Louisville, Kentucky

Located on the banks of the Ohio River, the city of Louisville is perhaps best known as the home of "the most exciting two minutes in sport" – the Kentucky Derby. But if you're looking for something more reasonably paced, the largest city in Kentucky has plenty to offer.

Louisville was founded in 1778, and was the headquarters for Union forces during the Civil War. Throughout most of the 19th century, the city functioned as a river port along the busy Ohio River. Today, Louisville continues to be a bustling economic center – it is home to a number of large corporations including Ford, RJ Reynolds, and UPS.

History buffs will enjoy strolling through Old Louisville, a restored historic district in the city's center. For history of a different kind, there's the Muhammad Ali Center, which celebrates the life and times of the former heavyweight champion.

Louisville will satisfy any and all cultural tastes – it has its own ballet, opera, and symphony orchestra, and every summer stages one of the continent's premier Shakespeare festivals. And both the Walden Theatre and the Kentucky Center for the Arts offer residents a full season of drama.

For outdoor enthusiasts, there are the 250-acre (101-hectare) Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest; the nearby Falls of the Ohio State Park; and Jefferson Memorial Park, the nation's largest municipal urban forest and the perfect place for hiking, fishing, or camping.

But no matter what your interests, when you're in Louisville you can't miss the famous Kentucky Derby. Horseracing has long been a tradition in Kentucky, and the one-and-one-quarter mile (two kilometer) racetrack at Churchill Downs draws thousands to the city every year.

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