Pretty town with a dark past

Ranjit Powar

The city of Savannah, Georgia was established in 1733 and was the first planned city of Georgia. Referred to as the “Hostess City” of the South, Savannah has a long bitter-sweet history. From cobblestone streets and public parks to unique Georgian architecture, Savannah retains much of its historic charm. The Pre-Civil War Savannah was praised as the most picturesque and serene city in America. On an average, five million people come to visit Savannah every year, drawn by its elegant architecture, ornate ironwork, fountains and green squares. 

History buffs find enough to dig into with the Civil War attractions, heritage museums and old homes. The hop-on-hop-off bus tours take you through 15 different historic stops in the historic district, with the driver filling you in with facts and humour! The houses and civic buildings are planned around 22 green squares, dotted with fountains, flowering bushes and benches under the intriguing grand oaks festooned with Spanish moss. 

The historic district of Savannah is the heart of the city with cobblestone streets, shady gardens, old churches and mansions, outdoor cafes and gourmet restaurants. Some of the grand mansions belonging to the erstwhile plantation owners are still preserved and stand testimony to the splendour and extravagance of their lifestyles. A walk through one of these houses is enough to give one the eerie feeling that the owners will appear from behind the door any time! Goose Feathers’ Café, Clary’s Cafe and the Olde Pink House are some of the must visits for southern food like maize waffles, grits and collards, and Leopold’s Ice cream is something to die for.

Savannah’s famous riverfront is a cobbled concourse with a row of cafes and restaurants built into the old river warehouses where tourists sit with their ice creams to watch the river cruisers and huge cargo ships glide by. A monument to Savannahs African-American slave population stands on the river front in the form of a black granite sculpture of a family with broken chains around their feet. It transports the onlooker to the dark era when African slaves were unloaded on this very riverfront to be auctioned and bought to work on cotton, indigo and tobacco plantations. There are some guided tours of Savannah’s principal Black heritage sites and attractions often focusing on the city’s legacy of slavery and the experiences of its large African-American population through the period of slavery and their transition to freedom. If you are ready to take a drive out, Tybee Island is a beachfront attraction with a light station and Marine museum among other things. By the time one boards the return flight; Savannah would surely have left a memorable stamp on the mind.

Fact File

How to reach: Savannah is well connected with major airports in the USA, as well as Amtrak train services, and bus. 

What to see: Historic area, Pin Point Heritage museum, Tybee island, riverfront, Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, Forsyth Park

Where to stay: It is best to pick up one of the many hotels in the historic city which enables one to walk to most of the attractions in this area.