Nashville walking tour & city guide

Lower Broadway

Lower Broadway is the heart of downtown Nashville, a strip of neon-lit honky-tonks where live bands play from late morning until the early hours. Legendary venues such as Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, where young country stars once played before heading to the Grand Ole Opry across the alley, sit beside large bars owned by modern country stars.

Even if you are not a country fan, walking Broadway at night, with music pouring from every open door, is an unforgettable experience. The street leads down to the Cumberland River and the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, which offers fine views of the skyline.

Music history

The Ryman Auditorium, built in 1892, is known as the 'Mother Church of Country Music' and was the home of the Grand Ole Opry radio show for three decades. Today the Opry broadcasts from the Grand Ole Opry House east of downtown, and it remains the longest-running radio broadcast in US history.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum tells the story of the genre, and nearby Music Row is where many of the songs were written and recorded. For songwriters performing their own hits in an intimate setting, the Bluebird Cafe is famous.

Beyond downtown

Neighborhoods like The Gulch, 12 South and East Nashville are full of restaurants, boutiques and murals. Centennial Park has a full-scale replica of the Parthenon of Athens, built for an 1897 exposition. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons, while summers are hot and humid.