Asheville is a city in western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s known for a vibrant arts scene and historic architecture, including the dome-topped Basilica of Saint Lawrence. The vast 19th-century Biltmore estate displays artwork by masters like Renoir. The Downtown Art District is filled with galleries and museums, and in the nearby River Arts District, former factory buildings house artists' studios.

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This is the ultimate playground with diverse outdoor adventures. Asheville serves as a base camp for exploration with more than 324,000 hectares of pristine wilderness, mountain ecosystems and nearby waterfalls in addition to zip lines, whitewater rafting, outstanding hiking and mountain biking, and a colorful fall foliage display. The Blue Ridge Parkway – the USA's most visited scenic highway – runs right through Asheville.