Virginia

From soaring mountains to beach resorts along the Atlantic coast, Virginia is diverse enough to feed every passion. And with more than 300 wineries and 200-plus craft breweries, it has something for every taste.

Discover outdoor adventures, mouthwatering restaurants and winding wine trails. 

And did we mention Virginia was home to historical figures like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson? This land also saw several hard-fought battles during the Civil War, marked today by historic sites and trails; six National Parks reflect on these events.

Colonial Williamsburg brings 18th-century heritage to life through historical re-enactments, tours and museum collections. Nearby, gain a glimpse into America’s origins at the first permanent English colony — Jamestown — and Yorktown, where the American Revolution was won.

Getting Around

Get a feel for Virginia by viewing the map below, and explore a map of the state here.

A widespread Amtrak network means you can reach cities like Lynchburg, Norfolk, Roanoke and Fredericksburg with relative ease.

Get out and explore Virginia’s 38 state parks, hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails, and winding rivers and tributaries. Shenandoah National Park, near Luray in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is a recreational gem covering 200,000 acres of protected lands.

Annual Events

The Crooked Road, southwest Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, is a destination for traditional music lovers year-round, but even more so during the nine-day Mountains of Music Homecoming, a celebration with concerts and performances across the region. 

Known as the Chincoteague Island Pony Swim, wild ponies from Assateague Island are rounded up annually to swim across the channel to Chincoteague Island. A carnival, parade and other festivities complement the event. 

For more than 50 years, the East Coast Surfing Championships has made its home on the big waves of Virginia Beach. Lovers of sun and sand celebrate the surf with riding the waves, concerts, paddleboarding, beach volleyball and much more. 

Fire, Flour & Fork gathers food enthusiasts for dining events, cooking demonstrations, tours and other culinary delights to celebrate the best the Richmond region has to offer.

What’s New in Virginia

Virginia’s Blue Ridge has been designated a Silver-Level Ride Center™ by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), making it America’s East Coast Mountain Biking Capital. 

The Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University brought a pipeline of contemporary art to Richmond with its spring 2018 debut. 

Last year also saw the addition of two hotels steeped in history; Virginia Beach’s Cavalier Hotel, a mainstay on the oceanfront since 1927, has been reimagined while still paying homage to its storied past. And the development of The Bristol Hotel has served to repurpose downtown Bristol’s Executive Plaza, which dates back to 1925. The boutique hotel features a rooftop bar with sweeping views of the Appalachian Mountains.

To explore the rest of the Capital Region, visit our Washington, DC and Maryland pages.