Belle Meade Plantation was built in 1853 and is open to the public for tours.

By Jamison Rotch

Is it possible to see Nashville on foot? Absolutely. Many of the city's top attractions and hotels are located downtown within comfortable walking distance of each other. To take your Music City experience to the next level, however, consider investing in a map and burning a little rubber on the road. A few options:

• A mere 15-minute drive east from downtown offers a glimpse of Nashville’s antebellum past at the Belle Meade Plantation, a Greek Revival mansion built in 1853. In the late 19th century, Belle Meade was a 5,400-acre thoroughbred horse farm. These days it's open for tours. For more information, go to bellemeadeplantation.com.

• Twenty-five minutes south of Nashville, down I-65, lies the beautifully restored historic town of Franklin, Tenn. Franklin was a wealthy center of the plantation economy in antebellum times, but a bloody Civil War battle in 1864 devastated the town and turned every home into a makeshift hospital. Today it's a wealthy suburb of Nashville and home to many stately antebellum homes.

• For one of the most awe-inspiring drives this side of the Mississippi, take the long and winding road down the spectacular Natchez Trace Parkway. The two-lane, 444-mile road was built in the 1930s and follows the ancient migratory route of American bison. It runs from Nashville to Natchez, Miss. For more information, go to nps.gov.

Go to Nashville City Guide