City Guide: Lafayette

     In Lafayette old traditions still live on.

     There’s no other place like it in Louisiana, Lafayette speaks Cajun French, the old local dialect and keeps strong adherence to Zydeco music style heard on the local radio stations, but on the move only in local bars with people dancing night away.

     You should experience the local lifestyle on your stay in the city. Be it a room in cheap hotel in Lafayette to luxury offers all listed at Booked.net. Check them out with maps, photos and secure forms at our website.

     Friendly and vivid today, Lafayette saw many pressures throughout its history. From the very beginning the area was colonized by French and then the British. They introduced to the city Cajun culture, but it was born out due to radical climate and swampy territory. New comers took huge efforts to survive in such unusual conditions. After the Revolutionary War Lafayette was renamed from Vermilionville to honor America's great French ally the Marquis de Lafayette.

    When the Spanish came to the city in the late 1700s, they reshaped it into farmland with slavery-based agriculture. This led to a strong African American presence and influence within the city. By the 20^th century Lafayette entered it with rich cultural splendor, but exhausted with agriculture. Eventually, the city swapped farming for service-based industries like insurance, oil, gas processing and tourism.

     Tourists adore Lafayette for its world-class dining and sophisticated cuisine served in the local restaurants. But what attracts the most to the city is its small town charm with familiar faces at the streets, safe night strolls and friendly locals on the watch for you in the city. People in Lafayette are known for cheerful celebrations, hospitality and filling dining and relaxed lifestyle.

    You should capture it all on the sightseeing tour. Attractions include;

- Acadian Cultural Center, a showplace of local history and culture

- University of Louisiana at Lafayette, a beautiful university with an alligator swamp close to the Student Union

- University Art Museum with an International Film Series hosted there annually

- Vermilionville, a historical park to relax in its green surrounding

- Mall of Acadiana, a shopping mall to purchase located at the corner of Ambassador Caffery Pkwy and Johnston St

     While its cultural flavor dilutes commercial face of Lafayette with striking attractions, massive oaks and green areas bring relief to the city during the hot sunny days. To avoid subtropical heat you should come to enjoy Lafayette in spring, because the rest of time temperatures rarely fall below 50degF, and climb to 70degF.