Why not take Market Street as your starting point? Here local artists, shops and markets enliven the heart of old Charleston. You can walk down toward the port, or explore the cross streets filled with restaurants and boutiques: King, Meeting, Church, State or East Bay Street.

With its stately antebellum mansions set along cobblestone streets, gardens of magnolias and hibiscus, church spires and countryside plantations, Charleston is like a picture postcard. In the streets of the old quarter, you’ll see narrow houses of two to four stories, with the end or one side facing the street. This typical architectural style was developed for two reasons: wide porches on each landing were positioned to catch the sea breeze and provide relief from the summer heat. Furthermore, the British Crown had imposed a frontage tax, so for reasons of economy, the houses were built so that the smallest side faced the street.

Though Charleston has moved into the modern era with renowned restaurants serving local “Low Country” cooking, vibrant antique stores and the annual art explosion known as the Spoleto Festival, the city remains a throwback to an earlier time. Still in existence is America’s first golf course and club, dating to 1786. Dubbed the “best-mannered” city in the U.S., things seem to move more slowly in Charleston than in other places. The Spanish moss-draped live oak trees and historic pastel-colored homes along the waterfront must be savored on foot. Horse and buggy rides are de rigueur.

With its semi-tropical climate, the city is warm year-round, though spring is the favored season. Then, azaleas and jasmine scent the air and the dogwoods blossom with color.

Charleston boasts more than 300 years of history: the first shots of the Civil War were fired here. If you want to breathe in the sea air, head down Vendue Range to stop at the 18th century boutique hotel, the Vendue Inn, and have a cocktail at The Rooftop, offering views over the whole peninsula. Walk down to the harbor, with its barnacle-encrusted dock posts; stroll along the shore or go along East Bay to reach the Battery, which once defended the colonial city. The street becomes Murray Boulevard as you head back up toward the Ashley River through a chic neighborhood of magnificent houses and gardens.

Nathaniel-Russell House, 51 Meeting Street, dating from the early 19th century
Aiken-Rhett House, 48 Elizabeth Street
Old Slave Exchange
Charles Town Landing
Dock Street Theatre, etc.

Charleston Harbor, Patriots Point, where you can admire 4 ships, including the famous aircraft carrier Yorktown, as well as 25 planes, each a page from the history of World War II and the Vietnam War.

Nearby:
Fort Sumter National Monument, Fort Moultrie, Cypress Gardens, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Drayton Hall.

Relax at the Boone Hall Plantation. This is the plantation that was used in the filming of the ABC mini-series, "North and South". It includes a large post-civil war farmhouse, a number of original slave cabins (which were occupied by sharecroppers well into the 20th century), several flowering gardens, and the historic "Avenue of Oaks": a mile drive up the house with live oaks on either side. I

Planters Inn – Charleston
Located in the heart of the largest historic district in the United States, Planters Inn, built in 1844, is the ideal starting point for your visit to Charleston. Its rooms echo the noble accents of the local landscape, by recreating a calm, peaceful, yet luxurious decor. The courtyard and verandas, with their ornate fountains, create an urban oasis. The renowned “Peninsula Grill” proposes regional American cooking and an award-winning wine list.

Woodlands Resort & Inn – Summerville (37 km)
Charleston’s luxury getaway, this magnificently restored 1906 Greek revival mansion is famous for its elegantly decorated guest rooms with subdued, traditional décor, and the regionally inspired New American cuisine of chef Tarver King, accompanied by an award-winning wine list. This romantic retreat’s charming atmosphere and dreamy Southern pace of life beckons relaxation.