AshevilleNC:

Surrounded by the rolling Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville has become known not only for it's astounding natural beauty, but for its passionate support of the arts, its rich, cultured history, and it's excellence in education- not to mention it's year-round temperate climate. It's comfortable elevation of 2,134 feet above sea level allow for its mild summers that continue to draw thousands of visitors. With a population of just under 69,000, Asheville is the largest city in Western North Carolina; as such, it has become the cultural epicenter of the region featuring a staggering variety of musical venues, theaters, museums, galleries, and more. These are just some of the reasons that Asheville has been hailed as an ideal place to live or visit by both Modern Maturity and Rolling Stone Magazine. Visitors continue to come from all over the world to enjoy the vibrant culture of Asheville, and once here they are treated to some of the South's best accommodations: luxury bed and breakfasts, elegant downtown hotels, and a wide variety of world class spas. Of course Asheville has a long tradition as a resort town dating back to just after the town's humble beginnings.

This beautiful mountain town earned the name Asheville in 1797 from North Carolina's then governor Samuel Ashe. As more and more roads, and eventually a railroad line, were connected to Asheville, it enjoyed increasing tourism from Southerners who had fallen in love with the graceful beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains and the town's thriving culture. Eventually Asheville developed a reputation as one of America's premier resort destinations and with the completion of the railroad over the Eastern Continental Divide, the town was well on its way to becoming the bastion of culture and relaxation that it's known as today.

As its reputation grew, it was only a matter of time before Asheville caught the eye of one of America's most prominent families. When George W. Vanderbilt visited Asheville in the latter 1800's, he instantly fell in love with the area's unique beauty. Soon, he determined to build what has become one of Asheville's most famous attractions, the Biltmore Estate. With the aid of the architect Richard Morris Hunt, Vanderbilt set about building America's largest privately owned estate- at 175,000 square feet it still holds this title today. The mammoth undertaking was completed in 1902 and featured such stunning attributes as a 64 seat banquet table, a 70,000 gallon indoor pool, a sprawling private library, and the famous Biltmore Estate pleasure gardens designed by Fredrick Law Olmsted (the father of modern American landscape design responsible for New York's Central Park). The estate's beauty is perhaps best demonstrated by the over 1 million visitors that flock to witness its grandeur annually.

The cultural offerings of Asheville are vast and the town has worked hard to cultivate venues, museums, and other public spaces to keep up with all the activity. Perhaps the city's largest single contribution to the arts is Pack Place. Housing the Diana Wortham Theatre, The Health Adventure, The Colburn Earth Science Museum, The YMI Cultural Center and the Asheville Art Museum, Pack Place is responsible for bringing world class art, music, science, African American heritage, theater, and more to Asheville. The state of the art Diana Wortham Theatre features nationally touring theater, music, and dance acts year round. The Health Adventure represents the ultimate in educational fun where kids can learn all about biology from exciting interactive exhibits and a fun loving, impressively informed staff.

Asheville's cultural events extend well beyond Pack Square into the very fabric of city life. Whether you're exploring the over 200 galleries and shops in downtown Asheville like the Blue Spiral 1, or catching one of the national touring bands in one of the many venues like the Orange Peel or The Grey Eagle, you're certain to find the culture you're seeking.

Festivals happen year round in this charming mountain town. Bele Chere is Asheville's largest festival (in fact it's the Southeast's largest outdoor festival); featuring over 200 craft and merchant booths, over 80 live bands, and a wide array of stunning and unique entertainment like the Bele Chere Urban Challenge. Other Asheville festivals include, The Mountain Sports festival, the Arbor day Celebration, the Brewgrass Festival, the Asheville Film Festival, the Sourwood Festaval, Goombay!, The Lexington Ave Arts and Fun Festival, and more.

Of course no visit to the Asheville area is complete without taking advantage of the staggering number of natural wonders that surround the Asheville area. Asheville itself is nestled amid some of the world's oldest mountains- parts of the Blue Ridge Mountain chain that surrounds Asheville are over 1.2 billion years in age! Venture just outside of Asheville and you'll discover all kinds of natural attractions like the Pisgah National Forest, Dupont State Forest, the Great Smokey Mountains, and so much more. Some of the world's most tranquil waterfalls can be found throughout these parks and forests. The abundance of scenic nature in the area has made Asheville a top destination for cyclists, fishers, hikers, watersport enthusiasts, and so many others who have a love for the great outdoors.

In Asheville you can browse through some of the world's finest arts and crafts, hike up to a mountain lake, dine in luxury at the famous Biltmore Estate, and still have time to catch a Broadway hit at the Diana Wortham Theatre, all in one day! It's of little wonder Asheville has earned the title 'Paris of the south'.

Links: ashevillenc.com ashevillenc.gov Asheville on Wikipedia