capital Athens. The building is designed as an art museum, and you can also see a reproduction of the large Athena Parthenos statue.