Asheville, North Carolina

Welcome to Asheville, North Carolina.

The North Carolina Tourist Guide is the most comprehensive travel and tourism information guide for Asheville, North Carolina. Whether you are looking for some rest and relaxation, great shopping, outdoor or seasonal activities, or great nightlife, you will find it here on the North Carolina Tourist Guide.

Tucked away between the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains, Asheville, NC provides many activities year-round. Visitors can enjoy nature, sightsee, experience culture and the arts, and shop at the many boutiques lining the streets. Nature lovers will feel at home as this beautiful area provides accessibility to hiking, rock climbing, nature trails, and the lovely Blue Ridge Parkway. Cultural venues such as the Asheville Civic Center, the many art galleries, and the Pack Place Center offer opportunities to experience fine art, architecture, music, and drama. Asheville is well known for being home to the Biltmore mansion, the nation's largest private home. Asheville also played host to two famous writers, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Thomas Wolfe, as they crafted classic literary works. Enjoy the many sides of Asheville on your next visit!

Asheville's seasons are a palette of colors and experiences, ranging from the enchanting holidays and spring mountains bursting with color to the outdoor adventures of summertime and the breathtaking colors of fall. In Asheville, you'll find plenty to do no matter what time of year it is. Pick your season below for the best of fall, winter, spring and summer!
· Summer - Summertime in Asheville is alive with music, festivals and performances.
· Fall - Take scenic drives and see some of the best foliage in the east.
· Holidays - Celebrate the holiday season in Asheville with decorating tips and winter fun.
· Winter - Asheville's splendid mix of mild temperatures with its proximity to snow-covered mountains make this the ideal winter destination.
· Spring - Asheville blossoms every spring, so check out our bloom schedules, drives, and flower-filled attractions.

The Diana Wortham Theatre presents more than 170 events each year, and live comedy, drama and music show at local playhouses. Live music of all genres spills out of a mix of clubs and venues. Every third Friday, June through September, the Asheville Downtown Association presents Downtown After Five, a free outdoor concert series in the heart of the city. Check out the Shindig on the Green during dusk. This celebration of bluegrass and old-time string bands, ballad singers, storytellers, dancers and cloggers is held Saturday evenings from July to August. Local playhouses present comedies, dramas and musical nightly.

The Asheville area’s reputation as a destination for spa treatments and wellness dates back centuries. One of the East Coast’s only natural hot spring water sources, in Hot Springs, has been attracting visitors since its discovery in the 1700s. Its mineral waters are still known for treating a variety of ailments, including anemia, nerve conditions, heart problems and digestive issues. Today, the Asheville area has evolved into a premier spa destination. The region features a diverse mix of treatments and wellness services virtually unheard-of outside major metropolitan areas. Asheville’s devotion to wellness does not end with massages and facials. There are five yoga studios in Asheville alone. There are also classes in tai chi and pilates, as well as couples weekends learning Argentine tango. Be it a simple weekend of relaxation, a romantic couple’s getaway in the mountains or a chance to improve your health, Asheville is the ultimate destination for those seeking spas and wellness.

With dozens of arts and crafts galleries, retail shops and antique shops, as well as fresh finds and local food products at 45 farmer tailgate markets in the region, Asheville is a shopper's paradise. Every street downtown leads to a treasure-trove of uncommon businesses that could only flourish in Asheville. There is a diverse mix of shopping malls and shopping districts, along with specialty stores like toy and children's shops and outfitters.Lose yourself in the block-long Grove Arcade, a shopping and dining destination in one location. Built as a planned community in the late 1890s, Historic Biltmore Village features peddle-dash homes once belonging to George Vanderbilt and now featuring elegant restaurants, and interesting boutiques and galleries.

Downtown Asheville is a rare place. Artists and street musicians converge with tourists and locals for a vibrancy rarely found in a city of this size. There is always something happening downtown. People sip cups of Joe at one of several locally-owned coffee shops, listen to live music at a local club. They go on art walks, winding their way through downtown's 30-plus galleries. Shoppers inspect unique boutique finds, or people simply enjoy fine cuisine and people-watching. Asheville skipped the urban renewal process that stripped the character from many downtowns. Today, its rich architectural legacy with its mix of Art Deco, Beaux Arts and Neoclassical styles is the perfect backdrop to the city’s edgy energy.

If you are traveling to Asheville, North Carolina, there are many attractions. The North Carolina Tourist Guide can help you when planning your trip.



North Carolina Tourist Guide - Mountains