Low Cost Hotels in Charleston ➤ Best Prices Guaranteed!

The first shots of the Civil War were fired in Charleston Harbor at Fort Sumter, but the city was fortunate to escape the war without serious damage. The historic seaport of Charleston, founded in the 1680s at the confluence of two rivers on South Carolina’s Atlantic coast, today evokes the romance of a gracious Old South with its antebellum mansions and languid elegance. Horse-drawn carriages cruise palmetto-lined streets of lovingly preserved homes built in colonial, Georgian, Italianate and Victorian architectural styles. Several plantations nearby, with their “great houses” and live oaks draped with Spanish moss, reveal another dimension of life before the war between the states.
Founded in 1670, Charleston had gained the genteel reputation of a great Southern lady as early as the Civil War days. Today, its graceful architecture, uncrowded squares, delectable Low Country cuisine, great golfing, and leisurely pace make it a haven in a world where everything's on fast-forward. History buffs can explore Museum Mile and the Historic District, take a Gullah Tour to learn about the traditions and language of the African-Americans descended from West African slaves, or visit the many historic and/or allegedly haunted buildings sprinkled around neighborhoods like the High Battery waterfront and the French Quarter. Insiders say a carriage ride is one of the best ways to experience this city. They also point out, with a wink, that although Charleston's nicknamed "The Holy City" because it has so many churches, it seems to have at least one watering hole for every place of worship.
Forget the image of West Virginia as a backwards mining state. Coal mining is still around, but these days West Virginia is cashing in on its "mountain state" appeal, and the capital, Charleston, is growing rapidly. It is a hilly town of musicians (public radio's Mountain Stage is produced here), university students and government employees. Huntington is 50 miles to the east on the Ohio and Kentucky border. The once rural area is quickly becoming known as the "greater metro area." Charleston is also a town of chemical giants, notably Union Carbide and DuPont, whose plants fill much of the downtown area and for long have been filled with area workers. Rec-heads take note: the Charleston area has some of the finest whitewater in the east, mountains to climb and fish to catch.