Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina.

Biltmore Estate provides the ideal location for romance with a century old French Renaissance chateau. George W. Vanderbilt’s 8,000-acre estate with its 250-room Biltmore House, 75 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens, and the nation’s most visited winery offers plenty of opportunities.

Share the wonder of Biltmore House, the largest privately owned home in America, with a priceless collection of arts and antiques original to the Vanderbilt home. Since the house is a self-guided tour, pay the little extra for the audio companion tour as soon as you enter the house. Excellent guided tours may be purchased to go “behind the scenes.” After touring more than 60 rooms in the house, stop at the Stable Courtyard for refreshments or a visit to several quaint shops (and one large souvenir shop). The Stable Café is great for sandwiches, burgers, and salads. Allow at least two hours for a house tour.

Spectacular gardens and woodlands are perfect for leisurely strolls. From the house, walk hand-in-hand through gardens designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, best known for designing Central Park in New York City. The lush and beautiful reflecting ponds of the Italian Gardens are a fitting entry into a stunning world of garden paths. A short walk takes you to the four-acre Walled Garden and adjacent Conservatory.