French Quarter (New Orleans, USA)
Soak Up the Sights and Sounds of the Vibrant French Quarter
It’s not a proper visit to New Orleans without stopping by the bustling French Quarter. The cultural centre of the city is a 78-block tourist’s delight packed with colourful buildings, lively bars and restaurants, and some of the best things to do in New Orleans. Whether it’s listening to live jazz music float down from the ever-present cast iron balconies, watching street performers in Jackson Square, or drooling over classic Cajun fare, the French Quarter is a place where all of your senses come alive.
Bring Your Walking Shoes for an Unforgettable New Orleans Experience
A great way to start any French Quarter adventure is to immerse yourself in a bit of New Orleans history. The Presbytère is not only beautiful to look at with its distinct Spanish colonial architecture, but it is a treasure trove of information. The Mardi Gras Museum, Hurricane Katrina exhibit and part of the Louisiana State Museum can be found here, and it’s the perfect place to learn about the area. The Williams Research Center is another destination to discover the past, with an impressive collection of books, documents and photographs dedicated to the preservation of New Orleans and Louisiana culture.
From here, you might want to explore history in a different way, by touring either the Gallier House or the 1850 House, two historically significant residences that immerse visitors in two of the most prosperous periods of New Orleans. Overlooking the French Quarter is St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest continually running Catholic cathedral in the U.S. Adjacent Jackson Square is a good place to rest weary feet and people watch, perhaps while enjoying a café au lait and beignet, a traditional New Orleans snack. While the list of things to do in the French Quarter is endless, other notable stops in the Big Easy include the New Orleans Jazz Museum, Voodoo Museum, and Le Petit Theatre for nightly entertainment.
Hotels in New Orleans’ French Quarter: A Bed (and bite) for Everyone
A vast selection of hotels are situated right in the French Quarter. Whether you are looking for a smaller hotel with centuries of stories to tell, or larger accommodation with a rooftop swimming pool overlooking the Mississippi River, there are French Quarter hotels for every preference. Many visitors base their choice of hotel around a specific event in New Orleans. For example, tourists might look for hotels on Bourbon Street during Mardis Gras to be right in the middle of the action, or a hotel near the main sights and sounds of the popular French Quarter Festival.
Since a big part of any New Orleans experience is the mouth-watering Louisiana cuisine, visitors to the city might want to look for a hotel that has a restaurant as good as its rooms. When it comes to where to stay, you can’t beat a great lobby bar for a traditional New Orleans cocktail, or a low-key café serving a classic po’ boy, bread pudding or heaping serving of gumbo. For something truly unique, the Hotel Monteleone has nightly entertainment at the revolving Carousel Bar and Lounge, and restaurants like the Rib Room at Omni Royal New Orleans and Bistreaux at Maison Dupuy put a refined touch on classic New Orleans cuisine.
Contact
French Quarter, 70116, Telephone: +1(504)9438820 | Fax: +1(504)9856437940 | Official site