The Culture Trip, a site dedicated to sharing global culture and lifestyle, created a list of the “10 Most Beautiful Towns in Kentucky.”
“Scenic, full of Southern charm and rich in history, Kentucky – or the ‘Bluegrass State’ – is home to some of the most beautiful small towns in the country,” author Helen Armitage wrote. “From the ‘Bourbon Capital of the World’ Bardstown, to arty communities like Paducah and Berea, we round-up 10 of the state’s most charming towns.”
Among the top 10 list are cities including four college towns: Berea, Danville, Morehead and Murray. Other cities that made the list were Bardstown, Harrodsburg, Paducah, Greenville, Augusta and Glasgow.
Bardstown
“Named one of the ‘Most Beautiful Small Towns in America’ by the Rand McNally, picturesque Bardstown is located in the heart of Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region,” Armitage wrote. “Known as the ‘Bourbon Capital of the World,’ Bardstown has the art of distilling the tipple down to a fine art, with some local distilleries dating back as far as 1776 and celebrates this history each September with the annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival.” She also said that while the eclectic downtown is part of its charm, it was interesting to find that the My Old Kentucky Home State Park offered a Broadway-style musical, The Stephen Foster Story, based on the composer of Kentucky’s state song.
Berea
Labeled as a breeding ground for artists, Armitage wrote that the Berea Craft Festival and the Berea Celtic Festival catered to those who came to the city. “Beautiful downtown Berea is home to several historically significant sites such as Berea College – a liberal arts college founded in 1855 and the South’s first interracial and coeducational institute – and Boone Tavern, a hotel opened in 1909 listed on the National Register of Historical Places and named after American pioneer and explorer Daniel Boone,” she wrote.
Harrodsburg
“Dating back to 1774, Harrodsburg is the state’s oldest city and home to a smorgasbord of interesting sites relating to its rich history including the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, America’s biggest restored Shaker settlement, and Dedman Drugstore which first opened in 1865 and today is home to its original soda fountain and The Kentucky Fudge Company,” Armitage wrote. She also mentioned the Dixie Belle paddle steamer and Kentucky River Palisades as part of Harrodsburg’s uniqueness.
Paducah
“Designated a UNESCO Coty of Crafts and Folk Art in 2013, Paducah – also known as Quilt City USA – is a mecca for quilt and fiber-based artists and home to The National Quilt Museum and the annual QuiltWeek festival,” the list says. It also used the architecture, art district and range of shops and boutiques as its rationale.
Danville
“A certified Kentucky Cultural District – and just one of six in the whole state – Danville is home to landmarks rich in history and a plethora of art galleries, museums and first-rate restaurants,” Armitage wrote. “The site of many firsts, Danville’s Constitution Square is the location of the first post office built west of the Alleghany Mountains and the town was home to pioneering American surgeon Ephraim McDowell, the first physician to perform a successful abdominal surgery.”
Greenville
Described as “an idyllic small American town,” Greenville is probably known most for its festivals and events. “The county seat of Kentucky’s Muhlenberg County, Greenville’s picturesque and historic town square is the location of a beautiful Beaux-Arts style courthouse built in 1907 which features the state’s second largest bell tower dome and the biggest pre-fabricated cupola in the whole country, while Greenville’s quaint downtown is fast becoming known for its festivals which include Saturdays on the Square, a series of summertime events, and the outdoor art festival Squash & Gobble Arts Bazaar and Fall Festival,” Armitage wrote.
Augusta
“Listed by noted historian Thomas D. Clark as one of 11 Kentucky treasures that have helped shape the history and culture of the state, the Ohio River town of Augusta in northeastern Kentucky was founded in 1797 though as the town grew excavations revealing skeletal remains point to it as an earlier Native American settlement,” she wrote. “Today, home to just over 1000 people, Augusta is tiny but full of small town charm and its crowning glory is undoubtedly Riverside Drive – a scenic spot with picturesque views of the river valley and beautiful 18th and 19th century architecture that is also home to Augusta’s annual Art in the Garden festival.”
Glasgow
“Known as the home of the Glasgow Highland Games – an annual celebration of Scottish heritage taking place in town for the past 30 years and listed among the state’s top summer events by the Kentucky Tourism Council – Glasgow’s location in the Caves, Lakes and Corvettes region close to Mammoth Cave National Park also makes the town a perfect starting point for exploring the state’s natural wonders,” Armitage wrote. She also noted that Glasgow was recently named as one of the 15 Best Places to Live in Kentucky by real estate gurus Movoto.
Murray
If you’re looking for a friendly place to live in Kentucky, Murray might be it, since it was recently voted as the “Friendliest Small Town in America” in the 2013 Rand McNally-USA Today Best of the Road series. “Murray’s picture-perfect town center is home to several cultural institutions including the Clara M. Eagle Art Gallery at Murray State University and Playhouse in the Park – a community theater housed in a former train depot – and the town’s annual Independence Day celebration Freedom Festival, featuring street fairs, cookouts and concerts,” she wrote.
Morehead
“Located in the northern reaches of the beautiful Daniel Boone National Forest in northeastern Kentucky, Morehead is a lovely, laid-back town nestled against the backdrop of the scenic Appalachian Mountain foothills,” Armitage wrote. From Morehead State University to the CCC Trail Vineyard and Winery to the annual Poppy Mountain Festival, Morehead offers something for everyone.
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