With a cosmopolitan feel, vibrant nightlife and plenty of daytime activities, the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jnr is well worth a visit

Atlanta is a strange place. It's a relatively new city, dating from 1837 when it was nothing more than a small dot on a railroad map. It proved to be an important transport centre during the Civil War, and was immortalised by Margaret Mitchell in Gone With The Wind. Today, its image is less romantic and more industrialised. Coca-Cola and CNN are based here, and visitors can tour CNN's headquarters.

It does have a cosmopolitan feel and enjoys a vibrant arts and nightlife scene. It is also the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr and no visitor should miss the chance to explore his childhood home at 501 Auburn Avenue, and tour around the significant places that helped shape the man.

There are now downloadable audio tours that will help you find your way, as well as satellite-guided walking tours that pinpoint your position and talk about the relevant sights as you pass them.

Center for Civil and Human Rights

Take time to explore Auburn Avenue. In the 1920s this was a prosperous and progressive area with many small jazz clubs and black-owned businesses. Start your tour at the visitor center where you'll find a detailed and informative exhibition of King's life and campaigns.

Across the road you'll find the King Center which houses such artefacts as King's bible and personal belongings. You can also visit his grave, which is guarded by an eternal flame and stands in a reflecting pool outside.

Stop and have a coffee at the Sweet Auburn Bread Company and tuck into the delicious sweet potato cheesecake (reportedly a favourite of Bill Clinton's). Sonya Jones, the chef who runs the place, is extremely knowledgeable about the area and will tell you lots about its history.

Whales and soft drinks

Atlanta boasts an amazing aquarium. The Georgia Aquarium right in the middle of town is next to the Centennial Olympic Park. Divided into five themed areas, you can happily spend a few hours wandering around the exhibits and talking to the knowledgeable staff.

The beluga whales and whale sharks are an undoubted highlight, but the aquarium is also home to spider crabs, sea otters and octopus, not to mention the various beautiful fish.

Children will probably want to visit the World of Coca-Cola, a museum dedicated to the soft drink. There's plenty of memorabilia here of past packaging and advertising campaigns as well as a reconstructed bottling plant where you can watch bottles fly by at astonishing speed - one bottle every three seconds to be exact.

You can also find out a little more about the history of the drink, and taste versions of Coke's drinks from around the world.

Across the park is the CNN Center, headquarters of the largest news broadcaster in the world. Guided tours take you behind the scenes and show you into the studios from where the news is broadcast. You can also pretend to be a presenter and have your photo taken behind a simulated news desk.

About half an hour's drive out of the city, you'll come across Stone Mountain State Park, home to the world's largest exposed lump of granite! This monstrous rock in about five miles in circumference and you can ride the skylift cable car to the top to enjoy the views.

On one side of the rock, a huge bas-relief sculpture shows the Confederates Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Jefferson Davis. There are many activities available in the park including boat rides on the lake, a mini golf course, a reconstructed 1870s Georgia town and a theme park.

Eating and drinking

As you would expect in a big city, there are plenty of places to eat. Try the Watershed Restaurant in Decatur for some delicious southern specialities in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Part-owned by Emily Saliers of popular American folk group Indigo Girls, this restaurant is housed in a converted gas station, and chef Scott Peacock has deservedly won awards for the food.

Another food highlight is the Sun Dial Restaurant at the top of the Westin hotel. This revolving restaurant is the only redeeming feature of an otherwise soulless and noisy hotel, but is worth a visit for the views alone. The chefs here approach traditional foods with a modern touch and turn the ubiquitous southern grits into a delicious starter with fresh prawns.

If you're looking for live music, head to Eddie's Attic in Decatur. This small bar hosts acoustic sets from various musicians and several artists, including the Indigo Girls and John Mayer, started here. There's a respectful hush while artists perform so don't expect to be able to talk while the show is on.

Need to know
From March 2008, foreign visitors to the US will be required to give all ten fingerprints on arrival, which will then be stored on a biometrics database. Since 2004, the Homeland Security Department has been collecting index fingerprints from foreign visitors aged from 14 to 79 and now has 90 million sets of prints on record. It is hoped collecting additional fingerprints will improve security and make it harder for people to travel on forged passports.

We flew on Delta, which has daily flights from London Gatwick to Atlanta. In keeping with other US carriers, Delta charges for alcoholic drinks on the flight (although they offer a complimentary drink with a meal). The airline's economy seats are basic with standard leg room. The plane was old and showed its films on overhead screens.