The year is 1895, and George Vanderbilt has finally completed construction of his “country home” – a 250-room French Renaissance chateau in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina. It is on Christmas Eve that he opens his exquisitely, and festively, decorated home to friends and family who will enjoy their stay in one of 35 bedrooms!
I can only imagine their delight and awe of this one-of-a-kind retreat complete with 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, a bowling alley, and a swimming pool! And Christmas trees! So many Christmas trees!
Later, during the Depression, the Vanderbilt family was asked to help increase tourism to the area and generate income to help preserve the Biltmore Estate. They decided to open the house to the public in 1930, and I am so glad they did. Now all of us can step back in time and immerse ourselves in the grandeur of a mansion – a castle, really – and its beautifully landscaped acres.
We have enjoyed visiting Biltmore several times, but never more than when it is decorated for Christmas. Every palatial room is resplendent with Christmas décor and beautiful live Christmas trees. The atmosphere created by such meticulous beauty must be very similar to that experienced by the first house party in 1895.
I have two favorite areas of the house, and they are as far apart in location as they are in cultural position.
The first of these special areas that you will encounter is the massive dining room where wealthy, aristocratic guests gathered beneath the estate pipe organ to dine at a table that seats at least 22 people! This room is rich in history! Be sure to pick up a handheld audio tour device before you start your tour so you can hear the history of the flags and other interesting details of this room!
The self-guided tour will take you room by room through the mansion. You will enjoy visiting sitting rooms, bedrooms, and music rooms once occupied by some of America’s wealthiest citizens.
Don’t miss the opportunity to relax on the veranda, overlooking the beautiful Biltmore acres, if weather permits. You may catch a glimpse of a carriage ride in the distance. I could easily spend an entire afternoon here curled up in one of the lounge chairs with a good book!
As your tour continues, you will visit the most beautiful library I have ever seen. Often there is a curator on hand to answer questions about the books in this room, as well as the painting on the ceiling, and the furniture. I believe you will be as filled with awe as I am every time I step into this incredible room.
Eventually you will descend to my second favorite part of the house – the servant areas. I love that the audio guide lets you hear how the kitchen may have sounded during the busy days of a house party. It is easy to imagine the hustle and bustle common to this area and the vital servant staff that kept everything running smoothly upstairs.
How often a servant girl must have gazed through this very window during a short break from her many duties in the kitchen. I love imagining times gone by and the people that lived in them.
The bedrooms downstairs are much smaller, and the Christmas decorations much more simple, than their elaborately decorated counterparts upstairs. The simplicity is somehow just as beautiful to me.
I wish I could hear some of the interesting conversations that were shared in the servant’s dining room. I get the distinct feeling that the simplicity of these surroundings dissipated some of the stress and worry that may have been present upstairs.
For more information about the other areas of the estate, be sure to check out the Biltmore Estate website. There are modern hotels, restaurants, and shopping areas to enjoy if you decide to extend your stay. And if you visit during warmer seasons, the estate also offers a variety of outdoor activities including horseback riding, carriage rides, and segway tours.
The Biltmore Estate is a wonderful travel destination for any time of year, but I hope you will plan at least one visit at Christmas. If you do, please let me know if the majestic beauty of this historical home with its Christmas splendor filled your heart as it did mine.
