Louisville: bourbon and the Kentucky Derby

Birthplace of America's most famous baseball bat and home to the country's most celebrated horse race, Louisville is also the gateway to Kentucky's Bourbon Trail.

The center is visited on foot; the distilleries require a car or organized tour.

Recognizable by its 37-meter baseball bat leaning against the facade, the Louisville Slugger Museum showcases the live production of the bats most used in American baseball history.

Just steps away, Churchill Downs, a racetrack since 1875, hosts every year the Kentucky Derby, the most famous horse race in the United States, beneath its iconic twin spires.

In the afternoon, visiting a local bourbon distillery allows you to follow the entire production process through to a final tasting.

Toward evening, Waterfront Park, developed on a former industrial area along the Ohio River, closes the day with a stroll along the water.

The bats produced in Louisville since 1884 have been used by some of baseball's greatest players, each custom-made according to the exact specifications requested by the batter.

Louisville and the surrounding area are home to more bourbon distilleries than any other Kentucky city, making it the natural starting point for anyone wanting to travel the Bourbon Trail.