Asheville

Asheville boomed in the 1920s and built accordingly - the City Building, the S&W Cafeteria and a good deal else in Art Deco - then went bankrupt in the Depression and spent decades paying the debt off rather than redeveloping, which is why the downtown was never demolished. That accident of poverty produced one of the better-preserved Deco centres in the south. The River Arts District occupies old industrial buildings along the French Broad with working studios. Brewing arrived heavily from the 1990s and the city now has a large number of breweries for its size. The Blue Ridge Parkway runs along the edge of town and Biltmore is a few minutes south.

What you actually see

• An intact Art Deco downtown - preserved by decades of debt.
• The River Arts District - working studios in old industrial buildings.
• A dense brewing scene - large for a city this size.
• The Blue Ridge Parkway at the edge - and Biltmore just south.

When to go

April to June and September to October; foliage in mid-October. A full day.

Honest expectations

Foliage season and summer weekends fill the town and parking. It has become expensive, and housing pressure is a live local issue. Hurricane Helene in 2024 caused severe damage in the region, and recovery in the River Arts District has been ongoing. Check conditions before travelling.

Nearby

Biltmore is south; the Blue Ridge Parkway runs both ways.