Hi everyone! When I went on my road trip in October one place I was looking forward to visiting was Little Switzerland, NC. North Carolina ended up being one of my favorite states, in part because of Little Switzerland! When I was looking up different driving routes I discovered Little Switzerland on the map. After looking it up, I knew I had to visit! Switzerland is one of my favorite places that I’ve traveled to, so after finding out it feels like a Switzerland mountain village, I knew I wanted to go! I only spent about an hour in the town, but I’m so glad I ended up visiting!

The Drive There

The drive up to Little Switzerland was something! You take State Highway 226A, which is super twisty and steep!! But the views were absolutely stunning, especially when you get pockets of openness and not just looking between the trees! If you don’t like super twisty roads then this may not be the place for you, but the experience is worth it!

Exploring the Area

The main row of shops is right at an intersection when you make it up the mountain. It’s super cute and includes two shops and a cafe, plus there was an art stand. The art stand sold photography by Christine Grubbs where you could buy photos, prints, and more! The photography was of the local area and the Great Smoky Mountains. I bought a magnet of the mountains at sunset! It is stunning and I love seeing it on my fridge! Afterward, I headed to Little Switzerland Books & Beans.

This is a super cute new and used bookstore, coffee shop and art gallery! I loved wandering the shelves and looking at all of the books they had. I found a used copy of Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s Before the Coffee Gets Cold, which I’ve heard good reviews about, so I knew I needed to get it! On my way out I ordered a chai latte with almond milk, which was delicious! Then went upstairs to check out the art gallery filled with local artisans’ work. Right next door is Switzerland Cafe and General Store, so that’s where I headed next!

The general store had lots of different items for sale and great Little Switzerland merch. I didn’t eat at the cafe, but the reviews looked great! This whole area was super cute and charming and reminded me of the shopping area in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. After exploring the shops I drove up to the Switzerland Inn to see if there was a place I could park to take pictures of the view! Luckily there was, so I took some pictures and enjoyed the stunning view of the mountain range. I could see myself coming back here to just sit outside and look at these views for hours!

I instantly fell in love with this area and I know I will come back again! But next time, I’d like to stay at one of the inns to be able to explore the area more and go hiking! If you’re looking for a fun adventure, cute shops, and aren’t afraid of a twisty road, I highly recommend visiting Little Switzerland, NC!

If you are looking for more travel recommendations, check out the Travel category on my Home page. Please give me a follow on Instagram or Facebook to stay updated about when I post! As always, thank you for your continued support!

Take care and stay safe,

Renée