Christmas at The Biltmore and Asheville Shopping
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Few would doubt that Christmas time shows off the ‘best’ of wherever you choose to visit. But even fewer would disagree that the best place to spend the holidays near America’s largest home - The Biltmore Estate in Asheville.
At the Biltmore, special events are abundant at Christmas time. Specially designed for the holidays, Christmas at Biltmore brilliantly displays 70 elaborately decorated trees set off by thousands of bright lights. It is among the Southeast’s most treasured celebrations, and continues now through Jan. 8. But tours are ongoing year-round. Yearly admission to Biltmore House includes a 1.5 to 1 hour self-tour to see displays of vintage clothing, art, furniture and living mementos that illustrate the lives of the Vanderbilt family and their times since the 1890s.
Highlights include closer looks at the art of Pierre-Auguste Renoir and John Singer Sargent. Don’t miss the 16th century tapestries, the library with 10,000 volumes, the 65 fireplaces and even a bowling alley.
Another don’t-miss for any outdoors lover: the acres of formal and informal gardens designed by the US’s most famous landscape architect, Frederick Lee Olmsted. The Rose Garden also displays more than 250 varieties. Other tours are specially designed for children such as the Kids Audio Guide to Biltmore House, a 90-minute entertaining look aimed at younger visitors to show what life was like at America’s largest home.
For adults, there are a variety of tours that include one from rooftops and balconies to examine more closely the design and construction of the imposing house and grounds.
Another popular tour is a 60-minute behind the scenes “Downstairs, Upstairs” style tour. Visitors see the areas where butlers, maids and housekeepers prepared everyday life and the Vanderbilt’s famous parties. The Biltmore itself built in 1895 by George Vanderbilt has been a highly popular site for decades.
Asheville for Christmas? Yes, some of the best shopping is found right here. Biltmore Village located across from the entrance to The Biltmore Estate is home to more than 40 shops and almost a dozen cafes. Most places show off historic buildings with period architecture along tree-lined streets. Stores likes Brooks Brothers, Chico’s and Talbots. Start with a hearty breakfast at Corner Kitchen or Well-Bred Bakery.
An alternative choice is Biltmore Park Town Square, an outdoor plaza where the shops offer a mix of local favorites with some of the country’s best known retailers such as LOFT and Orvis. Visitors even find an upscale YMCA, a 15-theatre movie-plex, and a luxurious Hilton Hotel.
Shopping can be found anywhere. But it’s something special this time of year to spend time at the 250-room Biltmore Estate all decked out for Christmas. The surrounding Asheville area adorned in holiday decorations makes one feel warm and fuzzy. Open-air markets and independent boutiques existing beside favorite national brands characterize much of Asheville’s highly diverse retail scene.
Many visitors (and shoppers) also find time to take in the luxurious Omni Grove Park Inn situated on the western slope of Sunset Mountain overlooking downtown Asheville. Its century-long history of serving guests in Western North Carolina is known for its exceptional restaurants like Edison's, world class golf course and one-of-a-kind underground European-style spa. This is the perfect chance to try out the decadent 110-minute Ultimate Facial treatment.
For many reasons, December is a fun time of the year to combine a shopping trip with house hunting. Explore some of the best neighborhoods in Asheville within minutes of downtown. Many of the custom home builders in Asheville NC have open houses year-round, but visitors choose the holidays as the best time of the year to house hunt because with less competition, home prices tend to be lower.
Enticing and green forest-dominated neighborhoods near The Biltmore include The Ramble, Biltmore Forest, Biltmore Lake and SouthCliff, all award-winning Western North Carolina real estate developments with a variety of home styles. These best neighborhoods in Asheville feature new Craftsman-style homes, classic European architecture or modern low maintenance homes.
Taken as a whole, a holiday trip to visit Western North Carolina real estate this time of year is more than a pleasurable shopping trip. “When I need a good antidote to the ordinary holiday shop-a-thon, I head to my favorite mountain town, Asheville,” writes Chris M. Rogers in Southern Living.
“Surprisingly urbane yet comfortably artsy, this Blue Ridge hamlet is a vibrant community of locally owned shops, galleries, and cafes that provide a refreshing alternative to a mega-mall Christmas. Plus, it’s home to the opulent Biltmore Estate.”
She writes that this is her favorite time of year. “December is when I love Asheville best,” she writes.
“The leaves have blown off the trees, and snow, dusting knobby hillsides like powdered sugar, turns the city into a living greeting card,” she recalls. It offers an open invitation: “Hello. World.”
If you’re planning a visit to Asheville for the holidays, send us your home wish list. We’ll send you back a list of places to see that match your criteria. It's our pleasure to help.