Asheville is, without doubt, one of the most enjoyable towns for the traveller. It is a place to rest up for a few days, a harmonious, vibrant haven for everyone who loves good food, arts and crafts and a Bohemian lifestyle. The best way to explore downtown is on foot, when you will discover countless boutiques, bookstores, dozens of eclectic restaurants and a number of distinguished Art Deco buildings. Wherever you go, you will receive a warm, North Carolina welcome, all the time surrounded by the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains. In spite of being a big city of around 100,000 people, it manages to retain a rare small town charm. And, as if Asheville itself is not enough, it also enjoys the huge bonus of having the imperial Biltmore House just 15 minutes down the road.
The first thing you notice about Biltmore is its sheer opulence and its resplendent majesty. You pass in your car through a magnificent arch which has no use other than the statement of extreme wealth and importance.
The drive to Mr Vanderbilt's mansion is over three miles long, taking you through woods, around green pastures, over lakes across beautiful bridges. And when you arrive, you pass through another arched portal to reveal the extravagant house, the chateauesque palace of extraordinary proportions set back against Versailles-style, formal gardens. It is the biggest private house in America with over 250 rooms covering 179,000 square feet. Surrounded by incredibly beautiful gardens, George Washington Vanderbilt spared no time or expense in giving his personal palace the perfect setting, overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains, with views over vast forests and open grassland.
Mr Vanderbilt built his dream between 1889 to 1895. The family had made its vast fortune of over $200 billion from shipping and railroads and George decided to build his own country estate as the ultimate definition of the 'Gilded Age'. He set out to create the most opulent home in the country and succeeded. And he did it with considerable style and class, having scoured Europe for the finest art and designs, paintings by Goya and Van Dyke, huge medieval tapestries and regal furniture.
As with most of these flights of billionaire fancy, the manor had to be opened to the public not long after his death, in the 1930's to be precise. Only George could afford to keep it going.
Our lasting impression was one of the sheer scale of Biltmore (he even built a spur of railroad to get the artisans, workers and materials to the site) and the quality. Mr Vanderbilt loved beautiful things. Biltmore encapsulates elegance and beauty on a monumental scale but, to his eternal credit, without any ugly ostentation or vulgarity. Simply magnificent.
Asheville and Biltmore. One of the best double acts in America.. Both unique in their appeal. And don't miss a visit to a quaint town nearby, Black Mountain. It should not be missed.
The Main Entrance Hall
The Banqueting Hall
The Breakfast Room
The Music Room
The Library
A Drawing Room
Bedroom
Bedroom
Indoor Bowling Hall
Indoor Swimming Pool
Billiards Room
Conservatory
The Italian Garden
The Rose Garden