North Carolina is home to one of the most beautiful U.S. landmarks — so grab your camera, a new report finds.
The Biltmore Estate in Asheville ranks No. 2 on a nationwide list of the spots that are most attractive to tourists, according to results published last month.
To create the list, the travel blog ParkSleepFly said it examined reviews that visitors left on the website Tripadvisor. Analysts said they focused on “famous landmarks, to see how many people reviewed them using the words beautiful, pretty, picturesque, and stunning.”
The only site listed higher than the Biltmore Estate was the Golden Gate Bridge in California, results show. But with more than 3,000 reviews that praised its appearance, the Asheville landmark still earned a top honor.
The 8,000-acre estate has 250 rooms and is the largest private home in the nation, according to its website. Construction on the massive structure for George Vanderbilt started in 1889, and guests have been welcomed for decades.
These days, the tourist destination offers “behind-the-scenes tours, dining, shopping, and wine tastings” — and of course, the expansive views, according to officials.
“The estate is renowned for its beautiful architecture, which 3,042 reviewers agree with,” ParkSleepFly said in its report. “The main house was built in the Chateauesque style featuring sculptural ornamentation both inside and on the exterior as well as the park-like landscape gardening.”
It’s not the first time a Western North Carolina destination has been recognized as a top tourist spot.
Last month, Asheville was named one of the country’s trendiest places to visit in 2022.
Destinations in the mountains have also ranked among the state’s best bed and breakfasts and the most-liked Airbnbs on social media, McClatchy News reported.
On the latest list from ParkSleepFly, other U.S. landmarks rounding out the top five were the Empire State Building and National September 11 Memorial and Museum, both in New York, as well as Alcatraz Island in California.
Worldwide, the Golden Gate Bridge was also the highest-ranking location, followed by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, results show.
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