The Biltmore

Biltmore House seen from the access road

Biltmore House seen from the access road

On Thursday, November 3, 2016, David and Amelia picked us up and drove us to Asheville where we spent the night. We had tickets to visit the Biltmore Estate the following day, something we had wanted to do for quite some time. As an added bonus, the day of our visit coincided with the first day the Christmas decorations were up. This made it an obvious choice for the December update of this site; in addition, the comparison with the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild presented last month is certainly interesting.

While the Villa Ephrussi is subtle and places great emphasis on details, the Biltmore wants to impress and overwhelm. It succeeds admirably well. At some 250 rooms, it is the largest privately-owned house in the United States. A description of the Bilmore is by necessity a compilation of superlatives. Rather than list them myself, I invite the reader to take a look at the Wikipedia article describing the Biltmore Estate.

After touring the Biltmore House, we took some time out to wander around and admire the truly spectacular grounds. All in all, we had a lovely visit: great venue, great company, and Asheville is always a fun place to visit. As for the Villa Ephrussi pictures, all photos were taken with the Fujifilm X100s.

Click on any image to see a larger (2100 x 1400 pixel) version!


The three fireplaces of the Banquet Hall The pipe organ in the Banquet Hall

The three fireplaces of the Banquet Hall

The pipe organ in the Banquet Hall


The Breakfast Room The Music Room The 10,000 volume library

The Breakfast Room

The Music Room

The 10,000 volume library


In the library Salon

In the library

Salon


Tapestry Gallery Nativity

Tapestry Gallery

Nativity


The Winter Garden The Grand Staircase Oak Sitting Room

The Winter Garden

The Grand Staircase

Oak Sitting Room


Second Floor Living Hall Desk in Edith Vanderbilt's bedroom

Second Floor Living Hall

Desk in Edith Vanderbilt's bedroom


Third Floor Living Hall Third Floor Living Hall

Third Floor Living Hall

Third Floor Living Hall


Damask Room Looking sown the Grand Staircase

Damask Room

Looking sown the Grand Staircase


Claude Room Crib in the Louis XV Room Christmas decoration

Claude Room

Crib in the Louis XV Room

Christmas decoration


The indoor pool The bowling alley

The indoor pool

The bowling alley


The main kitchen Pots and pans

The main kitchen

Pots and pans>


Servants' dining room The laundry

Servants' dining room

The laundry


The billiard room Smoking Room

The billiard room

Smoking Room


View toward the South Terrace Looking over the South Terrace

View toward the South Terrace

Looking over the South Terrace


View from the South Terrace Biltmore South Terrace

View from the South Terrace

Biltmore South Terrace


The Walled Garden Looking toward the greenhouse

The Walled Garden

Looking toward the greenhouse


Fall colors In the gardens

Fall colors

In the gardens


Fall colors Biltmore House through the trees

Fall colors

Biltmore House through the trees


Biltmore House seen from the front lawn

Biltmore House seen from the front lawn


The photos on this page were taken on November 4, 2016.
They and several others may also be viewed in a gallery or slide show.




<< Previous

Trips Home

Next >>

Home | Site Info | Family | The Area | Trips | France | Work | Rants | Photography | Odds & Ends




This page was last modified on December 1, 2016
Send feedback about this page to feedback@kiechle.com
https://www.kiechle.com/trips/biltmore/index.htm

All contents © 1999-2024 The Kiechles