The 10 Most Beautiful Towns in North Carolina

Only the second town founded by European immigrants in the territory of what would become North Carolina, New Bern goes all the way back to 1710, when immigrants from Switzerland named it after their country’s capital. Now it’s one of the more historically focused cities in the state, with multiple historical districts full of buildings listed on the state historic register. It was once referred to as the Athens of the South because of its Masonic Temple and Athens theatre, both of which still exist today. If you come in the spring or summer, you’ll see some of the thousands of crape myrtle trees in beautiful bloom. Perhaps the city’s biggest claim to fame is that it is the birthplace of Pepsi Cola.

If you’re a fan of Gone with the Wind, or looking for a taste of the romantic idea of the Old South, then you would do well to come to Pinehurst, a small village in the Piedmont region (the middle section of the state). Home to just over 13,000 people, the village hosts a constant stream of visitors for the resort and the golf. It’s best known for the Pinehurst Resort, home to nine golf courses, with the Pinehurst No. 2 course a frequent stop on the PGA tour. They also have a number of gorgeous old buildings on the National Register of Historic Places and the constant greenery of the Piedmont will never fail to welcome you.

The quirky little town of Bath is the perfect site for history lovers, as it is North Carolina’s oldest town by five years (it was founded in 1705, five years before New Bern). Its heyday years were the colonial period and the very early years of the United States’ existence, and the historical center of the town has changed very little since then. Complementing the historical attractions is the coast, where tourists can take boat rides or rent jet skis to get out on the water. One of Bath’s most famous former inhabitants was the notorious pirate Blackbeard, who lived in Bath briefly.

It may be located right next to the Dismal Swamp, but Elizabeth City is anything but dismal. An historic port city, Elizabeth City became very successful in the 19th century after the construction of the Dismal Swamp made shipping easier, and it has remained the man hub of its region ever since then. Due to this period of success, it boasts the largest group of antebellum-style homes and mansions, so this is another great place to come and imagine what the Old South might have been with. They really embrace their local craftsmanship in this region, so you’ll find all sorts of interesting shops and galleries in Elizabeth City’s historic downtown.

Now a quiet, heavily forested town in the Piedmont, Hillsborough was once the site of significant tensions between the colonists and the British government in the lead up to the Revolutionary War. The main street leads up a hill and you’ll encounter a plethora of charming restaurants and cute shops in addition to the historical buildings along the way. This is another good place to come if you’d like to hike, as it’s very nearby the Eno River State Park. The Eno, a very well loved part of the community, is one of the more pristine rivers in the country.

A port city from the early federal period, Southport is pretty enough that many people will be able to recognize it without ever having been there. Many television shows and movies have been filmed there, such as Dawson’s Creek and most of the film adaptations of writer Nicholas Sparks’s books, such as A Walk to Remember and Nights in Rodanthe. The Southport Marina, a small harbor, gives the town the feeling of an old fishing village. A great time to come to Southport is Independence Day, when thousands of people come to enjoy their Fourth of July Festival.