Nashville or Pittsburgh?

Neither city is a place to swim, but the water is different in each. Nashville's reservoir lakes, Percy Priest and Old Hickory, are on the edge of the city and warm through the long summer. The local habit there is a day on a pontoon boat rather than lying on sand.

Pittsburgh's rivers are for paddling, not swimming. The nearest real beaches are a drive away: small sandy coves at Lake Arthur, and the longer shore at Presque Isle on Lake Erie, where the water stays cooler.

Nashville has the stronger food identity. Hot chicken, meat-and-three cafeterias, smoked barbecue and biscuits make up a cuisine people travel to try, and Nolensville Pike adds Kurdish, Mexican and Vietnamese cooking. Downtown is the weak spot, where bar food for crowds takes over.

Pittsburgh's food is homelier and rooted in Central European immigration, with pierogies, haluski and the overstuffed sandwiches. The Strip District market street makes a better morning browse than anything in Nashville. Both cities have chef-led kitchens in revived neighbourhoods, but Pittsburgh's local dishes are less of a reason to visit in themselves.

Pittsburgh has more for a sightseer. Steel fortunes paid for the Carnegie museums of art and natural history, the Frick estate and the Gothic Cathedral of Learning. The Warhol and the Mattress Factory give the North Side an unusual modern-art streak, and riding an incline up to see the three rivers and their bridges is the city's defining view.

Nashville's sights mostly tell one story, the history of music. The Country Music Hall of Fame and the Ryman are excellent at that, and the Parthenon replica, the Frist and the plantation houses add some variety. The city has much less historic architecture than Pittsburgh.

This is where the two differ most. Lower Broadway turns several blocks of multi-storey honky-tonks into one long party with live bands, especially at weekends. East Nashville and Midtown offer calmer bars for anyone who wants to escape the hen parties.

Pittsburgh goes out in smaller, spread-out pockets: cocktail bars and breweries on Butler Street, student crawls on East Carson Street, and sports bars that fill on game nights. Neither city has much club culture, but Pittsburgh is the one where an evening out stays modest.

Pittsburgh is steeper and wilder. There are ravine trails in Frick and Schenley Parks, kayaks pass under the bridges, and the Laurel Highlands are close enough for whitewater rafting and waterfalls at Ohiopyle. The Great Allegheny Passage cycle trail starts in the city itself.

Nashville's countryside is softer, rolling and wooded. Radnor Lake's deer and owls, the Warner Parks and an easy canoe on the Harpeth are pleasant rather than dramatic. The Natchez Trace Parkway suits a scenic drive or ride more than a demanding day.

Nashville has the longer list of easy outings. Franklin's Main Street and battlefields are half an hour away, Leiper's Fork is nearby, and the whiskey distilleries around Lynchburg make a full day. Chattanooga is within range for a longer trip.

Pittsburgh has one outstanding trip in Fallingwater, which pairs well with Kentuck Knob and Ligonier. After that, Old Economy Village and the Flight 93 memorial are the main options before the choice runs out. Both cities need a car for almost everything.

Pittsburgh is clearly built with children in mind. The North Side alone has the Carnegie Science Center, the Children's Museum and the free-flying birds of the National Aviary. Add the dinosaur halls, Kennywood's old wooden coasters and the inclines, and a week fills itself.

Nashville manages well if you head for the zoo at Grassmere, the Adventure Science Center and the lakeside water park. The problem is the centre: Broadway is loud and adult, and every outing needs the car.

Both cities have a small, walkable downtown, but Pittsburgh's reaches further. The T light rail crosses to the North Side's museums and stadiums, and the inclines climb Mount Washington. Even so, Oakland, Lawrenceville and Shadyside are uphill bus rides or ride-hailing trips.

Nashville has only buses. Once you leave the Broadway and Gulch core, the Opry, the Hermitage and East Nashville are each a drive apart, often on congested interstates. A rental car is close to essential there.

Nashville has the more distinctive shopping. There are cowboy boots and rhinestone shirts on Broadway, some of the best guitar browsing anywhere, and letterpress posters from Hatch Show Print. 12 South and East Nashville add independent boutiques and record shops.

Pittsburgh is more low-key. The Strip District's food stalls and weekend vendors are the most enjoyable browse, Butler Street has vintage and design shops, and Walnut Street in Shadyside is the closest thing to upmarket. In both cities the big brands are in suburban malls.

Pittsburgh is noticeably easier on the budget. Downtown hotels are reasonable on most nights, and casual meals and beer cost less than in many American cities. Prices only jump on football and big concert weekends.

Nashville is costly. Group demand keeps downtown hotels expensive, especially at weekends, and ride-hailing across a city this spread out adds up. The saving grace is that the Broadway bands play without a cover charge, and the cafeterias and hot chicken counters are cheap ways to eat.

Music is Nashville's reason for being. The Grand Ole Opry plays several nights a week, and the Ryman's pews and acoustics host touring acts. The real treasure is the songwriter nights, where writers play their hits on acoustic guitar a few feet away, with bluegrass and Americana rooms on top.

Pittsburgh's strength is classical and theatrical: a respected symphony in Heinz Hall, and opera, ballet and touring musicals at the Benedum. The Hill District's jazz history and August Wilson's plays give it depth. It is a fine evening of culture, but Nashville is a whole trip built on music.

Neither city is a place to unwind properly, and both offer little more than hotel and day spas. What differs is where to find calm. In Nashville, it means a slower stay in leafy Belmont or Hillsboro, away from Broadway's noise.

Pittsburgh has the warm glasshouses of Phipps Conservatory and its quiet ravine parks. For a real spa stay, the resort hotels of the Laurel Highlands are about an hour and a half away.