TENNESSEE

The Soundtrack of America

Tennessee is the music capital that shakes you up and makes you want to tap your feet. From Memphis, home of Blues, Soul and Rock ‘n’ Roll, to Nashville and East Tennessee, cradles of Country and Bluegrass, here you will discover the soundtrack of America, Made in Tennessee. In the east, nature is at its best: natural beauty and outdoor adventures await visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the showiest of Tennessee’s 56 state parks. The state’s culinary gusto and hospitality are evident in every bite of low-and-slow-cooked Memphis barbecue, hearty soul food and “meat and three” restaurants across the state, and at iconic distilleries bearing names like Jack Daniel and George Dickel (located centrally) along the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. The Mississippi River runs along the western border of Tennessee, offering the perfect venue for many cruise options from Memphis for a trip back in time.

DID YOU KNOW? Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the United States. This popular park, which covers 2,108 square kilometers and nearly 1,300 kilometers of pristine backcountry, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

MUST-SEES:

NASHVILLE: COUNTRY MUSIC CAPITAL

The capital of Tennessee is located at the center of the state and thrives as a pillar of the global music industry. Long known as the country music capital of the world, “Music City” also cultivates pop, indie, gospel, bluegrass and other forms of musical expression. The city features 150 concert halls and a host of related attractions such as the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the Ryman Auditorium, the star-studded Walk of Fame Park and the Grand Ole Opry. Founded in 1925, the Grand Ole Opry is the oldest live radio show. It presents the best in American Country and Folk music and is recorded live at the Grand Ole Opry House, a 4,400seat concert hall. Located just east of downtown Nashville, the Opry continues to draw crowds and fans from around the world. Naturally, the city has spawned many famous musicians. In contrast to the sprawling Country Music Hall of Fame, intimate museums tell the story of the lives and careers of two legends in particular: the Johnny Cash Museum and the Patsy Cline Museum. The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum honors studio musicians from all genres of music. Displays include instruments used to record some of the biggest hits of the last 65 years. You can also visit RCA Studio B, the city’s oldest studio, where Elvis Presley recorded 250 songs.

To enjoy an evening of nonstop live music in Nashville, head to “Honky Tonk Highway.” Located on Lower Broadway, this row of bars and clubs, or “honky tonks,” hosts live music nightly.

Nashville’s reputation for other performing arts, visual arts and fashion is accelerating. The Frist Art Museum for the Visual Arts is a beautifully transformed Art Deco-era post office that hosts temporary exhibitions. The Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum, as well as the city’s many galleries and artists’ studios – many found within vibrant residential neighborhoods filled with public art and locally owned shops – delight. Nashville’s creativity has also reached the kitchen. Expect everything from humble meat-and-three restaurants to renowned chefs specializing in farm-to-table cuisine.

MEMPHIS, HOME OF BLUES, SOUL AND ROCK ‘N’ ROLL

Memphis is located in southwestern Tennessee on the border of the state of Mississippi. It is a three-hour drive from Nashville.

Memphis is known for its unparalleled musical heritage and barbecue. The music traveled up the Mississippi River from erstwhile plantations to bounce off of Beale Street, where Blues pioneers took their first steps toward making their art form heard around the world. The Blues Foundation’s Blues Hall of Fame and Memphis Music Hall of Fame showcase Memphis’ music heroes and display their memorabilia. The Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum covers the entirety of Memphis’ musical history: from the cotton-pickers and sharecroppers of the 1930s, to the explosion of the city’s famous studios, the golden age of the 1970s and the city’s influence on American and global music. These three museums

Practical Information

POPULATION: 6.895 million

CAPITAL & MAIN CITIES: Nashville (capital), Memphis, Chattanooga

TIME DIFFERENCE: -7h (West & Central) and -6h (East)

CLIMATE: The moderate climate varies from east to west with four distinct seasons: summer is very hot; spring and fall range from mild to warm; winter is cold.

WHEN TO GO? Spring, summer and fall lie on or within walking distance of Beale Street, where you can listen to live music daily in juke joints and larger clubs including B.B. King’s Blues Club.

LOCAL TIP: Download the Nashville Live Music app to find the perfect concert among the city’s 150 venues, searching by location, venue, date and genre.

Of course, Memphis is the birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll and is undeniably linked to its “King,” Elvis Presley, and his Graceland estate. Located 20 minutes from downtown, Graceland was acquired by a 22-year-old Elvis who continued to live there for the rest of his life. The mansion remains as it was at the time of Elvis’ death, decorated in his signature style. Across the street, fans can visit an ultramodern entertainment and exhibition complex – more than 18,000 m2 displaying Elvis’ spangled jumpsuits, motorcycle and car collections, private jets and more. For more Rock ‘n’ Roll (plus Rockabilly and Blues) history, Sun Studio offers the unique experience of standing in the very spot where Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and B.B. King recorded early hits.

Memphis also has direct ties to Soul music. The Stax Museum of American Soul Music, celebrating its 20th anniversary, traces the origins of this musical style, made famous right here from the late 1950s through the ‘70s thanks to legends including Rufus Thomas, Otis Redding, Booker T. and the MGs and others. In the same neighborhood, nicknamed “Soulsville,” Al Green and Ann Peebles were working their magic at Royal Studios, a working studio to this day.

The National Civil Rights Museum pays homage to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the movement that changed America. The site includes the Lorraine Motel where the great leader was assassinated. The museum is one of many U.S. Civil Rights Trail stops in the city, a cornerstone of the American civil rights story. You can even visit Slave Haven, a former stop of the Underground Railroad, here.

Food is also an integral part of Memphis culture, from awardwinning barbecue and homestyle soul food to reinvented Southern classics bursting with flavor and creativity.

Finally, for a quirky local tradition, step into The Peabody Hotel, where ducks march to and from the opulent lobby twice daily. The hotel concierge offers tours of the historic building and the hotel roof promises scenic views of downtown Memphis and the Mississippi River.

Nature And Entertainment In The East

In the eastern part of Tennessee, charming small towns sit side-by-side with entertainment hotspots and a unique natural setting. The stunning Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located on the border with North Carolina. The UNESCO-listed site boasts 16 peaks that rise to more than 1,800 meters above 2,072 square kilometers of mystic forest. At the edge of the park, the mountain towns of Sevierville and Gatlinburg retain Appalachian culture through live music and art galleries, while offering cabinstyle accommodations, shopping and outdoor- or adventurethemed attractions such as whitewater rafting and ziplining. Pigeon Forge is famous for Dollywood, a large amusement park influenced by the country legend Dolly Parton.

Further north, the town of Bristol is known as the birthplace of Country music. It is only fitting that the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, a 2,230-square-meter shrine, is located here, paying tribute to the genre’s icons.

Lynchburg, 120 km southeast of Nashville, is a small but popular village thanks to the presence of the Jack Daniel Distillery. The distillery dates from 1866 and is the only place where the eponymous whiskey is produced and exported to 130 countries. Daily guided tours lasting 1.5 hours are available. Nearby in Tullahoma, you can visit the state’s other major name in whiskey at Cascade Hollow, where George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey is produced.

Continue from Tullahoma 1.5 hours southeast to Chattanooga, where you can take the steepest cable railway on the planet to admire the underground waterfalls (44 meters high!) of Ruby Falls. Then, stroll the downtown riverfront for shopping, restaurants and Native American history at Ross’ Landing.

Getting There

Direct service on British Airways from London Heathrow to Nashville

GATEWAYS:

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)

Dallas/ Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)

Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD)

DOMESTIC FLIGHTS:

Memphis (MEM)

Nashville (BNA)

Chattanooga ( CHA)

Knoxville (TYS)