Little Switzerland Day Trip – 2025
Our last monthly trip to explore more of North Carolina took us to Little Switzerland. We plan these trips with our neighbor and friend, Barbara. Little Switzerland is located along North Carolina Highway 226A off the Blue Ridge Parkway, directly north of Marion and south of Spruce Pine.
We took off on the 30th, excited to see yet another small touristy town that’s well-known as a summer colony high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The drive was beautiful, and the weather was nice. The sky was accented by clouds that resembled a painted landscape, holding more appeal than a cloudless day.
The Blue Ridge Mountains are stunning, and at an elevation of 3,468 feet, Little Switzerland offers beautiful views of those mountains, creating an awe-inspiring moment. The town is named after the view of the Blue Ridge, which resembles the foothills of the Swiss Alps, and as such, many of the buildings feature the architecture typically found in Switzerland. Don’t forget the full name of the town, though. Little Switzerland has a population of around 46 people! Yes, it’s small!
Our first stop was at one of the town’s only two shopping areas. This cluster of businesses, located in an older building, includes a café, a wine and cheese shop, and Books & Beans.
The bookshop features multiple rooms filled with books, providing an opportunity to spend hours browsing. It’s a unique shop, and if you prefer to browse the books with a coffee in hand, they serve some specialty drinks we indulged in, along with a pastry.
A few tables are located on the porch for those who wish to sit and enjoy the outdoors while indulging in a morning nosh. And that’s where you would have found us after grabbing a specialty drink and pastry.
Our next stop was at the Little Switzerland Inn – a place you’d want to indulge yourself for a repast to rest and soak up the views! The summer resort, established in 1910, is the largest and oldest hotel in the town. It offers a variety of lodging options, ranging from rustic cottages to suites with mountain views. They also provide a restaurant, spa, pool, and numerous spots to take in the views. I would have loved to have a drink on the patio bar area, but it was too early, and we weren’t hungry after the pastries!
There were a few more shops adjacent to the inn, but they were closed during the work week. It didn’t stop us from shopping – Barbara and I are shoppers! I was able to snag a sweet moose ornament at the bookshop, and at the gift shop in the inn, hubby got a T-shirt, and I grabbed some specialty jam. The food items are my downfall…
On our trip home, we stopped in Marion at a Latin American restaurant called Restaurante Y Pupuseria Dora, a family-owned establishment. Much like Mexican food, we found the food here to be excellent.
Who knows where our next day trip leads us, but we’re looking! Stay tuned!
