Gracious columned mansions, pretty girls, and handsome soldiers is the image the southern state of Georgia conjures up for most, thanks to the enduring fame of the classic movie , based on Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer prize-winning novel. As sure as having hot buttered grits for breakfast is the fact that Georgia did not really need a movie to put it on the map. The state took a heavy toll during the American Civil War, particularly the capital, Atlanta, which was largely laid waste. Georgian determination, however, has ensured that a phoenix arose from those ashes, and today Georgia's lively towns and the thriving cosmopolitan city of Atlanta are a force to be reckoned with.

The coastal region, from lovely historic Savannah southwards, is a treasure-trove for nature lovers, still largely unspoilt and undiscovered by mainstream tourism. It offers beaches, offshore barrier islands filled with indigenous flora and fauna, wetlands, walking and biking trails, and quaint shrimping villages to explore.

Whichever region of Georgia one chooses to visit, from the Atlanta metropole, northern mountains, plantations of the Deep South or the coast, there is one common denominator: everywhere visitors are received and hosted with traditional southern hospitality. This is the cherry on the top for the state that claims in one promotional slogan: 'You can do anything in Georgia'.

Atlanta History Center

Address: 130 West Paces Ferry Road

Admission: $16.50 (adults), $11 (children 4-12 years) excluding tax. Other concessions are available, and discounted tickets are available through the website. Museum: Monday to Saturday 10am-5:30pm; Sunday 12pm-5:30pm. Tullie Smith House and Swan House Tours: Monday to Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 1pm-4pm.

Telephone: (404) 814 4000

Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site

Address: 450 Auburn Avenue

Admission: Free Daily 9am-5pm (until 6pm from mid-June to mid-August).

Telephone: (404) 331 5190 or 331 6922 for recorded information

World Of Coca-Cola

Address: 121 Baker Street, Pemberton Place

Admission: $16 (adults), $12 (children 9-12); other concessions available. Daily 9am-5pm, but hours vary on weekends and in summer.

Telephone: (404) 676 5151

Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield

Admission: Free, but on weekends there is a fare of $2 (adults) and $1 (children) to ride the shuttle bus to the top of the mountain. Daily 7:30am-5pm (opens 8:30am in winter).

Telephone: (770) 427 4686

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Address: 1345 Piedmont Ave

Admission: $18.95 (adults), $12.95 (children 3-17 years), concessions available. Tuesday to Sunday 9am-7pm (April to October), 9am-5pm (November to March).

Telephone: (404) 876 5859

Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Address: 767 Clifton Road

Admission: Museum: $17.50 (adults); $15.50 (children 3-12). IMAX: $13 (adults), $11 (children 3-12); discounted combination tickets are also available. Monday to Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm.

Telephone: (404) 929 6300

Stone Mountain Park

Admission: Various packages available. A one-day, all-attraction pass costs $37. Vehicle entry to the park is $10. Daily from 10am; closing hours vary according to the season and attraction. Summit Skyride opens daily from 10am to 5pm, with extended hours in summer and on holidays

Telephone: For 24-hour Park information call (770) 498 5690 from within the metro Atlanta area; or 1-800-401-2407 from outside metro Atlanta

Jonesboro

Address: 104 N. Main Street

Admission: Road to Tara Museum: $7 (adults); Stately Oaks: $12 (adults), $6 (children). Gone With the Wind Tour: $24.95. Road to Tara Museum: Monday to Friday 8:30am-5:30pm, Saturday 10am-4pm; Stately Oaks: Monday to Saturday 10am-4pm. Gone With the Wind Tour: Monday to Saturday 1pm, or by appointment.

Telephone: (770) 478 4800

Georgia Mountains

Davenport House

Address: 324 East State Street

Admission: Tours: $8 (adults), $5 (children 6-17). Other concessions available. Monday to Saturday 10am-4pm; Sunday 1pm-4pm. Guided tours run every 30 minutes.

Telephone: (912) 236 8097

Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace

Address: 10 East Oglethorpe Avenue

Admission: $8 (adults), $7 (students 6-20). Other concessions available. Tours are Monday to Saturday 10am-4pm; Sunday 11am-4pm. Closed on Wednesdays from November to February, and on major holidays.

Telephone: (912) 233 4501

Savannah History Museum

Address: 303 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard

Admission: $14 (adults), $4 (children) for an all-site pass, valid for three days. Weekdays 8:30am-5pm, 9am-5pm on weekends.

Telephone: (912) 651 6825

Telfair Museum of Art

Address: 124 Abercorn Street, Oglethorpe Square

Admission: $20 (adults), $5 (students), concessions available. Combination tickets for the Jepson Center for the Arts, the Telfair Museum and the Owens-Thomas House are available. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10am-5pm, Thursday 10am-8pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm. Closed on Tuesday.

Telephone: (912) 790 8800

Fort Jackson

Address: 1 Fort Jackson Road

Admission: $6 (adults), free for children under six years of age. Other concessions available. Daily 9am-5pm.

Telephone: (912) 232 3945

Okefenokee Swamp

Telephone: (912) 283 3744 (Waycross Tourism Bureau)

Darien

Tybee Island

Turner Field

Address: 755 Hank Aaron Drive

Admission: Game tickets start at $10, museum admission is $5 ($2 on game days); walk-up tour tickets are $12. Concessions available.

Georgia Aquarium

Address: 225 Baker Street, Pemberton Place

Admission: $34.95 (adults), $28.50 (children 3-12 years). Ticket prices vary according to season, check the website for specific dates. Free audio tours are available. Sunday to Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 9am-6pm. Extended hours apply during holidays.

Telephone: (404) 581 4000

High Museum of Art

Address: 1280 West Peachtree Street

Admission: $18 (adults), $11 (child aged 6-17 years). Other concessions available. Tuesday to Saturday 10am-5pm (open till 8pm on Thursday); Sunday 12pm-5pm. Closed Mondays.

Telephone: (404) 733 4444

The Flatiron Building

Address: 84 Peachtree Street

The Woodruff Arts Center

Address: 1280 West Peachtree Street

Admission: Ticket prices vary for different shows. General admission to the museum is $18 (adults) and $11 (children), with other concessions available. Monday 10am-6pm, Tuesday to Friday 10am-8pm, Saturday 12pm-8pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm.

Telephone: (404) 733 5000

The Fox Theatre

Address: 660 Peachtree Street

Admission: Box office is open Monday to Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 10am-3pm, closed on Sundays.

Telephone: (404) 881 2100

Imagine It! Children's Museum of Atlanta

Address: 275 Centennial Olympic Park Dr. NW

Admission: $12.75, children under two are free. Open Monday to Friday 10am-4p; Saturday and Sundays 10am-5pm. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Telephone: (404) 659 5437

Wren's Nest

Address: 1050 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd

Admission: $8 (adults); $5 (children). Other concessions available. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am-2.30pm. Storytelling on Saturday at 1pm.

Telephone: (404) 753 7735

Zoo Atlanta

Address: 800 Cherokee Ave

Admission: $20.99 (adult); $15.99 (children)/ Open Monday to Friday 9:30am-5:30pm; Saturday and Sunday 9:30am-6:30pm. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Telephone: (404) 624 9453

Six Flags Over Georgia

Address: 275 Riverside Pkwy, Austell

Admission: $54.99 (adults); $39.99 (children). Discounted tickets are available via the website. Weekends only from March to mid-May and September to October; daily Memorial Day to Labour Day. Gates open 10am; closing hours vary

Telephone: (770) 948 9290

Monetary Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank

Address: 1000 Peachtree Street Northeast, Atlanta

Admission: All tours are free of charge. Tours are offered from Monday to Friday, at 9:30am, 11am, and 1pm. Tours must be requested, by filling in a form on the Federal Reserve Bank website. Self-guided tours are possible Monday to Friday 9am-4pm. Self-guided tours are limited to the Visitor's Centre and the Monetary Museum, and do not need to be scheduled in advance.

Telephone: (404) 498 8500

Ebenezer Baptist Church

Address: 407 Auburn Avenue

Admission: Tours are conducted Monday to Friday 9am-4pm, Saturday 9am-2pm, and Sunday 2pm-4pm.

Telephone: (404) 688-7300

Haven

Address: 1441 Dresden Drive, Suite 100

Food Type: American

Ann's Snack Bar

Address: 1615 Memorial Dr

Food Type: American

Mary Mac's

Address: 224 Ponce de Leon Ave

Food Type: American

Bone's

Address: 3130 Piedmont Road

Food Type: American

Sotto Sotto

Address: 313 North Highland Ave

Food Type: Italian

Murphy's

Address: 997 Virginia Ave

Food Type: American

The Dining Room

Address: 3434 Peachtree Road

Food Type: French

Nava

Address: 3060 Peachtree Road

Food Type: Local

Veni Vidi Vici

Address: 41 14th Street

Food Type: Italian

Floataway Café

Address: Suite 15, 1123 Zonolite Road

Food Type: French