Virginia's Shenandoah Valley

The Shenandoah Valley region, renowned for its majestic mountains, its breathtaking scenery and glorious valley, covers most of western Virginia. It's a section of the Great Valley that extends from New Jersey to Tennessee. In Virginia, it funnels between the Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountains. The Shenandoah Valley, "daughter of the stars," with its rich limestone soil, is one of the most fertile regions in the state - an area that once was the breadbasket of the Confederacy. It is also a region that abounds with natural wonders and opportunities for outdoor activities ranging from hiking to horseback riding, and from tennis to snow skiing. The Shenandoah's largest city, Roanoke, is a bustling community with a population of more than 95,000 people and a culture all its own. Steeped in the arts and history, Roanoke lies at the heart of an area where year-round festivals offer a myriad of regional foods and crafts. Shenandoah. The name stirs the blood and conjures romantic images of a long-lost age of magnificence, grand country homes, horse-drawn carriages, elegant men with impeccable manners and beautiful ladies dressed in crinolines. And there's much more. It's an area of extraordinary natural beauty, of rushing rivers, broad meadows, and sweeping mountain vistas. Shenandoah, truly, is Virginia's crowning glory. Here is the most detailed guide to this area - the sights, activities, the history, its hotels, festival, places to eat.