A walk through downtown Louisville along the Ohio River and dining at two of the city’s most historic buildings were some of the best experiences of our trip.

LOUISVILLE RIVERWALK
The Louisville Riverwalk is part of the Louisville Loop and it frames the northern boundary of downtown, dividing it from the Ohio River.

The Loop connects the Chickasaw Park Trailhead in the west to Portland Wharf in the Portland neighbourhood, to downtown Louisville, and eastward to the Big Four Bridge Trailhead. You can also use the bridges to cross the river into the Indiana cities of Jefferson, Clarksdale, and New Albany, which make up the northern half of the Loop.

Following the Riverwalk will take you past historical markers, monuments, parks, playgrounds, gardens, water features, and the historic Louisville Wharf.

LOUISVILLE HISTORIC WHARF
The historic wharf is part of the Riverwalk/Loop. While the walkway is evenly paved, it is still framed by much of the original cobblestone walls and slopes separating the highway from the Riverwalk, and the river itself.

It is easy to imagine more primitive days of the 1700s when everyone and everything arriving and departing from Louisville did it right here.

This spot also served as a default town square.

In 1865 alone, the wharf was the site of the hanging of a Confederate guerrilla fighter who went by Sue Mundy, and where thousands of formerly enslaved people rushed to board ferries that led them out of the South to freedom in Indiana and further north.

Among the many famous visitors were Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, Washington Irving, Charles Dickens, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Abraham Lincoln, and some other US Presidents.

Visitors can book a cruise on the Belle of Louisville, the most well-traveled steamboat in the nation, and the oldest operating “Mississippi River-style” steamboat in the world.

While on board, be sure to request an Adventure Passport that directs you to the the Boiler Room, Engine Room, and other fun activities.

The Passport will also tell you about the steamboat’s Calliope, different decks to hang out on, and all the landmarks you will see on your sightseeing cruise.

Belle got her start in 1914 under the name Idlewild, and was later renamed Avalon in 1948 as her dying captain’s last wish.

She was purchased, renovated, and released back onto the river as the Belle of Louisville in 1962, quickly earning accolades as a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of Interior and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

LOUISVILLE WATERFRONT PARK

The Louisville Waterfront Park is located along the historic wharf and Riverwalk/Loop. That name refers to the actual park and to the non-profit that runs it. Formerly a scrapyard, the 85 acres of the Waterfront Park surround downtown with lush greenery and open space to play or decompress.

Forecast Festival, Thunder Over Louisville, and other festivals regularly take place here, and the Big Four Bridge is a popular feature as well. Big Four began as a railroad bridge in the 1860s but is now a pedestrian bridge that connects Louisville to Jefferson, Indiana across the Ohio River.

THE GALT HOUSE HOTEL
Towering over the Belle of Louisville, the historic wharf, the Riverwalk, the Loop, the Ohio River, and the city of Louisville proper, is the stunning Galt House Hotel. 

Swizzle is located on the 25th floor and has a killer view of the city and sunset. The interior slowly rotates so your view changes subtly throughout the visit. 

I must notify you that there is an absolute DEMON working there who will seduce you into eating and drinking all manners of things you have no business meddling in after you are already full as a tick. Let his devilish grin and sparkling eyes do their thing though, I am not telling you to avoid it. Give in.