Charleston has been on my Cities to Visit list for quite sometime. January I visited my sister who lives right outside of Charleston and had a long list of attractions and sites to visit. While I had grand plans, Charleston is definitely the kind of city you need to visit multiple times.
On this trip we visited the Downtown Historic District which is steps from the Port of Charleston Cruise Terminal. You can customize a your cruise vacation by spending a few days in Charleston or Myrtle Beach and taking in the sites before or after your next Carnival Cruise.
Our first Charleston landmark was the U.S Custom House which was built after the Civil War in 1879 and was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1974. The Charleston Historic District in itself is a National Historic Landmark District. Many of the buildings are part of a 18th and 19th-century architecture collection.
Charleston was the leading city in the South from the colonial era down to the Civil War. Like many cities in the South, Charleston is deep rooted in Civil War history and was the first state to ever secede from the Union. The Confederate Museum was formed by the Charleston Chapter #4, United Daughters of the Confederacy. In 1899, former soldiers were called to bring their war-time possessions for donation to the new museum. Visitors can tour the museum for $5 while in the Downtown Charleston area.
Charleston is home to “Charleston Style” homes in which you walk in the front door to a porch. Like the New Orleans, Charleston has their own “French Quarter” which is a section of downtown Charleston which recognizes the high concentration of French merchants in the area’s history.
Currently you can find many of Charleston’s most popular restaurants, retail space and visitor attractions in Downtown Charleston. Bring comfortable shoes or take a bike taxi and tour the area like a true tourist!
Belmond Charleston Place is one of Charleston’s most popular hotels. The 17th century residences/suites with plush amenities like a roof-top pool, southern inspired decor and an Italian marble lobby with signature Georgian Open Arm staircase and 12-foot crystal chandelier.
You can pop into the Belmond Charleston Place while in town for spa treatments, dine at the dining in the award-winning Charleston Gril, or shop at their exclusive collection of world-famous stores.
The 12-foot crystal chandelier is breathtaking! My husband is an electrician so I am always looking at fixtures. I can see why the Belmond Charleston Place is a popular wedding venue in Charleston.
My sister has been living in outside of Charleston in Summerville for several years and this was her first visit the the shops at the Belmond Charleston Place. If you’re visiting the area or a local, pop in and take a look! You may want to add it to your next Charleston experience.
City Market is a historic market complex in downtown Charleston, South Carolina and popular tourist destination for visitors. Originally the market built as a replacement structure due to the fire in 1796 quickly became a convenient place for area farms and plantations to sell beef and produce. It’s close proximity to harbor also allowed fisherman to sell their catch to residents and local businesses.
Today it is used to sell handmade jewelry, food items and other items to daily visitors. City Market has been remodeled and preserved over the years and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Historic Landmark.
You can easily spend an entire day at Charleston’s Downtown Historic District and have more to see the next day. The area is culturally diverse and covers the heart of the city within walking distance.
I would suggested spending a day to enjoy the architecture, shopping and the flavors of Charleston on day one with a day of museum tours the following day. A number of important early civic and institutional buildings are located in Downtown Charleston which play an important part of our U.S and local history.
Keep an eye out for additional Charleston content coming soon. Find additional city guides on our website and attraction info for other U.S cities as well.
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