With the layered hues of the Blue Ridge Mountains painting the distant backdrop, the continuum between Asheville, Appalachia, agriculture, and the arts coalesces with a sunset cocktail on the terrace of the four-star Inn on Biltmore Estate.
It all comes together after visiting the Biltmore House—George and Edith Vanderbilt’s 250-room manse laden with remarkable art—followed by a docent-led tour through Asheville’s River Arts District (RAD, as locals call it). Many of the artisans and craftsmen instrumental in the 1895 mansion’s exquisite architectural finishes maintained studios in the railroad industrial area along the French Broad River. Today, the RAD is a hub for hundreds of artists working in all mediums. Asheville Art Experience offers private tours for those on the hunt for a special piece and coordinates hands-on studio sessions so you can work alongside an artist.
The culinary arts are equally at home in Asheville, where many restaurateurs take the hyperlocal farm-to-table philosophy to new gastronomic heights. Co-founded in 2009 by chef Meherwan Irani and his wife, Molly, Chai Pani in the South Slope neighborhood is widely credited with helping to launch the city’s dining renaissance. The otherworldly flavors of its Indian street food—from green mango chaat to savory griddled pancakes known as uttapam—have garnered several accolades from the James Beard Foundation, and the concept has since expanded to Decatur, Georgia, and Washington, D.C.
The Iranis describe their cuisine as “mindblasting,” and you may leave feeling sated for days. That is, until you settle in for dinner at Luminosa, located in The Flat Iron Hotel, a 100-year-old landmark that also hosts a speakeasy below the lobby and a rooftop bar and café. With the motto “where wood-fired Italian recipes meet modern Appalachian foodways,” Luminosa exclusively sources ingredients within a 30-mile radius, so its menu is undoubtedly seasonal. Though only open for two years, Luminosa has already earned a Michelin Green Star (recognizing its commitment to sustainability) and a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation.
Bring your Asheville experience full circle at the circa-1913 Omni Grove Park Inn & Spa, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and boasting yet another outstanding terrace for toasting the sun as it sets behind the mountains.
The Great Outdoors
A visit to Asheville easily translates into immersive excursions to other parts of western North Carolina, where winding mountain roads are braided with small towns harboring history and often-surprising sophistication. For nature lovers, the options are endless: hikes both gentle and grueling as well as skiing, golfing, fly-fishing, and white-water rafting. Whether adventuring or relaxing, this region is the perfect place to disconnect from your screen and reconnect with the land on your own terms.
An hour outside of Asheville in Madison County is Hot Springs, where the Appalachian Trail cuts through downtown, inviting thru-hikers to rest and gather provisions. At the 100-acre Hot Springs Resort & Spa, natural mineral baths are surrounded by a serene forest and the French Broad. The town is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts due to its proximity to Pisgah National Forest and dozens of hiking trails, including those at Max Patch, a 4,629-foot-tall mountain bald that rewards with 360-degree views stretching to Tennessee.
From Hot Springs, it’s just an hour along the scenic drive to Burnsville, nestled in the shadows of Black Mountain and Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. Burnsville is a certified Dark Sky community renowned for its stargazing and home to a thriving arts district named after the Toe River Valley. In fact, Yancey County is believed to have the highest per-capita concentration of artisans (some 600) in the United States. Much of that creative legacy is tied to the nearby Penland School of Craft, which was founded in 1928 as a cottage industry that enabled local women to sell their handwoven goods.
Head to the Burnsville town square to check into the oldest continuously operating hotel in North Carolina, The NuWray Hotel. Dating to the 1800s, the hotel underwent a complete renovation before Tropical Storm Helene’s flooding event in 2024, so it was ready to host the World Central Kitchen as its workers fed displaced residents. Today, the hotel’s former carriage house is a lively bar and restaurant, while a basement speakeasy is centered around the property’s original laundry machine.
Another hour’s drive lands you in Banner Elk, a popular winter destination that lures skiers to the Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain resorts. In the summer, Floridians and those from hotter climes escape here for the cooler temperatures afforded by the 3,700-foot elevation. Because of its long history as an affluent, year-round destination, Banner Elk and the surrounding area have a range of amenities and attractions for multigenerational groups: wineries and gourmet restaurants, the Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster, glamping, bed-and-breakfast inns, and the famous Mile High Swinging Bridge at Grandfather Mountain.
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