Formed more than a century ago by the merger of adjoining towns Winston and Salem, the Twin City boasts a vibrant downtown acclaimed for its festivals of film, dance, food, music, and art. Located about three miles from the main campus, downtown Winston-Salem is a thriving area that includes galleries and shops, indoor and outdoor performance spaces, museums, hotels, restaurants and sidewalk cafes, as well as a greenway that traverses the Old Salem district.

Like to try a microbrew after your hike? North Carolina is the home of beer in the South with nearly 100 breweries and brewpubs — the most of any state south of Pennsylvania and east of Texas.