How Asheville Became The Paris Of The South

Many people credit the Vanderbilts for laying the groundwork for Asheville’s eventual nickname of “The Paris of the South” when they built their palatial estate, the Biltmore, America’s largest private home. While there’s no doubt that the Vanderbilts’ huge Biltmore Estate lured craftspeople of all types to put down roots here, the city had already attracted a healthy population of folks who were drawn to the area’s natural beauty.

Before the construction of the Biltmore Estate in 1895, Asheville got its first boost when a road from Tennessee opened back in 1828. This route paved the way for more trade and an influx of people who were drawn to the purported health benefits of the mountain air and lush landscape. In fact, Western North Carolina is one of the most biodiverse places in North America and the world in terms of temperate climates. While Paris has plenty of beautiful treasures of its own, the Blue Ridge Mountains and their surrounding forests, waterfalls, and waterways truly make Asheville a sight to behold.

Yet, it takes more than beauty to be compared to the City of Lights. With the arrival of the Vanderbilts, tourism jumped and helped steer the city into a prosperous era that saw a number of Art Deco buildings go up downtown, many of which still exist today and have been transformed into shops, restaurants, and bars that give the walkable city a bustling feel—a crucial Parisian element. This early wealth couldn’t stop the Depression from hitting Asheville. However, its foundation had been laid, and its historic architecture had been built, providing yet another link to the iconic city in France.

From the ashes of the Depression rose a city determined to celebrate its roots and save itself from being bulldozed like many others. In the 1980s, citizens fought to keep Asheville’s local storefronts and stop a large mall, so more and more small businesses opened. From these determined citizens grew one of the country’s most celebrated food destinations—one that has been designated Foodtopia, or food utopia. And like Paris, many Asheville restaurants spill out onto sidewalks, or if there’s not enough space for a few bistro sets, then the eateries will pull open their huge garage doors—a popular fixture in Asheville—or large windows and let in the mountain air.

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As for Asheville’s thriving arts scene, this, too, can be traced to the early artisans that flocked here to work at the Biltmore or serve the people that did. Additionally, the area’s natural beauty had long served as a well of inspiration and had prompted the Southern Highland Craft Guild to choose the city as the site of its headquarters back in 1930. The city now has a designated arts district, RAD, and hundreds of working artists that help the city live up to the creative pressures of a nickname like “The Paris of the South.”

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.