The mountains of Western North Carolina, with their higher elevations and cooler air, have long been ideal for summer vacations, and one of the most popular attractions in the area this time of year is the Biltmore Estate.
The 14th Annual Summer Evening Concert Series will begin on July 22, 2010, with live performances by major artists in the distinctive setting of the South Terrace of the Biltmore House. Biltmore will announce the lineup of musical guests in spring 2010.
In late summer, from August 20 through September 12, the South Terrace will feature its 14,400 square-foot Flower Carpet. This attraction is created by weaving thousands of plants together to form a one-of-a-kind lush floral carpet. It is an imaginative twist on the legacy of Frederick Law Olmstead, father of landscape architecture and designer of the Biltmore formal and informal gardens in the late 1800s.
Of course, the 250-room Biltmore House is a wonderful place to tour any time of year, and the magnificent formal and informal gardens are at their peak of color during the summer.
Inside, guests will find newly opened rooms that had been closed to the public for almost 100 years. These include the Damask Room with its silk damask draperies and damask-style wallpaper, the Claude Room featuring paintings from the French painter Claude Lorrain, the Tyrolean Chimney Room and its centerpiece antique tile-stove, and the grand Louis XV Room with gold and red silk cut velvet and Louis XV-style furnishings and elaborate accessories.
Outdoors, Biltmore’s trails lead through woodlands past a waterfall, through ravines, and over rustic wooden bridges.
Activities based out of the estate’s Outdoor Center include carriage rides, horseback riding, Segway tours, sporting clays, fly-fishing, and even opportunities to navigate off-road courses in Biltmore’s Land Rover Experience Driving School.
For more old-fashioned navigation, guests can bring their own horses and explore more than 80 miles of estate trails. These are the same paths used by the Vanderbilts and their guests more than 100 years ago. The trails are wide and well-marked, taking riders through pristine forests and green pastures, and along the banks of the French Broad River. The estate has five loops ranging from 10 to 30 miles. Some trails can include optional jumps, while others are suitable for carriages. Guided trail rides using Biltmore horses are also available.
Finally, at the River Bend Farm, attractions include craft demonstrations, farm equipment of the day, and a barn full of farm animals.
