Visit Nearby Biltmore Estates for Magical Holiday Getaway

For Cobb County and North Georgia residents looking for a nearby mountain getaway, the holiday displays at Biltmore Estates are just a short drive away and an easy holiday destination.

Just a short drive from Cobb County, the holidays are a perfect time to visit The BiltmorePhoto byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

Plus, there's still plenty of time to visit the spectacular holiday displays at the mountainside estate and to catch the stunning limited-time interactive art display showing now.

Located just 200 miles and about 4 hours from Cobb County, Christmas at the Biltmore is like no other holiday. Elegantly decorated, the historic estate offers multiple tour options for day, night and extended stays.

Virtually every one of the main rooms at the Biltmore is adorned in holiday decor.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

We chose a nighttime tour of the home, combined with a multi-day pass that included access to the limited-time interative art exhibit, Italian Renaissance. That allowed us to walk and drive the grounds, enjoy a nightime tour of the home, and spend hours gazing at the changing Renaisance art displays.

During our evening tour, multiple musical groups performed onsite and in the home, including a choral group singing holiday tunes.

Holiday decor filled the expansive mansion, with virtually every major room bathed in holiday lights and adorned with greenery or other decorations.

We filled our daytime visit hours with long walks around the huge gardens, plus exploring the miles of well-marked trails that traverse the grounds. Without actually getting lost, it was easy to lose ourselves in the natural settings or to enjoy gazing on the broad array of exotic plants in the glass-ceilinged Conservatory.

We filled our daytime visit hours with long walks around the huge gardens, plus exploring miles of walking trails.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

Skipping the wine tasting at the estate's onsite winery, we still browsed the wine shop and purchased a few bottles of the limited-time holiday wines and the standard offers. For those who really enjoy the wine, a wine club also is available. And while visiting the winery does require paid admission to the estate, you also can check out the wine selection and wine tasting at the Gate House Gift Shop.

While we enjoyed multiple meals at the onsite restaurants, we chose to stay off property, where the choices were plentiful and less expensive for comparable, quaint overnight experiences.

And with an extra day, we walked throughout lovely downtown Asheville, using a free tour from the GPS My City app to guide us to some of the historic and funky sites.

To see the holiday and interactive Renaissance art displays, you'll need to visit by January 7, when both events conclude. But a visit anytime can be great fun, with or without the special holiday decor.

For more information and tickets, visit the Biltmore website.