Central and Western Virginia: Places to Explore

Abingdon, near the Tennessee border, is a cultural crossroads in the wilderness: the town of nearly 7,000 draws tens of thousands of people each year because of a fine theater company and exuberant local... Read more

Bath County, known as the Allegheny Highlands, is where Virginia's rugged outdoors and refined elegance intermingle delightfully. Amid its steep ridges and dense forests is The Homestead, a historic and... Read more

Despite its name, derived from being "new" to explorers when it was first discovered, the New River is actually one of the oldest rivers in the world: legend says only the Nile is older. The only river... Read more

Charlottesville is still Jefferson's city, focused on Monticello and the University of Virginia. The downtown pedestrian mall, a brick-paved street of restored buildings that stretches along six blocks... Read more

Dayton is best known for its large Mennonite population, whose black horse-drawn buggies share the road with latter-day SUVs, and for its extensive farmers' market with handcrafted goods and foods from... Read more

Settled in 1739, Harrisonburg is a stronghold of Mennonites, spotted around town driving horse-drawn buggies. The 10-block historic downtown, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and as one... Read more

Two deeply traditional Virginia colleges sit side by side in this town, each with a memorial to a soldier who was also a man of peace.... Read more

Lynchburg was founded by John Lynch, a Quaker pacifist, and Thomas Jefferson visited often when he was vacationing at his nearby retreat, Poplar Forest. The revitalization of the riverfront area and downtown... Read more

Middletown has one of the area's loveliest historic homes. The section of Route 11 that makes up this small town's main street contains a few quirky antique shops, as well as the Wayside Theater, home... Read more

Founded primarily by German settlers of the Mennonite and Lutheran faiths, the town's first foray into industry was printing. New Market's Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places... Read more

Orange is a fertile agricultural area bearing reminders of the Civil War. Among the many estates dotting the countryside is the home of our nation's fourth president. A visit to Montpelier, the home of... Read more

They once called this city "Big Lick." But today Roanoke, with a population of 95,000, is Virginia's largest city west of Richmond, the largest city on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and in many ways, the capital... Read more

Staunton (pronounced stan-ton) was once the seat of government of the vast Augusta County, which formed in 1738 and encompassed present-day West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and the Pittsburgh... Read more

Known as Little Washington to differentiate it from its big sister about 60 mi away, this tiny town packs in antiques shops, galleries, custom jewelry shops, and two theaters in roughly five blocks—perfect... Read more

The historic town of Winchester is widely known as the birthplace of one of country music's most beloved stars, Patsy Cline. Cline hit it big when she won the Arthur Godfrey talent show, but died tragically... Read more