Between Asheville's Botanical Garden And Biltmore Is A Historic District With Charming Bed And Breakfasts

Two of North Carolina's most popular tourist attractions are just a few miles apart. One is the Asheville Botanical Garden, which showcases a wide variety of Southern Appalachian plants and flowers. The other is the grand Biltmore Estate, chosen by travel expert Samantha Brown as one of the country's most underrated outdoor destinations. Whether you're planning to explore walking trails lined with wildflowers or wander through the Italian gardens and glittering halls of "America's Largest Home," Asheville is the place for you. Montford, a historic Asheville neighborhood with charming B&Bs, is located between the two sites.

The charming enclave of Montford is about a 25-minute drive from Asheville Regional Airport. It's slightly north of downtown Asheville, an easy five-minute drive, 14-minute bus ride, or a half-hour stroll away. Because many of Montford's buildings date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, part of the neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places — just like the nearby Flat Iron Hotel, an Asheville landmark with unmatched Blue Ridge Mountain Views and 2025's best new restaurant (according to Southern Living).

Many of Montford's architectural highlights cluster around Montford Avenue, which is also where you'll find the Asheville Visitor's Center. Stop in for a map and an overview of the neighborhood, then walk along the avenue and side streets to admire an eclectic range of design styles, from Queen Anne to Arts & Crafts and Colonial Revival. Luckily for visitors, some of these striking homes now function as inns where you can stay the night.

Housed in a Queen Anne- and Georgian-style house built in 1898, The Lion and the Rose is one of the longest-running inns in Asheville. The picturesque bed & breakfast features a romantic rose-pink facade, original stained-glass windows, and inviting outdoor spaces with manicured lawns and cozy fire pits. Its five guest rooms are tastefully furnished with a mix of period decor and modern pieces. Some have fireplaces or four-poster beds. Winter rates start at $169 per room. Just around the corner is Pinecrest Bed & Breakfast, another charming five-room inn inside an English Tudor mansion that dates back to 1905. Rooms here start at $229 per night.

Another local favorite is the 1899 Wright Inn & Carriage House, offering elegant lodgings inside a restored Queen Anne Victorian-style mansion. Rates start at $179 per night. With 10 quaint rooms and a carriage house, it's larger than some of the neighborhood's other inns, and the owners serve both a two-course, made-from-scratch breakfast and a complimentary evening happy hour on the wraparound porch. You can even rent an e-bike on site for $40 a day to explore Asheville at your own pace.

From the inn, you can easily ride or walk over to the Montford Rooftop Bar (open most days from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.) for craft cocktails and small plates with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. If you want to further explore the mountains, consider a side trip into DuPont State Recreational Forest, an underrated spot near Asheville with waterfalls and hidden lakes.