Vicksburg's downtown district occupies the bluffs above the Mississippi, with Washington Street as its commercial spine. The renovation of the past twenty years has brought antique shops, local restaurants, art galleries, and independent businesses into the 19th-century storefronts. It is a pleasant place to walk and browse, and the setting — high above the river with views across to Louisiana — is genuinely dramatic.
The most interesting blocks are between the courthouse and the river. Look for the restored facades and the cast-iron columns that mark the commercial buildings of the 1870s and 1880s, when Vicksburg was rebuilding after the devastation of the siege. The Saturday morning farmers' market is a good reason to visit in the warmer months.