Asheville & The Central Mountains

Asheville, NC: One Of A Kind

Asheville has always been one of those places that visitors are naturally drawn to.  It is sophisticated yet bohemian, upscale yet earthy, artsy yet natural. Set on a plateau in the midst of the Blue Ridge, Asheville offers sights, sounds, and tastes that aren’t easily found elsewhere.

The streets of this NC mountain city are a smorgasbord of entertainment opportunities. Dine in the outstanding restaurants of this culinary paradise, or sample the wares of Asheville’s burgeoning microbrew scene via the Asheville Brews Cruise. Dance the night away to blues and jazz at Tressa’s, or catch the hottest up-and-coming band at the Orange Peel. Play golf on one of the area’s 14 challenging courses, or go shopping in one of the 100 antique shops in Asheville, Biltmore Village, and Black Mountain.

Then, of course, there is Asheville’s crown jewel, the Biltmore. An estate that showcases the world’s largest private residence, America’s most visited winery, and intricately managed forest grounds and gardens, Biltmore is a virtual theme park of elegance, taste, and beauty. The estate is the brainchild of 19th century industrial heir George W. Vanderbilt, who fell in love with Asheville on his first visit in 1888 and immediately purchased 125,000 acres to build his dream home.

In addition to its man-made wonders, Asheville is blessed with a wealth of ‘natural’ attractions. The city sits at the intersection of two major interstates and the Blue Ridge Parkway, making it the perfect gateway for outdoor enthusiasts to explore everything Western North Carolina has to offer. Hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, fishing, gem mining, or fall leaf peeping, it’s all within an easy drive from downtown Asheville.

Asheville oozes a confident, quirky charm. Whether it comes from the rhythmic pounding of bongo drums by young hipsters in downtown’s Pritchard Park, the cool summer breezes you feel as you dine on a restaurant patio, or the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains against the city’s eclectic mix of architecture, Asheville has an aura all it’s own.

With spectacular scenery, comfortable summers, and wide-open spaces, Asheville has always been a place that attracts and welcomes visitors… in fact, even the city’s minor league baseball team is called the “Tourists.” It’s a place where outdoor adventure meets indoor fun, where extravagant elegance meets urban kitsch, where mountain tradition meets modern art. To its residents, Asheville can seem like a world unto itself. For its visitors, it is a world away from ordinary.

added: December 17, 2008

updated: January 3, 2011