Page Updated: September 12, 2023
Biltmore
The Biltmore - Asheville NC
The Biltmore is the largest privately owned home in the United States. Built as French Renaissance chateau, the home contains 250 rooms. Has 65 fireplaces. A swimming pool under the house - right down the corridor from the home’s 2 lane bowling alley. It has 43 bathrooms, none of which you’re allowed to use. Sits roughly 7000 acres (maybe 8- because who’s counting?) of the original 125,000. Sits immediately adjacent to a completely reworked stable complex now containing shops and a restaurant. Boasts a 7500 square foot conservatory. Numerous gardens. A plethora of trails. An equestrian center... etcetera - etcetera. Mind boggling and beautiful, The Biltmore Estate is one of Asheville’s the biggest attractions in the hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
On a sunny and almost warm day between snowstorms, we made it off the mountain and headed to The Biltmore in Asheville. There are several touring options to see the home. We opted for the most popular Audio Tour and received a listening device allowing us to listen and wander at our own pace.
Renovations were underway in the largest room of the house, the Banquet Hall; proving that the work to preserve is never finished. With minimal furnishings, the hall’s grandest features this day were the 70ft tall ceilings, the triple fireplace, and the pipe organ. The banquet table and tapestries dating from the 1500s were protected with plastic.
Of all the rooms in the home, my favorite - and the favorite of many, is the two-story library. With more than 20,ooo volumes surrounding the walls, it’s impossible to capture them all in single photograph.
The Loggia that looks out over the hills is a close second. This area has been closed off on both of my visits to the Biltmore, but I managed to capture this photo through the curtains. I like to imagine sitting on here enjoying a hot coffee on a cool autumn morning.
This Staircase Hall is ridiculously spectacular.
After touring the home, we grabbed lunch at the Stable Café, and actually dined in a renovated stall. And, we also took the opportunity to taste a variety of Biltmore wines from vineyards on the estate.
After lunch, we visited the gift shops, snack boutiques, and grabbed a coffee from the Bake Shop to sip on while strolling the grounds and the gardens.
In addition to house tours, the Estate has multiple events throughout the year.
Spring brings Biltmore Blooms when the gardens come alive.
Summer allows visitors to check out biking and hiking trails, or enjoy a guided raft trip down the French Broad River snaking through the estate.
Fall at the Biltmore is an experience still on my personal bucket list. My heart tells me the combination crisp mountain air coupled with the brilliant colors of Autumn will be gorgeous.
Winter at the Biltmore means Christmas at the Biltmore. And that, I can say from a previous experience, is magical. Candlelight Christmas Evenings begin in early November and wrap up the first week of the New Year.
-b&b
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