Asheville, North Carolina is an uncommon locale that once visited, you’ll find lingering in your heart for years. The city's rich architectural legacy with its mix of Art Deco, Beaux Arts and Neoclassical styles is the perfect retro-urban backdrop to the edgy energy that emanates from the locally owned shops and art galleries, distinctive restaurants and exciting entertainment venues. Known as an art colony, a healing respite and a home to notable luminaries, statesmen and bohemians, Asheville is one of the most welcoming, vibrant cities in America.

A bastion of cutting-edge art and technology in the Blue Ridge, the city also prides itself on its fascinating Appalachian past and celebrates this culture with annual events such as Shindig on the Green. While many cities underwent major overhauls in past decades, Asheville's historic and architecturally diverse downtown remains beautifully preserved.

For more information, please visit www.exploreasheville.com.

Area Attractions:

Biltmore Estate®
Blue Ridge Parkway
Chimney Rock Park
Biltmore Village
Downtown Asheville
Thomas Wolfe Memorial
Folk Art Center
Grandfather Mountain
Grove Arcade
Linville Caverns
Cherokee Indian Reservation
Asheville Historic Trolley Tours
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

Asheville Accolades:

Asheville has been received many accolades and much national interest in recent years.

2009

Southern Living Readers' Choice Award - Best Scenic View – Grandfather Mountain (Placed #2 out of 10) and Chimney Rock Park (Placed #3 out of 10)

Southern Living Readers' Choice Award - Best Southern City – Asheville (Placed #8 out of 10)

2008

Yahoo! Real Estate: Asheville was named as one of the top ten places to live. (December 2008)

National Geographic Traveler: Asheville received honors in the magazine’s Fifth Annual Places Rated Survey. Asheville ranked in the top 50 globally and top 10 nationally. The city placed first among North Carolina destinations. (October 2008)

AmericanStyle: Ranked Asheville number two in the small cities category (population under 100,000) in the annual “Top 25 Arts Destinations” reader’s poll. (June 2008)

Where to Retire Magazine: Honored Asheville as one of its “Eight Enriching Towns for Art and Music Lovers,” touting the many wonderful art studios, seasonal art walks and Bele Chere, the largest free outdoor music festival in the Southeast. (May/June 2008)

NuWire Investor: Named Asheville one of the top 10 places to buy vacation rental homes in the U.S. (March 2008)

Country Home Magazine: Asheville was recognized as one of the top 25 green cities in America for their “2007 Best Green Places” rankings. (January 2008)

Best Scenic Highway – Blue Ridge Parkway in the Asheville corridor (January 2008)