AMERICAN travelers can get a taste of the most romantic city in the world without ever leaving the States. The French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana , boasts Paris' influence in its music, food, and architecture - and visitors don't have to pay the European airfare price for the City of Love experience. Known as the Crown Jewel of New Orleans , the historic French Quarter is the oldest neighborhood in the city.
Nola was developed in 1718 around the district's central square, which is called Vieux Carré, or Old Square in English. The area, especially famous for its Mardi Gras celebrations, resembles France because the city was founded by French colonists so they could control commerce on the Mississippi River. While it may not be as chic as walking along the Seine or seeing the Eiffel Tower, travelers can still have a bohemian adventure by wandering around Bourbon Street.
READ MORE ON NEW ORLEANS Visitors can start off their trip with coffee and pastries from the historic Café Du Monde, which is famous for its French-style beignets. For dinner, you can try Antoine's Restaurant's iconic French-Creole cuisine, which is considered the city's oldest restaurant since it opened in 1840. You'll likely hear music with French influences from street performers or coming out of venues while walking the roads of New Orleans, which is considered the birthplace of jazz.
Jazz music's origins started in the 18th century when slaves in the New Orleans area would gather in the city's Congo Square to socialize and dance. Most read in Travel In the early 1800s, thousands of refugees from the West Indies came to Nola. Many of them were originally from French-speaking Haiti.
Southern Louisiana's genres began to transform with unique rhythms and clear French influence as Creole and Cajun musicians added fiddle, accordion, and triangle to their music. New Orleans visitors can get their share of live music in the French Quarter, visit the New Orleans Jazz Museum, or even take a free walking tour down Frenchman Street to learn about the city's jazz roots in Creole culture. However, you don't have to go down to Frenchman to see performances as Fritzel's European Jazz Bar on Bourbon Street, founded in 1969, plays live jazz and blues every night of the week.
Bourbon Street has more tastes of Paris with its restaurants and bars - including one of the oldest bars in America. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop on Bourbon Street was built between 1722 and 1732 by French brothers Jean and Pierre Lafitte. Some historic spots to visit in New Orleans' French Quarter include Jackson Square St.
Louis Cathedral Pirate's Alley French Market Bourbon Street Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Toulouse Theatre Cafe Du Monde House of Blues Town legends say that the pair used the cottage as a base for their smuggling operations. The ancient bar isn't the only impressive structure in the French Quarter as the district, which has been designated as a National Historic Landmark, has French influences in many of its buildings. A walk down the city's historic alleys will show buildings with steep roofs, cast iron balconies, and tall windows.
Visitors can also stop by the open-air art gallery in Jackson Square, which is right across from Saint Louis Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in North America. The city also mimics Paris in its world-famous open-air shopping market that opened in 1791. Read More on The US Sun The French Market spans six historic blocks in the French Quarter open daily at 10 am, even on holidays.
The market includes a flea market with daily vendors open until 5 pm and a farmers market with food and Paris-style café seating until the market closes at 6 pm..
