Chattanooga, Tennessee, is one of those rough gems of a city that punches you right in the face when you least expect it. There’s a tendency to go into it with very few preconceived notions, but then you find yourself wowing over a lot of what River City has to offer.

Firstly, it’s Tennessee’s fourth-largest city after Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville, situated on the serpentine Tennessee River, the jugular of this area’s lifeblood and home to the Tennessee Valley Authority. It’s urban sprawl extends over much of Hamilton County, but also spills into nearby Georgia and Alabama.

It was a critically-strategic city during the Civil War, due to being a major railroad hub, and postbellum, these same railroads allowed the Nooga to flourish and grow into one of the Southeastern United States’ greatest heavy industrial centers. Much heavy industry remains today — giving it a genuine, gritty feel — including the automotive sector, as well as manufacturing, food and beverage production, healthcare, insurance, and corporate headquarters. Tourism also plays a key role in the Scenic City’s landscape, with the Appalachians and Lookout Mountain forming a gorgeous backdrop for the location.

One of my favorite spots to walk when I’m visiting is the 2,376-foot Walnut Street Bridge, one of the world’s longest pedestrian bridges, which arches nearly 100 feet above the mighty Tennessee River. It was built in 1890 to connect downtown Nooga with North Chattanooga, and saw motorized vehicle traffic for the last time in 1978. On any warm, sublime night in summer, you’re sure to encounter plenty of other folks walking this nearly half-mile bridge, and wandering into the shops on either side of the river.