A Victorian mansion in Charleston, South Carolina.

Christian Heeb/Redux

No self-respecting history buff would miss Fort Sumter, where the Civil War's first shots were fired.

It's no secret that Charleston is a hotspot for African-inspired, seafood-rich Lowcountry cuisine. Now the city is also a hub of New Southern dining, thanks in part to chef Sean Brock's restaurant Husk. The James Beard Award winner promises that every ingredient hails from the South.

Courtesy Husk Restaurant

A three-year, $5.5-million renovation has left Charleston City Market feeling more like a boutique than the tourist trap it once was. It's still a go-to spot for classics like benne (sesame) wafers and sweetgrass baskets.

Michael Smith/Dreamstime

Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Reform—a Jewish Synagogue in Charleston, South Carolina. The city has over 400 places of worship.

Courtesy ChurchesOfAmerica/Flickr

Four of Savannah's 22 public squares date to the city's founding in 1753. This cast iron fountain in Forsyth Park isn't quite that old—it dates from 1858.

Heeb/Redux

Savannah has been a regional art hub since 1886, when the Telfair Museums opened as the South's first art museum.

Courtesy J. Campbell/Flickr

Even queues around the block won't keep fans from dinner at Paula Deen's The Lady & Sons. For dessert, follow another Deen cue and head to Back in the Day Bakery, where Paula says the old-fashioned cupcakes taste just like her grandmother's.

Courtesy bymylaces/Flickr

For unique souvenirs, head to shopSCAD, which sells Savannah College of Art and Design student-fashioned pieces like ceramic skull tumblers and pyrite earrings.

Courtesy Amy Zurcher/shopSCAD

Buried under a parking garage for 50 years, Ellis Square was restored in 2010 as a sleek plaza with an interactive, kid-friendly fountain.

Courtesy philmarq/Flickr