English Summer Camp in Asheville, North Carolina
Overview
Asheville, a city of 85,000 people, is located in western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Named as one of the top places for a vacation in America, it’s known for a vibrant arts scene and historic architecture, including the dome-topped Basilica of Saint Lawrence. The vast 19th-century Biltmore estate displays artwork by masters like Renoir. The Downtown Art District is filled with galleries and museums, and in the nearby River Arts District, former factory buildings house artists’ studios.
Language Schools and Camps in this Destination
Asheville, North Carolina
Things to Do and See During a Vacation Study
Downtown Asheville
Lining the streets of this vibrant, walkable city center, there are a wide array of independent shops, craft breweries, and some of the best dining options in the southeast. Talented buskers offer many lively street performances. Asheville’s also has legendary independent bookstores like Malaprops, Captain’s Bookshelf, or the Battery Park Book Exchange. Visitors can go shopping for that perfect piece of art or handmade craft available for sale at downtown art galleries, craft fairs, or the open air market at the Grove Arcade.
Downtown Asheville also contains an incredible array of Art Deco buildings, including the Basilica of St. Lawrence.
Biltmore House
Asheville’s crown jewel, Biltmore House, was created by George Vanderbilt in 1895 as a retreat reminiscent of the great chateaux of France’s Loire Valley. With its 250 rooms over 4 acres of floor space, Biltmore was America’s largest house at the time. The art collection includes portraits by Sargent, Renoir and Whistler, as well as 20,000 rare books in the library and five priceless 16th century Flemish tapestries. Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape architecture, created a landscaping masterpiece at Biltmore. The formal gardens include an Italian Garden with long pools, a natural Shrub Garden and an English Walled Garden. Visitors can spend a whole day strolling the gardens and exploring the estate’s beautiful trails through forest and farmland, also on horseback.
On the grounds of Biltmore House is Antler Hill Village, the home of the estate’s winery, and a permanent exhibit of personal artifacts and stories of the Vanderbilt family. The Farm gives insight into the century-old farming practices at Biltmore, and a small barnyard offers young visitors the chance to interact and learn about heirloom chickens, goats and horses. Visitors can also see the historic Biltmore Village, located outside the entrance. This former neighborhood for estate workers is now filled with great shopping, arts and craft galleries, and delicious restaurants.
Asheville’s Food and Drink
On a food tour, visitors will be able to sample cuisine from numerous restaurants, and the WNC Cheese Trail offers samples of cheese at multiple creameries.
Asheville is a special place for craft-beef enthusiasts. With more breweries per capita than any other city, there are plenty of options for some of the most sought-after ales, stouts, and sour beers in the southeast.
Asheville’s Art and Music Scene
Along the riverbank of the French Broad, former industrial warehouses are now filled with hundreds of working artist studios. This area is called the River Arts District and it is filled with live exhibits, galleries, and many interactive, immersive programs. This neighborhood is home to some of Asheville’s most popular restaurants and a brewery.
Fine art is on exhibit at the Asheville Art Museum, vintage games at the Pinball Museum (yes, visitors can play!), and there is an antique car museum.
Amazing performances by Asheville’s numerous theater troupes take place at the Diana Wortham Theatre, the NC Stage, the Asheville Community Theatre, Magnetic Theatre, or outdoors (free Shakespeare productions).
Hailed as one of America’s “Greatest Music Cities,” Asheville’s is home to some iconic music venues, including The Orange Peel, the Grey Eagle, and ISIS Music Hall. It is also possible to see classics performed by the Asheville Symphony Orchestra and the Asheville Lyric Opera.
The Great Outdoors in and around Asheville
The nature trails at the North Carolina Arboretum and the Botanical Gardens of Asheville are both home to numerous indigenous species of mountain flora.
The Blue Ridge Parkway, dubbed “America’s favorite drive,” is a 750-km scenic road passing through Asheville and serving as a gateway to outdoor adventure. The Folk Art Center, located on the Blue Ridge Parkway, is filled with the very best of regional handmade crafts.
Some of America’s most cherished national forests are near Asheville, like Pisgah and Nantahala.
Visitors can zip line hundreds of feet above the forest canopy, or go stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), tubing, or boating down the French Broad River. There are also hundreds of beautiful waterfalls scattered throughout the region.