Asheville tourist information

Asheville is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, and is its county seat. It is the largest city in western North Carolina, and continues to grow - as of 2004, the Census Bureau estimates that Asheville's population is 70,400.

Attractive to hip and creative young people as well as to hip and creative retirees, Asheville has been listed in both Rolling Stone and Modern Maturity as an ideal place to live or visit. The open and accepting character of the city is evidenced by the many lifestyles and beliefs that coexist peacefully there. The art scene is especially active, and Asheville has become a mecca for potters, painters and musicians, with much of the current creativity inspired by the folk art and old ballads of early Scottish, English and Scots-Irish settlers.

Asheville is home to University of North Carolina at Asheville, or UNCA, a liberal arts college in North Asheville of about 3500 students and part of the University of North Carolina System. Asheville is also home to Warren Wilson College, located in the community of Swannanoa about 4 miles east of the Asheville city limits. Mars Hill College, a four-year liberal-arts college affiliated with the North Carolina Baptist Convention, is located about 15 miles north of Asheville. It is the oldest college in western North Carolina. Montreat College, a four-year liberal-arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is located 15 miles east of Asheville. Asheville is also home to the Asheville Tourists baseball team.

The city is known for the lavish Biltmore Estate, which attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. Other notable architecture in Asheville includes its art deco city hall and other unique buildings in the downtown area. The Montford neighborhood and other central areas are considered historic districts and include many Victorian houses. Asheville and the surrounding mountains are also extremely popular in the autumn when fall foliage peaks in October. The scenic Blue Ridge Parkway runs through the Asheville area and the grounds of Biltmore Estate. Biltmore Village is a section of the city adjacent to the estate, where workers stayed during its construction. It is currently home to many small trendy shops. In the year 1900, author Thomas Wolfe was born in Asheville. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald lived and worked in Asheville during some of his literary career. His wife, Zelda, died in a fire in an Asheville sanitarium in 1948. In 1933, actress Eileen Fulton was born in Asheville. In 1939, singer Roberta Flack was born in the city. In 1978, the acclaimed film Being There, which starred Peter Sellers and was directed by Hal Ashby, was filmed in Asheville.

Asheville is located at the confluence of the Swannanoa River and the French Broad River. The French Broad continues northwest through the Appalachian Mountains to Knoxville, Tennessee. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville's weather resembles the weather of the rest of the southeastern U.S., but with somewhat cooler temperatures due to the higher altitude. In winter, temperatures may fall into the teens (Fahrenheit), and Asheville almost always receives snow and freezing rain a few times each year.

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