Charleston - the second in terms of size and the first in terms of age, the city in South Carolina. The historical center of the city is on a peninsula formed by two rivers, Ashley and Cooper, flowing into the Atlantic. During the Civil War, the city was captured without noticeable damage, so the old Charleston preserved century-old buildings, beautiful churches, the spiers of which tower above the low urban development, and the colorful harbor. The atmosphere of the good old south Charleston reminds his neighbor Savannah.

A bit of history

Charles Town, as the city was first called, was founded in 1670 by Anthony Ashley Cooper on the west bank of the river - a few kilometers northwest of present Charleston. In the 90's. In the same century English colonists erected fortified walls around the settlement, and although the walls were destroyed thirty years later, the restricted area with cobbled streets and old houses is still preserved in the city. Like the noteworthy quarters built in colonial, Georgian, federal, Italian, Victorian and Greek styles,

Tours in the USA from the tour operator "ART TOUR"!

Collection of tours in the USA! "Hollywood Vacation", 7n. - from 63 900 rubles / person + flight. "Northern Constellation", 7 n. - from 126 900 rubles / person + flight
"World of Cinema and Casino", 7n. - from 85,900 rubles / person + flight
Combinations by cities + rest in the Hawaiian Islands!
Nat. US parks and casino tours to Las Vegas!

(495) 980-21-21 • www.arttour.ru

Your advertising here: www.reklama.travel

How to get to Charleston

Charleston International Airport is located about 19 km north-west of the city center, and you can get to the city by shuttling or city bus. The city is located almost in the middle of the Atlantic coast of South Carolina, and it is easily accessible by road, by the Amtrak train or by the Greyhound bus.

Charleston's entertainment, excursions and attractions

Charleston Museum on Meeting Street is located directly opposite the tourist center. But perhaps even more interesting is the Gibbs Museum of Art, which was opened in 1905 and amazes the imagination with a collection of more than 10,000 pieces of fine art. Mostly these are the works of American authors, and special emphasis is placed on the masterpieces of Charlestonians and southerners in general

Fort Sumter National Monument is the very place where the Civil War began. The fort is located on the island, and ferries run from Freedom Square in downtown or from Patriots Point near Pleasant Mountain. The ferry goes to the fort about half an hour. The fort itself actually lies in ruins, but there are signs and signs everywhere that describe what and where it was located. In addition, there is a museum on the territory.

Patriots Point is to the right of the Ravenel Bridge. Here is the Naval Museum with an impressive display of weapons, including the aircraft carrier Yorktown and the submarine Klagamor. In addition, the museum has a plane and a restored camp of the Vietnam War. And on the island of Sullivan, not far from the city, there is the second old Fort - Multri, actively used during the revolution and the Civil War.

A charming and ancient French quarter - one of the most ancient and picturesque in the city. It is located between the streets of Market and Tradd, the meeting and the embankment. Just here in its time stood a wall built by the English colonists. There are a lot of art galleries in the French Quarter, as well as the St. Phillips Church, the French Huguenot Church and many beautiful historic houses.

Another very interesting city attraction is the refractory building on Meeting Street. It was built in 1827 and is believed to be today the oldest refractory structure in the United States. Above the building, Robert Mills, the first-born American (Charleston), who studied for an architect, worked. The building was built mainly of monolithic stone in a simple Greek style with Doric columns. Today the house is home to the historical society of South Carolina

White Point Garden is a beautiful park located at the southern end of the peninsula. From here, wonderful views are opened, especially on the Batteri promenade, along the Cooper River. On the promenade, elegant mansions, terribly expensive, lined up in a row. Another nice green place to relax is the Waterfront Park, which stretches from the Wendeway Range to Water Street along the Cooper River. And from the shipyard in Wendewood Range, a good view of the Ravenel Bridge opens.

A special place to visit in Charleston is the market, the old shopping area at the beginning of Market Street. According to the popular urban legend, in this market they never sold slaves (the remains of the slave market can be seen in the neighborhood, in a few blocks). Anyway, today it is more than a fertile place for tourists, where everything is sold, from candy and cotton candy to crocodile leather wallets.

There are some nice beaches in the city. The most convenient, simple tourist of them is the Folly Beach. More exquisite options - the beaches of Sullivan and the islands of Palm. The warm water and gentle surf with no wind and waves attract many tourists - especially in late spring and early autumn

Being church Charleston in Charleston, we can not ignore the city's numerous church . Beautiful snow-white French Protestant church - one of the two remaining Huguenot churches in the US It . was built in 1844 g . in the style of the Gothic Revival, and a year later for the church was bought a unique organ, created in New York, of the same tone as the classical baroque ins trumenty . Lutheran Church of St. Matthew was built in 1840 with the participation of 50 . citizens of German origin, who wanted to pray in their own language . It is distinguished by typical gothic sharp spire height of 78 m, the wonderful stained glass windows and an organ .

The first Presbyterian church on Meeting Street is known as the "Silent Church": during the war its bells were given to the refinishing for the cannon of the Confederation. Episcopal Church of St. Phillips was built in 1836, and the beautiful tiered spire acquired in 1850. Also in the city is one of the oldest synagogues in the United States: its building in the Greek Revival style was built in the 1740s

. Events of Charleston

Spoleto Festival in June is considered one of the best art festivals in the USA. It was organized "based on" the festival in the Italian town of the same name by the composer Giancarlo Menotti. The festival also has a "younger brother" - Piccolo Spoleto, which takes place at the same time.

Autumnal pumpkin festival St. James takes place on the same avenue, on the Gusin creek. This annual October event includes a charity sale of pumpkins on weekdays and various festival events on weekends, with music and street food. Also in October, the festival "The Taste of Charleston", which is definitely worth a visit - is known for its excellent cuisine, especially seafood. And in January, the city hosts the festival of oysters by Loukantri.