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Overview
Alabama lies in the Deep South, as its nickname, the 'Heart of
Dixie', proclaims. It is rich in all that the South is known
for-natural beauty, down-home food and hospitality, but it carries
the proud legacy of the civil rights struggle as well. The state
was the site of the landmark Montgomery bus boycott and the
'Freedom March' led by Dr Martin Luther King.
Alabama's varying landscape and personality make it a
destination of both non-stop activity and laid-back escape. At its
southern tip, the sugar-white sand and crystal clear waters of the
Gulf Coast beckon. Alabama's beaches, unlike those of neighbouring
Florida, are free of amusement parks and large-scale
commercialisation. Instead, there are the stately antebellum
mansions and gardens of Mobile as well as the rolling farmlands and
quiet towns of the southeast.
Further north, the pace of life picks up in sleek Birmingham,
with its great jazz, and the Talladega Superspeedway, which can
seem like a small city itself during NASCAR racing events.
Alabama's northernmost region is situated at the foothills of the
Appalachian Mountains, overflowing with stunning views, lakes,
waterfalls and caverns. In autumn, when trees blaze red and gold,
it is a paradise for campers, hikers and mountain bikers.
The state has a strong, sometimes fanatical, sports culture as
well. It is home to the country's most heated rivalry in American
college football, between the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide
and the Auburn University Tigers. During the Iron Bowl, when the
two come together in a season-ending clash, the entire state enters
into a frenzy of competitive spirit.
