Holiday lettings & accommodation in New Orleans

Perhaps the main highlight of New Orleans, however, is not its architecture or history, but its cuisine! Across the city, delicacies of the area are available to enjoy in restaurants, cafes or in the comfort of your self-catering New Orleans holiday letting .

Visitors to the city cannot miss having a hot bowl of local gumbo. The dish is a perfect representation of the city’s multicultural dimensions in culinary form. Gumbo's base seasonings hail from Native American culture, while okra is a vegetable that made its way to the United States with slaves from West Africa. The dish is served over rice and typically includes some form of protein, such as prawns or andouille sausage.

After you’ve enjoyed your gumbo, top off the dining experience with a freshly fried beignet. The donut-like treat was first introduced by French-Creole colonists to the city and is best enjoyed alongside a café au lait (coffee with milk) on Bourbon Street, in the heart of the French Quarter and the home of New Orleans cuisine. Don’t forget to take some beignets to go, and enjoy them later in the comfort of your New Orleans holiday letting !

Many of New Orleans' top sights are located in the famous French Quarter. The area is easily navigated and accessible from any of the New Orleans holiday homes. Also known as the Vieux Carré, the area is the oldest part of the city and a designated national historic landmark.

From your New Orleans holiday home, head to the French Quarter's Bourbon Street, at the heart of the district. Home to many of New Orleans' most famous music venues and restaurants, the architecture of the street is unique within the United States, and not to be missed during your visit to the city.

Jackson Square is a large public park in the centre of the area, which holds both historical and cultural significance. Artists and music buskers line the ornate streets around the square. Explore the area on your own, or go in-depth with a guided walking tour.

Located on one side of the square is the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral, dating from 1718. The church itself is worth visiting, and holidaymakers should also make note of its famous cemetery, which holds the remains of Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau and attracts many pilgrims to the site each year.

New Orleans has a deep and significant musical history. During slavery, the city was the only location in the southern United States where slaves were permitted to own drums. The so-called Voodoo music and ritual were celebrated, and combined with music heard in local bars and churches to create a new sound that eventually became known as jazz. Today, holidaymakers enjoy jazz performed by buskers and professional musicians alike all across New Orleans.

On the New Orleans schedule, there is no more exciting time to be in the city than during Mardi Gras, the annual celebration seeped in French-Creole tradition, colour and flavor. The festival originally came to the United States from Paris, and has its roots in the celebration of spring and new beginnings.

Each year, there are a number of paraddes through the streets of central New Orleans, organized by social clubs called "krewes." From colorful strings of beads thrown from the parade floats and toys for children to the plethora of seasonal eats, New Orleans is awash in the trappings of revelry. The city is filled with colour and music for the two weeks of Mardi Gras, as visitors and locals come together to celebrate the joie de vivre for which New Orleans has become so famous.

Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World

This unique museum and working factory gives visitors a fascinating insight into the preparation and craftsmanship involved in producing the Mardi Gras floats.

New Orleans City Park

This 1300-acre park is as enchanting as it is gargantuan. The sinuous, centuries-old trees hanging over the quaint bridges and manicured lawns give it a distinctive feel.

St. Louis Cathedral

This cathedral is the oldest in North America and dominates the French Quarter. Note that the Cathedral's kind volunteers are on hand for impromptu tours. Group tours can be arranged in advance.

Jackson Square

Situated in the French Quarter, this iconic square is of great significance to the history of New Orleans. Formerly a popular artists' hangout, it has been designated one of America's most important public spaces.

The National WWII Museum

Formerly known as the D-Day Museum, this outstanding attraction charts the role of America in the Second World War, through thought-provoking exhibits.