Filming locations in Savannah

Savannah is a graceful old Southern city of moss-draped oaks and leafy squares, and for set-jetters it is the home of one of cinema's most famous benches. Forrest Gump opens and returns to a bench in Chippewa Square, where the title character sits and tells his life story to passers-by, box of chocolates in hand. The square is flat, shaded and free to wander, the kind of place made for slow afternoons.

There is a gentle catch worth knowing. The bench itself was a prop, and the original now rests in a local history museum, so the square is the spot to seek out rather than the seat. Stand under the oaks where the camera framed the scene, picture the bus stop and the feather drifting down, and the moment comes back without any need for the bench to still be there.

Chippewa Square is just one of the city's oak-lined squares, and the pleasure of Savannah is letting one lead to the next. The whole historic district spreads out from here, an easy, walkable grid of shaded greens, so the film stop becomes the start of a wider ramble rather than a single tick on a list.

Practically, this is one of the simplest set-jetting trips going, no ticket, no climb, no booking, just a walk into the shade. The original prop bench is worth a detour to the Savannah History Museum if you want to see the real thing. Base yourself in the historic district and you can fold the square, the museum and a dozen other squares into one unhurried day on foot.