Athens, Ga. named one of America's most overlooked, underrated cities

Georgia Bulldogs fan or not, Athens, Georgia, has quite a lot of charm to offer. In fact, travel experts at DK Eyewitness Travel recently named the small town one of America's 20 most overlooked cities.

To come up with the list of the nation’s most underrated cities, the company’s travel editors and writers came together with their picks after analyzing each city’s culture, restaurants, architecture and more.

The most overlooked and underrated city in America is Madison, Wisconsin, according to experts.

Athens, Georgia, about an hour and a half from Atlanta, came in at No. 3 on the list for its musical edge, craft beer scene and, of course, UGA football fanaticism.

Here’s what the experts had to say about the pick:

In the 1980s, Athens became one of the coolest college towns in the world thanks to home-grown bands such as R.E.M., the B-52s, and Widespread Panic. Today, live music venues 40 Watt Club and Georgia Theatre ensure it retains a musical edge.

The city’s Victorian-era downtown supports a flourishing craft-beer scene (led by the likes of Copper Creek Brewing), and students from the University of Georgia still supply the famous tailgate parties and fanatical support for the Georgia Bulldogs football team, making for a lively atmosphere.

Here are the most overlooked cities in the U.S., according to DK Eyewitness Travel:

1. Madison, Wisconsin

2. Sacramento, California

3. Athens, Georgia

4. Rochester, New York

5. Tucson, Arizona

6. Jacksonville, Florida

7. Santa Cruz, California

8. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

9. Galveston, Texas

10. Las Cruces, New Mexico

11. Worcester, Massachusetts

12. Mobile, Alabama

13. Greenville, South Carolina

14. Anchorage, Alaska

15. Olympia, Washington

16. Des Moines, Iowa

17. Missoula, Montana

18. Grand Rapids, Michigan

19. Springfield, Illinois

20. Sioux Falls, South Dakota