Louisiana's Oldest City Is Wildly Underrated With Just As Much European Charm And Culture As New Orleans

Tucked into the rolling hills among the loblolly and sugar pines of northwest Louisiana is the state's oldest city, a good 250 miles and more than four hours by car from New Orleans. Natchitoches was "founded" by French-Canadian fur trader Louis Antoine Juchereau de St. Denis when he built a trading fort on the banks of the Red River in 1714 near the indigenous village used seasonally by the Natchitoches natives. The Natchitoches were a subset of the Caddo Nation who moved from their winter fishing grounds on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain every spring and returned north to the piney woods, where they farmed and traded with other native tribes. By contrast, New Orleans, often believed to be the state's first settlement, wasn't put on the map until 1718.

Today, Natchitoches (pronounced na·kuh·tuhsh) is a charming and, in some respects, Old World college town built around the edges of the Cane River. Its historic downtown district's architecture is a testament to its French and, later, Spanish occupiers in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the two European colonial powers were fighting over territory and the Louisiana fur trade. In 1803, Natchitoches became part of the United States when then-President Thomas Jefferson bought the expansive Louisiana Territory from French Emperor Napoleon to finance his military campaigns in Europe. Today, like Bastrop, another underrated Louisiana community that's a hub of architecture, culture, and family-friendly outdoor fun, Natchitoches is a Southern destination city that charms both first-time visitors and returning tourists alike.

Yes, its Old World roots are the foundation of Natchitoches' appeal, but the city and the Cane River country, in general, were equally influenced by Louisiana's Creole culture. The Cane River Creole National Historical Park, about 10 miles southeast of town, is totally worth a visit and is a testament to the area's Creole past. By broad definition, the term Creole means New World people derived from Old World stock, and Louisiana was a hub of Creole culture in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was a "melting pot" of people whose roots could be traced to Europe and Africa and then spiced with some Caribbean genetics, too.

The historical park is home to a pair of genuine Creole Plantations — the Oakland Plantation and the Magnolia Plantation — that used slave labor to grow cotton. Oakland's farming operations date back to 1785, with Magnoli's dating back to 1835. Both were large farming operations from the 1800s until the Civil War. In 1864, Magnolia was burned to the ground by Union troops retreating from the failed Red River Campaign. Both plantations can be toured by visitors to the historical park. In Natchitoches itself, the Buard-Wells House is still standing. It was built in 1776, the same year the 13 colonies to the east were declaring independence from Britain. There are other Louisiana cities rich in history, like Opelousas, another of the state's oldest cities with Victorian-era charm, but nothing quite matches Natchitoches when it comes to its past.

While history is a great reason to visit Natchitoches, visitors can find other worthwhile excuses, too. The city is home to Northwestern State University of Louisiana, a small university that occupies a gorgeous Southern campus and has since 1884. On football Saturdays in the fall, the city comes alive with the school's purple-and-white colors, and everyone turns out to root for the Demons. Downtown is particularly lively on Saturdays, and a visit to Natchitoches is not complete without a stop at Lasyone's, the home of Natchitoches' signature food: the Natchitoches meat pie. Think of one of these unbelievably delicious creations as being similar to an empanada but stuffed instead with savory and spicy pork and beef or, for the Creole and Cajun food aficionado, crawfish. Other towns like Abita Springs have some of Louisiana's most mouth-watering restaurants, but Natchitoches definitely holds its own.

Visitors to Natchitoches might get the "this looks familiar" feel about the community, and that might be because it was the backdrop for the 1989 comedy/drama "Steel Magnolias." Fans of the classic movie can take a self-driving tour of the film's location and see where Julia Robert's character, Shelby, got married, or where Ouiser (Shirley McClain) lived and had her famous bout with Drum (Tom Skerritt). But Natchitoches is probably best known for its annual Christmas Festival of Lights. There may be no more "Christmasy" town in the South than when Natchitoches glows with some 300,000 twinkling lights that reflect on the calm waters of the Cane River from late November through December. Whether it's history, culture, food, or just great small-town festivals and vibes, Natchitoches is a truly special Southern destination.