River Street Cobblestones, Factors Walk Iron Bridges & the Plant Riverside District

At the northern edge of Bay Street, the flat grid of the Historic District ends at the lip of a 12-metre-high (40-foot) sandy bluff dropping down to the Savannah River. In the 1800s, when Savannah was a leading port for Sea Island Cotton, merchants built five-storey red-brick warehouses against this bluff: cotton wagons unloaded into the top floors from Bay Street (where brokers called Factors worked), while ships loaded bales from the lower floors along River Street.

1. Descending From Bay Street to River Street: Factors Walk & Ballast Stones

Before walking down to the water, stroll along the green median of Emmet Park on Bay Street, shaded by live oaks beside the 1889 Old Cotton Exchange and its terracotta Gryphon fountain, then peer into the sunken brick chasm of Factors Walk:

• Why Are the Cobblestones So Bumpy? Every stone paving Factors Walk and River Street arrived in the 1700s and 1800s inside the hulls of European sailing ships as heavy rock ballast (flint, granite and quartz from England, France and Ireland), dumped on the riverbank when vessels loaded Georgia cotton. Instead of tackling the steep stone stairs, you can ride the free public lifts down from Bay Street behind City Hall or inside the Hyatt Regency.

2. Walking the 1.5-Mile Waterfront: From Plant Riverside East to the Waving Girl

1. The Plant Riverside District (West End of River Street): the twin smokestacks of the 1912 Riverside Power Plant anchor a waterfront entertainment district and JW Marriott hotel. Walk inside its three turbine halls free of charge to see a 41-metre-long (135-foot) chrome-plated Amphicoelias dinosaur skeleton suspended above towering amethyst geodes.
2. Central River Street & River Street Sweets: follow the brick promenade east past the African American Monument and step inside River Street Sweets (13 E River St) or Savannah's Candy Kitchen for complimentary warm samples of freshly poured Butter-Pecan Praline.
3. The Waving Girl Statue (Morrell Park): honours Florence Martus (1868 to 1943), who stood on the riverbank for 44 years waving a handkerchief by day and a lantern by night at passing ships.