There’s nothing people love more than a pleasant surprise. And that’s exactly what Lewisburg, West Virginia, is—a small town with big charm in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains and only a five-hour drive from Baltimore, with every minute worth it for a true getaway from city life, even if only for a long weekend.

In fact, Lewisburg was once described by Budget Travel as “America’s coolest small town,” on top of many other superlatives from the likes of Thrillist and Travel+Leisure.

Situated on the Greenbrier River and surrounded by forest, it unfurls like a mini oasis, offering countless delights to visitors—art galleries, antique stores, acclaimed restaurants, and an abundance of cultural institutions. Best of all, it’s a year-round draw, with annual events ranging from April’s Chocolate Festival to August’s Literary Festival to October’s Taste of Our Towns. It’s no wonder the town is becoming more popular with new residents and visitors alike. (Honestly, we hope it doesn’t become too popular.)

The bottom line: Don’t let any preconceived notions about West Virginia fool you. Upon entering the Mountain State, the first thing you might see is a welcome sign hailing this countryside as “wild and wonderful.” As you make your way to Lewisburg ideally with John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” on blast—it’s hard not to agree.

AN EARLY RETREAT

On our most recent visit, we drove out of Baltimore, around Washington, D.C., and through the rolling hills of Virginia, then over the state line into Greenbrier County.

Incorporated in 1778, it is one of the oldest counties in West Virginia, and it was in those early days that the grand Greenbrier Resort first opened as an aristocratic vacationland in White Sulphur Springs. Just 10 miles east of Lewisburg, it’s a requisite pit-stop for local landmark history on the way to your final destination.

An easy train ride from Washington, D.C. (and once owned by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway), the Greenbrier has long been a respite for guests coming from the urban epicenters of the Mid-Atlantic. That easy access helped draw a well-heeled clientele of politicians, celebrities, and other notable personas.

After World War II, New York society darling and interior designer Dorothy Draper was enlisted to reinvigorate the property, bringing a bright, colorful, maximalist aesthetic that remains today.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Greenbrier still offers old-glam, five-star lodgings—some 710 resorts, 64 cottages, and six estates, to be exact—and then some. These days, there is also an on-site casino, golf course, bowling alley, all-ages arcade, and even “bunker tours” of its once-top-secret Cold War fallout shelters, said to have been created by President Eisenhower and reserved for Commanders-in-Chief.

Much as it was in the 18th century, the resort continues to be a wellness destination, with the region’s cool mountain air providing a reprieve from the heat and humidity of cities, and its natural springs full of mineral-rich water, said to be soothing for arthritis, stress, and other ailments. Today, the luxury spa offers everything from signature soaks to salt-cave treatments, massages, and meditation.

Walk the grounds, breathe in the medicinal air, then move on down the road for the less grandiose but equally gratifying charm of Lewisburg.

TOWN & COUNTRY

Less than 10 miles from the Greenbrier, the Midland Trail Byway, aka Route 60, eventually turns into the tiny town of Lewisburg. Originally established as an outpost in the 1750s by its namesake surveyor, Andrew Lewis, it’s located a stone’s throw from the Greenbrier River, which flows wide and splendid.

Officially laid out in 1780, the town of Lewisburg largely consists of two thoroughfares, Washington and Jefferson streets. Charming houses and eclectic businesses abound, and walking around is the best way to explore them, as well as their array of architectural styles.

It’s a small downtown—population 3,800—but on every street corner, there is a strong sense of community and creative spirit, plus a welcoming attitude toward out-of-towners.

In the springtime, just be sure to stop and smell the red begonias. In a tradition that dates back decades, the town’s unofficial flower will be hanging from streetlights and garden fences throughout the warm-weather season.

ARTS + HISTORY

For those initially lured to Lewisburg by the Greenbrier, there might be history buffs in tow. Luckily for them, the town’s Historic Landmarks Commission has created a self-led walking tour for the many notable local sites.

The route is available online, as well as via a complimentary printed map that can be picked up at the Greenbrier Valley Visitors Center. Highlights include one of Industrial Revolution tycoon Andrew Carnegie’s four Carnegie Halls, which, as in New York City, hosts live performances and rotating exhibits, like their outdoor concert series throughout the summer.

Also worth visiting is the North House Museum and Archives, where exhibitions, lectures, and a research library are on hand for inquisitive visitors.

A less likely time warp can be found at Flanagan’s Barbershop, whose circa-1860 building has continuously housed a hair-cuttery since the turn of the 20th century. With two old-school swivel chairs, you can still get a snip or a shave today.

As the local Carnegie indicates, even all the way out here, there’s no dearth of arts and culture. Another historic site gets a modern twist at the circa-1939 Lewis Theatre, a vaudeville stage turned modernized space with retro film screenings, dance performances, and live music.

Meanwhile, the Greenbrier Valley Theatre, now in its 57th season, serves as the state professional theater of West Virginia. Across town, multiple galleries also showcase art on display and for sale, like Paragon Fine Art, with rotating exhibitions, and the Lee Street Studios artist collective. Housed in a historic elementary school, the latter fittingly hosts on-site classes, from watercolor painting to woodworking, as well as community events.

QUAINT COMMERCE

Looking to take home a memento other than an artistic masterpiece? A bevy of shops is another boon downtown. Fun fact: Many of the businesses are owned and operated by women, like The Golden Rabbit, an eclectic boutique run by art dealer Adrienne French, whose curated selection includes antiques, jewelry, and home goods, from Tiffany lamps to originals by modernist artist Eva Zeisel.

So far from the ocean, you won’t be surprised to learn that, across the street at the Lewisburg Surf Shop, there are no boards in sight, but instead a luxury goods mecca that would be as much at home on Melrose or Madison avenue. Run by fashion industry veteran and Lewisburg native Meredith German, this itty-bitty boutique is home to clothing brands ike Marni, Saint James, and Proenza Schouler.

More clothing can be found at Cat and Kate, a mother-daughter-owned shop with lots of colorful womenswear and gifts. Meanwhile, Istanbul designer Cybele Bo’s Cybele stocks one-of-a-kind, handmade accessories, while Wolf Creek runs a longstanding store that’s stuffed floor-to-ceiling with boho-chic clothing.

For something a bit more literary, the independent New Chapter Bookstore is a bookworm’s must, featuring bindings for all ages. Be sure to check their calendar for the next Scrabble Night or Book Club.

And if you didn’t scratch that antique itch? Collectors are covered, thanks to multiple establishments selling second-hand treasures of every variety. Find them at Robert’s, Brick House, and Patina, to name a few.

EDIBLE DELIGHTS

After all that shopping, it’s easy to work up an appetite. For both real foodies and fans of comfort-food-style Southern cuisine, Lewisburg has a plethora of options all within strolling distance, many of which place an emphasis on local ingredients.

At The French Goat, guests can slowly peruse the elegant menu of this European-inspired, farm-to-table bistro, voted best fine dining and best brunch by WV Living Magazine. We recommend indulging in duck confit and truffle frites.

Around the corner in a converted 19th-century stable, The Livery Tavern also offers sophisticated dining, founded on a bedrock of local steak, plus hints of Creole and Indian flavors. Come for a meal but stay for craft cocktails, using regional spirits, beers, and ciders, mostly made in West Virginia.

For something more casual, the RNCVRT bakery, located a short drive south of town, sells sweet gluten-free treats, healthful salads, and local coffee from Cherry River Roasting Company.

Back at Stardust Cafe downtown, an eco-friendly approach imbues every aspect of lunch and dinner, which means they use everything from fair-trade ingredients to biodegradable packaging. Go for fresh pastas, a signature burger (using Lewisburg beef, of course), and a well-curated wine list.

The Bavarian-inspired Briergarten also shines with a selection of house brewed beers and casual noshes like pretzels and bratwursts, while Thunderbird Taco slings Tex-Mex cuisine with a West Virginia twist, featuring meat and produce from area farms. We especially like the black bean burrito with homemade buttermilk crema and slaw.

Pack some provisions for a hike or the trip home from Bella, a corner shop crafting cheese plates and charcuterie boards, with picnic baskets available for purchase. Also peruse their shelves that showcase specialty ingredients like Momofuku chili crunch, Starlino cocktail cherries, and West Virginia’s own J.Q. Dickinson salts, made up the road in Malden.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

After singing the praises of Lewisburg’s quaint charms, we want to direct you away from town. After all, more than three-quarters of the Mountain State is—you guessed it—covered in woodland, from the Greenbrier State Forest located just outside of town to plenty of other impressive state and national parks within a short driving distance.

At the former, some 5,000 acres of wild land offer endless ways to hike, bike, swim, fish, and camp. For the amenity-inclined, there’s even a heated pool open from Memorial Day through Labor Day. That said, for outdoor enthusiasts, it’s also an ideal starting point for the 78-mile Greenbrier River Trail, a former railroad path now paved for leisurely strolls, fast-paced biking, and even horseback riding.

Further afield, to the north, the southern-most tip of the massive Monongahela National Forest offers a biodiverse treasure trove of flora and fauna, plus hiking trails, creek-side camping, and places to paddle.

Back near the Virginia line, the 1.8-million-acre George Washington & Jefferson National Forest is an even larger landscape, home to lush groves of old-growth trees, mountain streams, and picturesque peaks as far as the eye can see.

Follow the leafy, graveled path that hugs the Delaware Canal through New Hope, Pennsylvania, and you’ll pass two touchstones of local talent. One sits north of town. In this humble, 18th-century gristmill-turned-studio, Pennsylvania Impressionism was born over a century ago. In town, the burgundy-and-white, barn-like theater that opened 85 years ago on another mill site was launched by some of Broadway’s and Hollywood’s brightest stars.

The Phillips’ Mill arts center and Bucks County Playhouse—both still thriving—make touristy New Hope the cradle of visual and performing arts in Bucks County. But the village is not the only cultural outpost in this pastoral Philadelphia exurb.

One of Pennsylvania’s three original Quaker-settled counties, Bucks lies 25 miles north of Philadelphia, 75 miles southwest of New York City, and 130 miles (two and a half hours) northeast of Baltimore.

Blessed with natural resources and resourceful residents, the county has been famously productive since William Penn claimed the place in 1682. Grain, milk, and cheese. Cigars and applejack brandy. Wool, textiles, and lumber. Cannonballs for George Washington’s troops. An iconic line of Bucks-grown seeds for gardeners (Burpee!). Not to mention a slew of Academy Awards, Tony Awards, Grammys, Pulitzer Prizes, and a Nobel Prize from the people who have called it home.

Scenery, serenity, and urban accessibility beckoned the creatively inclined at the turn of the 20th century. First came plein-air painters—landscape artists like Edward Redfield, who rendered the wooded hillsides, weathered stone houses, and winding waterways in all seasons, lights, and climatic conditions.

Soon after, seclusion-seeking writers arrived—playwrights, lyricists, and novelists who penned works bound for Broadway, Hollywood, and best-seller lists. (Think Moss Hart, Oscar Hammerstein II, and Pearl S. Buck.) They made permanent or second homes in what one of them, author James Michener, dubbed “the genius belt.”

Although growth has crept into the county since, Bucks retains its rural charm and creative lineage for visitors’ enjoyment. New Hope may be the nexus of Bucks culture, but Doylestown, the county seat, also packs cultural cred. And it’s arguably the best place to begin your Bucks visit.

Dabble in Doylestown

The James A. Michener Art Museum (yes, that Michener, behind the iconic Bay-themed novel Chesapeake) boasts a permanent collection of more than 2,700 objects with galleries devoted to American art and studio craftsmanship, as well as two sculpture gardens. Special permanent exhibits honor two legendary locals: Michener, the prolific author, Doylestown native, and later-in-life philanthropist and California emigre George Nakashima, the master woodworker whose studio still operates in the county.

The museum has transformed Bucks’ abandoned 19th-century county prison into an elegant residence for the arts. An entire gallery devoted to American Impressionism houses one of the finest collections of Pennsylvania Impressionistic paintings, including works by William Lathrop, Edward Redfield, Daniel Garber, Charles Rosen, Rae Sloan Bredin, Robert Spencer, Fern Coppedge, and John Fulton Folinsbee.

Beginning with Lathrop and Redfield, these artists fashioned abandoned mills, aging farmhouses, and crumbling mansions into affordable homes and studios beside the Delaware River in and around New Hope.

“It was a very beautiful place to be, along the river with beautiful, rolling hills,” says Michener chief curator Laura Turner Igoe of the area’s artistic appeal.

Many members of the New Hope art colony trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia when Impressionism was in vogue, she says. At the turn of the century, an old saying goes, there were two kinds of academy students, “one kind went to Paris, and the other went up the Delaware.”

Art lovers can view works by the Pennsylvania Impressionists, the New Hope modernist painters who succeeded them, and contemporary painters, sculptors, and craftspeople at the Michener. Don’t miss “A Wooded Watershed,” a stunning, fan-shaped mural painted by Daniel Garber for the Sesquicentennial Exposition of 1926 in Philadelphia, or the boldly portrayed landscapes of Redfield, who defied the elements to spend an entire day—often past dark—to make one painting. Snow scenes were favorite subjects for Bucks Impressionists, no matter the obstacles to creating them.

“They’d strap their canvases to the trees so they could paint in the snowstorm,” says Igoe.

Other highlights at the Michener include the meditative Nakashima Reading Room, a traditional Japanese-style space designed by George Nakashima’s daughter, who runs her late father’s New Hope studio. The museum’s striking Powell Door is an intricately carved, arched portal inspired by craftsman Phillip Lloyd Powell’s travels in Morocco.

Leave ample time to browse the extensive exhibit devoted to the museum’s namesake. Admire Michener’s library, browse his collections of music and artworks, and see the home office where he wrote Tales of the South Pacific. This room is faithfully replicated, down to the typewriter and souvenirs on his desk (including autographed Baltimore Orioles memorabilia).

Opposite the Michener Museum on Pine Street, you’ll find the Mercer Mile, a trio of historic buildings designed in the early 20th century by Henry Chapman Mercer, a leading figure of the Arts and Crafts Movement. An archaeologist by training, a ceramicist by trade, and an antiquarian pack rat by nature, Mercer built his house, his tile-making shop, and a showplace for his voluminous collections in his hometown between 1908 and 1916.

There’s a whiff of the fairy tale about Fonthill, Mercer’s 44-room concrete mansion with its staggered roofs, multiple chimneys, and more than 200 windows.

“An eclectic mix of Gothic, Medieval, and Byzantine architectural styles,” explains the Bucks County Historical Society website, which operates Fonthill and its companion castle, the Mercer Museum.

The latter, an equally fanciful concrete structure, housed Mercer’s treasures when his inventory outgrew Fonthill. Today, it displays tens of thousands of mostly pre-industrial artifacts. Visitors can explore what amounts to a seven-floor attic full of Americana: from bathtubs, boats, and stoves to sleighs and tools used by blacksmiths, cheesemakers, cobblers, potters, weavers, and numerous other crafts- and tradespeople.

The museum is open six days a week for self-guided, timed-entry tours. Fonthill, which is also the showcase for tiles made by Mercer’s own renowned Moravian pottery, offers one-hour guided tours six days a week, as well as 45-minute evening tours periodically throughout the year. Online reservations are recommended for both.

The Moravian Pottery and Tile Works factory is the third concrete monument to Mercer’s ingenuity. At this working history museum, open daily, tiles are still made the Mercer way: using Bucks County lake clay, authentic glazes, and traditional designs that have adorned everything from the state capitol in Harrisburg to the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco. Modern-day apprentices learn the tile-making trade here, and visitors can, too. On Tuesdays, tours include a hands-on lesson in making your own Moravian tile. Those and other decorative ceramics are also available at the gift shop.

Bonus Bucks: Reserve tickets to Cocktails at the Castle, the Mercer Museum’s annual fundraising soiree of food, spirits, and music, held in October on the museum grounds.

Enter the Epicenter, New Hope

New Hope was a center of commerce before it became a center of creativity. Goods traveled the Delaware River and adjacent canal. Grist and lumber mills sprang up where streams tumbled into the river. But when waterpower eventually lost its utility in the late 19th century, artists utilized the aging infrastructure.

Considered the dean of the New Hope art colony, William Lathrop made the disused Phillips’ Mill his home and studio in 1899. Fellow artists soon flocked to the area. In 1929, they formed an association to preserve the 1754 mill complex for art exhibitions and social events like popular Sunday teas hosted by the Lathrops.

“It was really the hub of the artistic world in Bucks County,” says the James A. Michener Museum’s Igoe.

And it remains so. The Phillips’ Mill Community Association will host its 95th annual Juried Art Show at the mill this September—the highlight of a calendar that includes a juried photography exhibition each spring, competitions for young artists and emerging playwrights, and cabaret-style musical performances throughout the year.

The arts venue on River Road is part of the Phillips’ Mill Historic District. Just across the way, you’ll spy more evidence of New Hope’s creative legacy. Behind ivy-draped stone walls and ornate iron gates sits the Gothic-style English Village—a group of eight historic buildings that were the working domain of Morgan Colt, an architect, painter, and craftsman who settled there in 1905. A nonprofit is currently working to preserve and restore the sylvan compound, hoping to lure working artists once more.

Explore New Hope and its opposite-shore neighbor, Lambertville, New Jersey, and you’ll discover a thriving arts community filled with dozens of galleries and studios. Two miles south of town, George Nakashima Woodworkers carries on the tradition of George Nakashima, who found work in Bucks County after securing his release from a Japanese-American internment camp in 1943. The family-run studio hosts tours on Friday afternoons and Saturdays from April through October. Advance registration is required through the Nakashima Foundation for Peace.

New Hope also became a social center for VIPs of both the stage and the printed page when the Bucks County Playhouse opened in 1939. Celebrated playwright and local resident Moss Hart helped rally the community—including some famous friends—to convert an abandoned mill into a summer theater.

“With the blessing of Broadway celebrities and $40,000 of their funds, work was started today on the Bucks County playhouse,” reported The York Dispatch in March 1939.

Artist Charles Child (later known as the brother-in-law of Julia Child) painted the original—and still used—stage curtain, featuring a birds-eye view of New Hope. On July 1, 1939, the playhouse opened with Springtime for Henry, starring character actor Edward Everett Horton.

In the decades since, acting royalty have trod Playhouse boards: Helen Hayes, Lillian Gish, Hart’s writing collaborator (and neighbor) George S. Kaufman, Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, Leslie Nielsen, Bea Arthur, Walter Matthau, Bob Fosse, Robert Redford, Bernadette Peters, Mike Nichols, and Liza Minnelli, among others. Grace Kelly and Dick Van Dyke made their stage debuts here in 1949 and 1959, respectively. Also here in 1952, Angela Lansbury walked onto an American stage for the first time. And Harpo Marx spoke (!) during a guest appearance here in the Hart-Kaufman hit, The Man Who Came to Dinner.

The playwrights were as famous as the players. Thornton Wilder appeared in his own work, Our Town, here in 1948, and Neil Simon’s first play had its world premiere at the Playhouse in 1960.

Today, the Bucks County Playhouse stages its own productions and hosts performances by visiting musicians, magicians, comedians, and other acts during a season that runs from April through December. This season’s house productions include the musicals Grease and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

When the Playhouse opened, sponsors vowed to find and nurture unrecognized talent. “We hope to root out talent wherever it is,” said actor Richard Bennett (father of Hollywood’s Constance, Barbara, and Joan) at the 1939 groundbreaking. That effort continues. The Student Theater Festival, in its 56th year, is a multi-week event in which student actors perform on the venue’s historic stage, attend workshops, and learn from theater professionals.

Bonus Bucks: Sip a gin tipple and dine on snacks, sandwiches, or entrees at the theater’s modern Playhouse Deck restaurant, perched above the lovely Delaware River. Proceeds support the nonprofit Playhouse and its theatrical mission.

Barnstorm Bucks

Craving the country life, celebrated New Yorkers snapped up Bucks County farms in the 1930s and ’40s. Literary wit Dorothy Parker had a farm near Pipersville. Her Algonquin Round Table mate George S. Kaufman bought one just minutes away in Holicong. Humorist S. J. Perelman raised turkeys at Eight Ball Farm in Erwinna. Actor Claude Rains had pigs and cattle at his place in Lambertville. Moss Hart married actress Kitty Carlisle in New Hope in 1946, and they lived the rural life nearby in Aquetong.

A handful of farms of the famous are open to the public. Kaufman’s 100-acre Barley Sheaf Farm is a luxurious bed-and-breakfast near the popular attraction Peddler’s Village. Suites in the 1740 fieldstone manor house, a stone-bank barn, and several 1930s-era guest cottages are named for the playwright’s works. Pulitzer Prize- and Nobel Prize-winning novelist Pearl S. Buck lived at Green Hills Farm in Perkasie until her death in 1973, decorating its 19th-century farmhouse with artifacts from her beloved Asia.

Designated a National Historic Landmark and run by the humanitarian foundation that bears her name, the Pearl S. Buck House is open for guided house tours (see the typewriter on which she wrote The Good Earth). Visitors can also stroll beautiful gardens on the 67-acre estate, Buck’s burial place.

About 10 miles away in Doylestown, Highland Farm was the home of Oscar Hammerstein II and birthplace of the lyricist’s famous collaborations with composer Richard Rodgers. Scores for The King and I, Oklahoma, Carousel, South Pacific, and The Sound of Music were written in the 1840 farmhouse, which overlooked fields where “corn is as high as an elephant’s eye” (in the famous words of “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning”). Here, too, Hammerstein mentored a young Stephen Sondheim.

Once a B&B itself, Highland Farm is now owned by the nonprofit Oscar Hammerstein Museum, which hopes to restore it as a museum and theater education center in the future. It’s reported that more than 75 Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, Tony Awards, and Pulitzer Prizes can be directly traced to Highland Farm.

Bonus Bucks: Reserve the Inn at Barley Sheaf Farm’s Art Deco “You Can’t Take It with You” suite and channel the creative vibes in George S. Kaufman’s former writing room.