The city of Knoxville is the largest in East Tennessee and is ideal for a self-drive holiday.

You may know it as "The Marble City" or the "Underwear Capital of the World", but Knoxville offers far more than these names suggest. Knoxville offers pleasant contrasts between small town charm and big city fun, and is surrounded by unsurpassed natural beauty and filled with fantastic places to go.

Knoxville is the perfect place to enjoy history, nightlife, dining, shopping, museums, championship sports and endless outdoor activities. It is packed full of exciting things to do, which you will discover the moment you drive inside the city limits.

1. Knoxville Zoo

The Knoxville Zoo is a celebration of the wonders of the natural world and is an ideal place to spend a day with the family. The zoo tells the stories of the animals, the plants and the people who make up the communities of the earth.

As you wander around the zoo, you will come across premier exhibits such as the Kids Cave, Meerkat Lookout, Grasslands Africa and Chimp Ridge. There are also some fantastic bird shows, education stations, zoo chats and carousel rides, that are sure to keep the kids happy for ages.

2. Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

If you are a sports fan, and particularly love the game of basketball, you simply must pay a visit to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

This museum is dedicated to all levels of women's basketball and is filled with multimedia presentations and numerous basketball artefacts, photographs, scrapbooks, medals, trophies and old uniforms that bring the history of women's basketball to life.

3. Tennessee Riverboat Cruises

For an entirely different perspective on the cityscape of Knoxville, embark on a Tennessee Riverboat Cruise. This authentic paddle wheeler is known as "The Star of Knoxville" and is equipped with two bars, a dance floor, band stage and a beautiful dinner hall that is almost always emanating with live entertainment.

This is the perfect way to soak up the riverfront and learn about the river's importance to the past and present way of life in Knoxville.

4. Marble Springs State Historical Homestead

To further your historical discovery of Knoxville, take a drive out to the Marble Springs State Historical Homestead. This is the original home of Governor John Seiver, and also acted as a loom house, tavern, smoke house and half-cantilever barn. Its position at the foothills of Bays Mountain, just five miles south of Knoxville, means that it enjoys an idyllic setting that really does need to be captured with a camera.

5. Great Smokey Mountains National Park

Since you are so close to it, you may as well take a drive up to the beautiful Great Smokey Mountains National Park. This park is home to ridge upon ridge of forest and is renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life and for the beauty of its ancient mountains. Ideal for hiking, fishing, picnicking and wildlife spotting, it should come as no surprise that this is America's most visited National Park.

Christine Barton