Destination Overview
Back in 1837 Atlanta was little more than a hamlet existing to
serve as a railway terminus; then came the Civil War that saw the
town burned to the ground. Undaunted, 135 years later Atlanta
bustles with more than three million people, and has been chosen by
numerous leading international companies as the home of their
corporate or regional headquarters. The lively, thriving city
styles itself as the capital of the 'New South', and its dramatic
skyline is littered with gleaming skyscrapers.Atlanta attracts visitors both for holidays and business, with
its plethora of entertainment, shopping and cultural attractions as
well as innumerable top class convention and accommodation venues.
The downtown Peachtree Centre pedestrianised precinct covers 14
blocks of retail space, including three massive hotels, dozens of
restaurants and imposing office towers. There are also plenty of
museums, galleries and centres for performing arts, as well as the
world's largest aquarium.Atlanta has not lost its pioneering southern spirit or charm
despite its modern guise, and the city's symbol of the phoenix
serves as enduring reminder of its troubled past and bright future.
The energy that was embodied in its famous sons, Martin Luther
King, Jr and Ted Turner (founder of CNN) still crackles in the air
and the genteel olde-world atmosphere still lingers in the
residential neighbourhoods. Above all, Atlanta radiates a warm
welcome in the true tradition of Southern hospitality.
