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Winter Romantic Getaways in Asheville 2010

See our Top 12 Winter Outings in Asheville for the full scoop!

Surprising to some, it rarely snows in Asheville. The city is protected by the surrounding mountains, so it often snows about 20 miles away on the mountaintops. Meanwhile, the valley rarely gets a big snow. So it's a great time to visit. The summer and fall crowds are gone, making a perfect time for a North Carolina mountain getaway to unwind. Here are our Top 12 Winter Outings:

1. Winter Getaway Packages: Since the winter months of January, February and March are the slowest months of the year for inns, hotels and cabin rentals, you will find the best deals of the year.

2. Biltmore Specials: Enjoy the grand estate without the big crowds and get good deals on tickets through March. Photo at right is the fascinating Rooftop Tour.

3. Downtown Asheville: Browse through more than 200 shops, 30 art galleries and a dozen antique stores - all locally owned. No cookie cutter chain stores here. And if you need a break, stop at one of the 50 restaurants.

4. Destination Spas: Be it a simple weekend of relaxation, a romantic couple’s getaway in the mountains or a chance to improve your health, Asheville is the ultimate destination for spas and wellness.

5. Beer Crawl: Asheville has an amazing selection of bars, brewpubs, microbreweries, and restaurants for a city of its size. In fact, Asheville (per capita) has one of the highest rates of craft brew consumption in the Southeast.

6. Coffee Shops: After exploring downtown, stop to relax with a hot cup of java or hot chocolate and something sweet at one of the many, cozy coffee shops, including Malaprops Bookstore.

7. Live Music & Dance: Each evening, Asheville comes alive and offers a mulitude of places to go for a big variety of live music any day of the week - some jazz to plenty of bluegrass.

8. Biltmore Village: Ready for more shopping? Located across from the entrance to Biltmore Estate, the Village is home to more than 40 unique shops and 10 cafes and restaurants.

9. Art & Craft: With more than 100 galleries and even more artist studios, you will need plenty of time for exploring. In addition to the galleries downtown and Biltmore Village, head to the Folk Art Center and the River Arts District.

10. Winter Hiking: For the best views of the year, take a winter hike. With leafless trees, cool temperatures, less crowds and frequent bright blue skies, it may become your favorite time of the year to hit the trail.

11. Ski: Two ski resorts are within a 45-minute drive of Asheville. Hit the slopes at Wolf Ridge and Cataloochee for great natural and man-made powder.

12. Stay in Style: See our complete list of small B&Bs, large B&Bs, cabins and hotels in the area.