New Orleans is one of the most unusual cities in America because half the city is below sea level. In 1763 New Orleans was part of the Spanish empire and in 1803 became part of the United States.

The first operas in the United States were held in New Orleans in the 1790s, when the Spanish-style houses of the French Quarter and the exquisite Greek Renaissance mansions of the Garden District were built. The restaurants offer meals of different cultures, as well as the distinctive Cajun and Creole cuisine. New Orleans was the birthplace of the...