Gatlinburg or Pittsburgh?

Neither city is a place for a swimming vacation, and both send you inland to fresh water. Gatlinburg's version is the cold, clear rivers of the national park, with tubing on the Little River near Townsend and some lake swimming at Douglas Lake.

Pittsburgh offers actual sand, at a distance. There are small beaches at Lake Arthur, about 45 minutes away, and longer ones at Presque Isle on Lake Erie, about two hours north. Its own three rivers are for paddling, not swimming.

Pittsburgh is clearly the better place to eat. Its Eastern European roots show in pierogies and haluski, the Strip District is a full market street to graze along, and Lawrenceville and East Liberty have serious chef-led kitchens and craft breweries.

Gatlinburg feeds a resort crowd. Expect pancake breakfasts, barbecue, fudge and moonshine tastings along the Parkway. Proper Appalachian cooking such as trout and country ham turns up only now and then, and keen eaters drive out to Knoxville or Asheville.

There is little contest here. Pittsburgh's steel fortunes left the Carnegie Museums with their dinosaurs and art, the Andy Warhol Museum, the Nationality Rooms in the Cathedral of Learning and the Frick estate. On top of those comes the sight of the three rivers and their bridges from Mount Washington.

Gatlinburg's town centre is a run of attractions rather than sights. Its heritage lies in the working studios of the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community, and in the cabins, mills and churches out in the park at Cades Cove and along the Roaring Fork.

Pittsburgh offers a real night out, though in bars rather than clubs. You can choose between the cocktail bars and breweries of Butler Street, the loud student strip on East Carson Street, and packed sports bars on game nights.

Gatlinburg's evenings are a stroll along the lit Parkway, a moonshine tasting and perhaps a brewery terrace, and the strip empties well before late. Most visitors end the day in a cabin hot tub instead.

Gatlinburg is the stronger choice for nature. It is the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, and within minutes you are in deep forest with waterfall trails, the climb up Mount LeConte and the road to Clingmans Dome. Bears, deer and elk are a regular part of the day. The drawback is weekend and leaf-season traffic on the park roads.

Pittsburgh's outdoors are gentler and closer to hand. There are ravine trails in Frick and Schenley parks, riverside bike loops and kayaking under the downtown bridges. Its big outdoor draws, the Ohiopyle gorge and the Great Allegheny Passage, lie about an hour and a half away.

Gatlinburg has the slightly better range of outings. Asheville and the Biltmore Estate make a strong day, and crossing the mountains brings you to Cherokee and its museum of the Eastern Band, with Bryson City's heritage railway nearby. Knoxville and Townsend are closer still.

Pittsburgh's highlight is a single superb day at Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, which can be combined with Ligonier or the Flight 93 memorial. Beyond that it is Old Economy Village or a long run to Cleveland. Both lists thin out quickly, and both need a car.

Gatlinburg is the more obvious family destination. The Parkway is full of things aimed at children: an aquarium, mini golf, alpine coasters and chairlift rides to treetop bridges. Dollywood is nearby, and the park adds creek wading and junior ranger badges. The cost is crawling traffic and long queues in high season.

Pittsburgh is calmer and more educational. It has the Science Center's submarine, the Children's Museum, the National Aviary, the dinosaur halls, and Kennywood's wooden roller coasters in summer. Its hills and spread-out layout mean a car still helps.

Pittsburgh is easier without a car, at least in its core. Downtown, the North Side and the Strip District are all walkable, and the T light rail and the two inclines fill the gaps. Reaching Oakland or Lawrenceville means buses or ride-hailing, though.

Gatlinburg's downtown strip is walkable and has a trolley out to Pigeon Forge. However, most cabins sit up steep hillside roads, and the park and its trailheads are reachable only by car, often in heavy traffic.

Neither city is worth a trip for shopping, but they offer different things to browse. In Gatlinburg it is the handmade quilts, pottery, brooms and woodwork sold from studios on the crafts loop, past a Parkway of fudge and T-shirt shops, with outlet malls in Pigeon Forge.

In Pittsburgh it is the food stalls and kitchenware of the Strip District, vintage and independent shops on Butler Street, and the boutiques of Walnut Street in Shadyside.

Overall costs are much the same, but the money goes in different places. In Gatlinburg, a big cabin shared by a group and a national park that costs little to enjoy keep the basics down. The paid attractions and Dollywood are what push a family's bill up, especially in leaf season, at Thanksgiving and over Christmas and New Year.

In Pittsburgh, hotel rooms are cheap for an American city and casual food is fairly priced. Tips and rides between neighbourhoods add up, and big game weekends raise room rates.

Pittsburgh has a full performing arts scene. The symphony plays at Heinz Hall, the opera and ballet perform at the Benedum Center, theatre runs year-round, and there is a jazz heritage rooted in the Hill District that August Wilson wrote about. Indie bands play the clubs of Lawrenceville.

Gatlinburg's entertainment is folksier. Bluegrass pickers play in the tasting rooms, and the dinner shows and gospel revues are over in Pigeon Forge. For anything orchestral you would have to drive to Knoxville.

Gatlinburg is the more restful choice, though not because of its spas, which are few. The appeal is the secluded hillside cabin, with its hot tub, rocking chair and mist on the ridges, well above the noise of the Parkway.

Pittsburgh's calm moments come from the warm glasshouses of Phipps Conservatory and the shaded paths of Frick Park. For a proper spa stay, people leave the city for the Laurel Highlands resorts.