Asheville or Williamsburg, Virginia?

Neither town is a beach destination, but Williamsburg comes closer. It has the calm river beach at Yorktown about 20 minutes away, Chesapeake Bay beaches in Hampton and the long Atlantic sands of Virginia Beach within an hour, all warm enough to swim in high summer.

Asheville has no sea within reach at all. Swimming there means cold mountain water: waterfall pools, Sliding Rock, a float on the French Broad or the small sandy shore of Lake Lure.

Asheville eats and drinks much better. Its breweries spread across downtown, the South Slope and West Asheville, and its chef-driven kitchens cook with Appalachian trout, heirloom corn, ramps and mushrooms from the region's farms.

Williamsburg's table is simpler and more touristy. Country ham biscuits, peanut soup and bay crab cakes and oysters are the things worth seeking out, but the colonial taverns sell atmosphere more than cooking, and Richmond Road is mostly chains and pancake houses.

Williamsburg has the deeper sightseeing for history lovers. The whole restored colonial capital is the attraction, from the Capitol along Duke of Gloucester Street to the Wren Building, with working craftsmen and costumed interpreters bringing the eighteenth century to life and serious folk and decorative art museums alongside.

Asheville's culture rests on two things: the Biltmore Estate, a full day in itself, and a downtown of 1920s Art Deco and Beaux-Arts buildings. Beyond those the list thins quickly, while Williamsburg's interest is spread across an entire townscape.

Asheville has the livelier evenings, though both towns go to bed fairly early. Its taprooms, cocktail bars and dive bars sit within walking distance of each other downtown and on the South Slope, with a looser local scene along Haywood Road in West Asheville.

In Williamsburg a candlelit ghost walk or tavern supper is usually the whole night, apart from a few student pubs near the college. Anyone wanting more drives to Norfolk or Richmond.

This is the widest gap between the two. Asheville sits among the highest mountains in the eastern United States, with Mount Mitchell and the Great Smokies about an hour away, Pisgah National Forest starting at the edge of town, and rafting, mountain biking and long ridge walks all within reach.

Williamsburg's countryside is low Tidewater of pine forest, marsh and broad estuaries. It is pleasant for cycling the Colonial Parkway or the Capital Trail and for watching ospreys and eagles from a kayak, but there is nothing to climb.

Williamsburg has the better outings, because its biggest neighbours are part of the same story. Jamestown and Yorktown are each within about 20 minutes, the James River plantations line Route 5, and Richmond's museums and Civil War sites are about an hour away.

From Asheville, excursions are mostly into the landscape and to small mountain towns such as Brevard, Hendersonville and Black Mountain. The most substantial is Cherokee, whose museum and village give the best insight into the region's original people.

Williamsburg is the classic family choice. Busch Gardens and Water Country USA supply the rides, and the Historic Area, Jamestown and Yorktown turn history into fife-and-drum parades, blacksmiths and forts to explore. Motels with pools and child-friendly restaurants are everywhere.

Asheville works best for outdoor families. The nature centre's bears and red wolves, Sliding Rock, river tubing and zip lines suit energetic older children, but there is no theme park or large zoo nearby.

Both towns are much the same here: a walkable core and a car for everything else. What differs is the terrain. Williamsburg's historic district is flat and partly car-free, with a shuttle and an Amtrak station close by, while Asheville's downtown is hilly and its main sights lie along slow, winding mountain roads that fill up on October weekends.

Asheville has the richer shopping, provided you want handmade things. Its pottery, glass, weaving and woodwork come from working studios in the River Arts District and from the Folk Art Center, and the Grove Arcade and Lexington Avenue add bookshops and vintage clothing.

Williamsburg's shops in the Historic Area sell reproduction pewter, silver and furniture in colonial style. Beyond that it has gift shops on Merchants Square and a large outlet centre on Richmond Road for familiar American brands.

Williamsburg is somewhat easier on the budget, mainly because of its large stock of motels and chain hotels, which are reasonably priced outside summer weekends. The admission tickets are the big expense there, so combination passes matter.

Asheville's rooms are dearer and climb sharply in the leaf season, and Biltmore is a costly day. Its trails, waterfalls and Parkway, however, are free.

Asheville has a real music life for its size. Touring Americana and indie acts play its riverside venues, there are bluegrass and old-time jams in pubs, and the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival has run since 1928.

Williamsburg's performances belong to the colonial set: candlelit recitals, period theatre and fife-and-drum corps on Duke of Gloucester Street, with student shows at the college in term time. They are charming, but limited.

Asheville is the more restful place. It has been a health retreat since the nineteenth century, and today has yoga studios, retreats and large hillside resort spas, as well as riverside mineral tubs at Hot Springs about forty minutes away.

Williamsburg's options stop at the spas of its historic inn and golf resorts along the James. Its calm comes from early walks on the empty colonial greens and quiet drives on the Colonial Parkway.