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Charlottesville Virginia | Make It a Girlfriend Getaway!

By 133 Comments

Starting with its perfect location in the rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, beautiful Charlottesville Virginia is a destination not to be missed.

Charlottesville marries the stately elegance and history of countryside presidential estates with a thriving food, arts and cultural scene in the lively university and downtown mall area. It truly is the best of everything, and a surprisingly wonderful place for a girlfriend getaway.

Charlottesville Virginia Girlfriend Getaway Itinerary

Pondering a girlfriend getaway? Then here are some ideas on what to do in Charlottesville VA with your gal pals.

Charlottesville Virginia Girlfriend Getaway Itinerary

Visit a Cidery – Castle Hill Cider

Forget your sweet fall favorites for a minute, because Castle Hill Cider serves the hard stuff and it is good! If your tastes lean toward the dry, rather than the sweet, you’ll absolutely love it. My pick: Terrestrial.

Located on the historic 600-acre Castle Hill estate in Keswick, the cidery not only makes delicious dry aged ciders, but they have the distinction of being the only cidery in the world to be aging cider in a qvevri.

Castle Hill Cidery - Charlottesville VA

What’s a qvevri? It’s a large terra cotta egg-shaped vessel and the first traceable and purposeful method of underground fermentation and storage. There are eight of them underground and in use at Castle Hill.

qvevry fermentation vessel

Castle Hill Cider qvevry

When in fermentation mode, these are cleaned, sanitized, sealed and locked. We got a peek between uses.

broken qvevri - Castle Hill Cider

Seeing this broken qvevri up close helps you get perspective on the size.

qvevri at historic Castle Hill estate

Be sure you taste the Levity, one of the qvevri-aged ciders when you visit the tasting room, and take a stroll around the grounds if you can. It’s beautiful there!

Castle Hill Cider
6065 Turkey Sag Road
Keswick, VA 22947
Tasting Room – open daily from 11-5
Website

Visit a Winery – Keswick Vineyards

A visit to this cozy tasty room at Keswick Vineyards is well worth your time. The wine style is primarily dry with fruit-forward notes, so whether you prefer dry wines or not, you’ll likely find a wine you love. They grow 12 different varietals on the property, so all but one wine (the Pinot Grigio) are produced with their own grapes.

According to their wine expert, the most popular white is Chardonnay (I loved it!) and the most popular reds are Merlot and Trevillion Red.

Keswick Vineyards Tasting Menu

Fun Fact about the Amelie (pictured above): Amelie Reeves was one of the original descendants of the estate and the label is a charcoal self-portrait she made at age 24. The wine itself is stainless steel aged so it has a bit of an acidity, burn and crispness to it, just like Amelie herself did. Apparently she was a bit of a firecracker.

We happened to visit Keswick Vineyards just hours before their 2014 Cabernet Franc Estate Reserve was being judged for the 2016 Virginia Governor’s Cup, and we found out later that evening that it won! It was pretty exciting to have the chance to get a sneak peek tasting before its official release.

Keswick Vineyards Cabernet Franc - 2016 Virginia Governor's Cup winner

Keswick Vineyards
1575 Keswick Winery Dr.
Keswick, Virginia 22947
Tasting Room – open daily from 9-5 (closed some holidays)
Website

 

Get a Spa Treatment at Keswick Hall 

Keswick Hall itself originated from the beautiful Villa Crawford, a lavish Tuscan-style private residence built in 1912. Over the years, it was turned into a country club and then the world class five star resort it is today. Although I was on the grounds solely to visit the spa, I’m already planning a return so I can stay there, and spend time exploring the magnificent hideaway.

Keswick Hall - Keswick Virginia

But as for the spa, it was fabulous. I enjoyed a most relaxing Swedish massage, and it was completely customized to me. Afterwards I felt as if I had awakened from a blissful, restful slumber even though I had never fallen asleep. It was that relaxing.

Not to mention that we were pampered with infused water, blooming hot tea and champagne with chocolates. The spa at Keswick Hall treats you right.

Keswick Hall Spa

spa at Keswick Hall

chocolates and sips

Keswick Hall Spa
701 Club Drive
Keswick, VA 22947
Appts available daily from 8:30am to 5:15pm
Website

Historic Downtown Mall

This Main Street brick and concrete pedestrian mall in Charlottesville extends a full eight blocks, and is just oozing with history and charm. Home to over 120 shops and 30 restaurants, visitors can easily spend several hours poking around and exploring.

There are also lots of cozy seating areas to people watch, enjoy a coffee and cold drink or just enjoy the shade of the towering oak trees overhead.

Downtown Mall - Charlottesville Virginia

Don’t miss the Community Chalkboard, a freedom of speech wall on which the First Amendment is permanently inscribed and anyone can speak their mind via chalk art at any time. It’s worth a visit and perhaps your two cents.

Community Chalkboard - Freedom of Speech Wall - Downtown Mall Charlottesville VA

Also in the downtown mall are an ice rink, a children’s museum and a restored theater. Visitors can park in nearby parking garages or lots, and a trolley connects the downtown mall to the University of Virginia. The downtown mall is an absolute can’t miss when visiting Charlottesville.

Wine & Design

Bring your own wine and your girlfriends to this evening painting party and class for a 2-hour artistic adventure. You’ll start with a penciled-on template on an otherwise blank canvas, and with easy-to-follow instructions, you’ll leave class with a painting.

Wine & Design Charlottesville VA

The #1 rule is that there are NO mistakes, so everyone’s painting will have a unique look. That’s what makes it so fun… well, that and the wine. It’s a perfect girlfriend getaway activity!

finished painting - Wine & Design Charlottesville Virginia

Wine & Design Charlottesville
609 E Market St #109
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Website

Monticello Artisan Trail (I covered this in another post, so take a peek!)

So there you have it. Proof positive that Charlottesville makes a great girlfriend getaway destination!  Stay tuned for the artisan trail post, ideas on where to stay, where to eat and a visit to the area’s historical gems.

 

Comments

  4. I so need to visit and do this. I have a bucket list as well and I am definitely adding this destination to it. I have so many things i want to do. Love the looks of all that wine too. 🙂

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  9. You had me at spa and wine!!! Charlottesville sounds like a fabulous place to visit! It’s also where Dave Matthews as in the singer is from so I have always wanted to at least take a drive thru the area.

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  14. I love this. It’s been a while since we did a girl’s weekend. This just reminded me how badly we need one!

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  17. Charlottesville sounds like a wonderful place to visit & a Spa Treatment at Keswick Hall sounds like a great experience to go through & get some relaxation needed. I would love a girlfriend vacation as well for sure.

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  27. Charlottesville is on my list to visit. I live in Virginia, so I need to just take a weekend and go with my family.

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  28. All of these things sound right up my alley! I just recently did a wine and painting class with my sister-in-law and mom and it was so much fun! I would definitely do it again! 🙂

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  33. what a perfect place for a get away with the girls. I have always wanted to do something like this with my friends

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  34. I can see how this would be a fabulous girlfriend get away to have. I need me one of those sometime soon, just a purely adult girlfriend day trip or something!

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  35. I’ve never been to Charlottesville which is crazy because I’ve been to a lot of areas in Virginia. I was recently snowboarding down the Blue Ridge Mountains. A winery sounds a lot better though. I need to check

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  36. This looks like such a perfect little place for a girls getaway! This summer my sisters and I are looking into doing one. I’m adding Charlottesville to the list of possibilities. – Katy

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  38. Sounds like a load of fun. I can’t wait until my kids are a bit older so I can do these girlfriend getaways. I think it would be so much fun. I’ve heard a lot about Charlottesville!

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  44. This looks like a fun place to visit. I have always wanted to do the painting class. I’ll have to go next time a group of my friends go. Thank you for sharing your fun adventures.

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  47. sounds like a lot of fan, I wish I was visiting the states any time soon so I could visit Charlottesville but I will have to get my fill of a getaway close to home maybe paris for the easter weekend since you’ve made me want some good wine

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  53. What an awesome way to enjoy girl time! This looks like such an awesome town to enjoy the weekend. I need a spa and wine/cider tasting day very badly.

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  57. I lived in Roanoke Virginia for 13 years and never got to visit Charlottesville. The downtown area looks beautiful and I can tell I would adore staying at Keswick Hall.

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  59. Now that would be a fun girl’s weekend getaway. I had not heard of qvevr, it is crazy to think they are still using them. Sometimes the old way is the best way! We might be moving back to the east coast, if so I will definitely be checking couple of these places out – that spa after a 2500 mile move would be nice!

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  69. It’s been a while since I last went on an out of town trip with my girlfriends! It would be nice to spend some time together here! I love the spa treatment and the painting party ideas!

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  74. I could sure use a girls weekend there! It looks so charming. I really like to explore downtown venues when I visit a new city, and this one looks like they do have a lot to offer!

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  76. Ciders really can be good. I do believe you are right and this could be a fabulous vacation spot for a trip with the girls.

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  78. I live only 1 hr from charlottesville. Never did a girls weekend but a few times with my husband.

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  87. I have never been to Virginia and after seeing your pics I agree that this would make the perfect girlfriend getaway. Maybe I might invite my girlfriends so we can do a weekend getaway.

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  90. That’s pretty close to where I live (within driving distance for a girl’s weekend) and it looks like a great time! I think I need to start planning a trip.

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  92. I have never been! I am looking for a good girlfriends getaway somewhere in Virginia, because it’s an in-between place for many of my best blog friends.

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  96. Are you kidding me, that looks like the most amazing place to visit. I’ve never been to Virginia. Let me just say that my life is so beyond stressful most days that a getaway like this would rock my world!

    Reply

  97. I’ve only ever been to one winery and that’s a small locally owned one here in town. I’d be very curious to see how a larger winery operates, especially if they have those large underground containers! Those fascinate me xD

    This looks like you had a ton of fun! One day I hope to be able to afford to go on a small getaway like this with a few close friends.

    Reply

  98. I’ve never been to Charlottesville, although it looks like a lot of fun. I’ll have to check it out the next time I’m on the East Coast. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  100. I am planning a trip with friends to a few wineries in the South. Not sure if we are going up as far as Virginia but will keep this area in mind.

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  104. Now, I could handle every bit of that girls trip! I love the little Historic Downtown area. Thank you for recommending and sharing. I’m adding this to my list of adventures!

    Reply

  105. This is an incredible girl-pal getaway! I have never been to the foothills of Blue Ridge Mountains in Charlottesville Virginia, but now I am so curious! You can do a spa day, drink wine, and many more! Wow! Next time I play a getaway with my friends I have to remember this place! Thanks for sharing!

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  106. VA really has some great wineries. Perfect for a girls day out or bridal shower. I enjoyed he photos and recap!

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  108. What a wonderful place to visit for a girlfriend getaway. I think the Spa looks incredible and taking a tour of the downtown area would be amazing! I want to visit Charlotesville!

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  109. I loved hanging out with you in Charlottesville! The spa treatment was amazing, I’ve been telling my whole family about how great it was. I can’t believe I missed the cider tasting, though.

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  115. Virginia is on my list of places to visit. Charlottesville looks beautiful. I would love to visit and stay in a B&B. The chalk wall is super cool and the downtown shoppes look like a don’t miss destination. Very interesting about the qvevri! I would enjoy visiting with my best friend, my hubby 🙂

    Reply

  117. Seems to be an alcohol theme… I like it 😉 Great suggestions for a girly getaway, I know me and my friends would love any one of these 🙂

    Reply

  120. I’ve always wanted to grab my girlfriends and head to a painting class. I never knew there was so much to do in Charlottesville. It’s perfect for a girlfriend getaway.

    Reply

  121. I take a road trip to the beach with my girlfriends every year. We all say it’s the best week of the year!

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  123. That sounds like such a fun place to visit. I will definitely keep this in mind 🙂

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  124. I would love to visit that cidery–it sounds intriguing. And that spa–oh how I desperately need a spa day–week–month. I hope that some day I get a chance to get down there. It sounds like a great place to visit and relax.

    Reply

  125. I really like the mix of fun and history. I would like to attend a Wine and Design class. It seems like so much fun.

    Reply

  128. What an amazing place to have a girlfriend getaway. My sisters and I were thinking about going to Savannah next year on a getaway, but this sounds like more fun.

    Reply

  129. Looks like an very amazing place with lots to see and do, but also loving the tea and cakes. Would be nice to getaway for a few days.

    Reply

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