In between what is known as the Claxton community (near the Claxton Elementary School) and the bustle of Charlotte Street as it heads into downtown, there’s a quiet, somewhat residential area. In spite of some single-family homes, the few blocks here between Merrimon and Charlotte Street north of I-240 are home to a lot of businesses – many of Asheville’s lawyers, counselors, architects, and other professional services are headquartered in charming homes-converted-to-offices. The neighborhood itself is known as Chestnut Hill, but a particular niche within it has gained a new reputation.

For some reason, the area where Chestnut Street and Liberty Street meet has become a hub for what is informally called a “Wellness District,” an area where spas, salons, yoga studios, health food shops, and more are all available an easy walk from each other. If an out-of-town guest was lucky enough to stay in a historic bed and breakfast here while taking a yoga seminar weekend, they’d be mere blocks from a morning fresh-pressed juice or tasty coffee in a courtyard, one of multiple relaxing spa treatments, a salon for a new look or some pampering, and so much more. 

You don’t even have to be from out of town to benefit! While I’m all for going away to some remote retreat center or fancy resort for a vacation, it’s possible to stay-cation your way through the Wellness District too. Here are some of the itinerary items, tasty eats, and places to stay that both locals and visitors can use to make a wonderful experience in the Wellness District.

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Activities in the Wellness District

So far, the Wellness District isn’t home to any zipline adventures or other extreme sports, but if relaxing, healing, and feeling good are your goals, the sky is the limit! Here are just a few of the options – if you venture even one or two blocks in any direction, you’ll find more options for cozy, yummy experiences like massage therapy and salons. 

1. Grow and Learn at Asheville Yoga Center and the Ayurvedic Institute

One of the larger yoga studios in town, Asheville Yoga Center has a wonderful variety of classes, retreats, and trainings available for those who want to learn more about how yoga can be part of their lives. I love signing in at their roomy front desk, stowing my shoes or extra items in a cubby, and walking the outdoor path to one of the studios where I can really focus on what my body needs without distraction. 

While not everyone is ready for a big training in holistic wellness, we are lucky here in Asheville to have the oldest school of Ayurveda in the United States right here on the same property as Asheville Yoga Center. The Ayurvedic Institute started in New Mexico in 1984, but moved to Asheville Yoga Center’s wellness campus in late 2022.

Now this campus feels like a bit of a wellness university campus, with multiple buildings hosting events, workshops, retreats, and classes of all kinds. People may spend one hour or a whole week immersed in holistic understanding of Ayurveda, a traditional medical system that centers on understanding the body as a whole system and that food and movement are key parts of gaining and keeping health.

Check out their upcoming schedules to see what might fit your next wellness pursuit – they’re some of the best of the best and right here in our city!

Location: 62 Orange St., Asheville

2. Rejuvenate at the Asheville Salt Cave

I couldn’t quite believe it when I found out that this spa brought in 30 tons of pure pink salt to create the environment you’d find in a salt mine, where the properties of the salt release minerals and elements into the air and create a truly unique, refreshing, and pure experience as you lounge.

The Asheville Salt Cave experience is unique, but they have many other programs and options for rejuvenation: the hammam bath is a cool variation on a steam room, where there are options for massage with an exfoliating mitt, bathing pools for hydration, and lotion to lock in the moisture after your experience. Expert massage therapists offer a variety of treatments as well, making it possible to schedule multiple services and leave aglow with health and relaxation!

Location: 16 N. Liberty St., Asheville

3. Find Your Peace at Wild Rose Healing House

Another local, walkable spa in the Wellness District is Wild Rose Healing House, where you can choose a time in the infrared sauna, an integrative table massage, or add-ons like foot scrubs and tasty tea blends. One specialty they offer is Ashiatsu massage, where the pressure from the therapist’s feet helps to elongate the spine, improve posture, and increase circulation.

Reviewers who have visited this spot for massages talk about how good they felt for the days after their expert therapists offered them just the treatments they needed, even describing that they felt like they were floating out after their experience. 

Location: 202 E Chestnut St., Asheville

4. Find a Great Look at Salon at Liberty Corner

If you’re in the mood to not just feel great but look great too, you aren’t far from the Salon at Liberty Corner when you visit the Wellness District. Right near many other wellness businesses, this friendly and beautiful spot is a great place for a cut or color or to get your nails or waxing done.

If you’re lucky, when you visit you’ll be greeted by Bella, the resident greeter who is a Golden Doodle, ready to make your experience even better. It’s so nice to be in a walkable neighborhood where you can schedule your various wellness experiences and beauty needs all without needing to get in the car and zip around town. 

Location: 235 South Liberty St., Asheville

5. Learn Your Moves at Premier Martial Arts

I have a cousin who is so happy when she’s in her martial arts zone that she always finds a way to try out a new studio or dojo to keep practicing and feel fully herself. If you’re just in Asheville for a little bit, Premier Martial Arts can help you out, but it’s even more impactful to make Premier Martial Arts part of your long-term holistic wellness.

They have various offers that allow people to try out martial arts and figure out what is a good fit for them. Their experienced leaders and teachers will help you learn how to move your body in alignment with these ancient practices and feel strong, confident, and balanced.

Location: 239 S Liberty St., Asheville

Food and Beverage in the Wellness District

A huge part of making your wellness optimal is the high-quality food and drink you consume. Between yoga classes or martial arts workshops, you can eat very well in the Wellness District!

1. Sip Your Vitamins and More at Pulp + Sprout

Perhaps the heart of the Wellness District is this beautiful, light-filled vegan cafe. At the heart of the menu is their many cold-pressed juices and smoothies, full of flavorful plant-based goodness and ready to fill you with the vitamins, nutrients, and fiber you crave.

The menu is wider than that though – multi-faceted with mushroom banh mis, wellness salads, and avocado toast to make both breakfast and lunch radiant with nutrition. It’s a nice feeling to walk into a restaurant and know deep down that no matter what sounds delicious to you that day, it’s going to make your stomach and body happy too.

They also sell juice cleanses that help you know how long to drink juice, how much to drink, and help you prepare for this detox. It’s not for everyone, but Pulp + Sprout stands by the quality of their ingredients, so if you’re going to juice cleanse, this is a good place to start.

Location: 233 S Liberty St., Asheville

2. Relax Outdoors at Liberty House Cafe

Liberty House Cafe is a riff on one of my favorite ideas for a business: have some standbys for coffee shop and breakfast regulars, but also keep a changing menu of absolutely stellar specials. I love following this restaurant on social media to see what kind of dreamy pasta, shakshuka, sandwich, or salad they’ve dreamed up with their fresh ingredients.

Most of the seating is outdoors but some is under a patio roof so it’s still possible to eat here when it’s cooler or rainy. The focus is on breakfast/brunch flavors, and while there are a ton of nutritious flavors, there’s still plenty of decadence on display. You’ll feel great after a sourdough pancake with Amish butter, blueberries, and Vermont maple syrup. Yum!

Location: 221 S Liberty St., Asheville

3. Indulge in Vegan Fine Dining at Plant

Technically, Plant is a couple blocks away from the Wellness District. But to have a fine dining vegan spot so close by is too much of a coincidence not to mention it. Plant brings the same elevated, classy air of other fine dining restaurants, but everything on the menu is plant-based.

In my experience, the feast for the senses is also a literal feast, with generous servings and flavorful adds. I ordered an incredible cheese board that featured different plant-based cheeses alongside garlic, olives, fresh fruit, crusty bread, pickled veggies and more. 

Location: 165 Merrimon Ave., Asheville

4. Enjoy Fresh Flavors at Taco Temple

Few things in town are more instantly comforting than the fresh flavors of Taco Temple. From the same folks who made the popular downtown Mamacita’s Taqueria, this unique building houses a comfy eating area with ample patio space and picnic tables, perfect for people-watching.

A few of my favorite standouts from the menu (which I’ve really eaten my way through) include the incredible salad (romaine, arugula, and baby kale covered in pepitas, avocado, jicama, and queso fresco or pistachio crema to keep it plant-based) and the amazing, fall-apart-if-you-wait-too-long tortas (I’m partial to the avocado one, but the others are all great too).

They’ve got top-notch salsa, guac, and queso, and delicious tater tots with tajin seasoning (a perfect combination of crunch and spice). If you choose to go in the taco direction (which you should!), definitely don’t miss the homemade corn tortillas! These are thicker, fresher tortillas compared to the ones you’ll find in the grocery store. 

Location: 132 Charlotte St., Asheville

5. Make Your Morning Great at City Bakery

Be sure to make City Bakery is your morning stop in the Wellness District. From delicious cheddar biscuit breakfast sammies to substantial sandwich fare for lunch (served on fresh baked bread!), you’ll find great meal options. And if all you need is a pastry and a coffee, they have some of the best bagels in town.

I love their big front windows and comfortable seating. It’s a great spot to plug in your laptop and get some work done, or chat with a friend. Get something to eat while you sit and a few yummy pasteries to take for the road!

Location: 88 Charlotte St., Asheville

6. Celebrate Successes at Bone and Broth

Do you have a big occasion that brings you to Asheville’s Wellness District? If you are here with a reason to celebrate, you won’t find a more cozy and elevated experience than Bone and Broth. This spot, sharing a block with City Bakery and an artisanal butcher, keeps local and organic elements of the menu while maintaining a casual vibe.

From the duck to the pork belly to the dry-aged steaks, the main dishes in this restaurant get rave reviews, as do the desserts like the cheesecake and signature starters like deviled eggs and mussels in broth. You’ll be warmed and fed right down to your toes, cementing sense memories around your special occasion.

Location: 94 Charlotte St., Asheville

Lodging in the Wellness District

If you’re coming in from out of town (or just want a mental break from home with an out-of-home staycation!), you are spoiled for choice when it comes to lodging in the Wellness District. Whether you want a standard hotel or an avant garde boutique property, you’ll find beautiful options here! 

1. Experience the Artistic at Blind Tiger Asheville

Do you just love interior design? Clever choices for decor and tons of atmosphere? Blind Tiger Asheville is a new boutique hotel/elevated bed and breakfast, but more than anything, they’re going for the feeling of a guesthouse – a place so delightful, beautiful, and cozy that you feel like a friend.

If you want somewhere that makes you feel all the wellness that you are experiencing at the spa, yoga class, or salt cave, Blind Tiger is an unforgettable stay. Pick your room with care, since no room is the same and they each have their unique style. You can stay many times at this property with totally new decor and style. 

Location: 173 E Chestnut St., Asheville

Check Prices on Booking.com

2. Bask in the History at Beaufort House Inn

The beautiful and stately Beaufort House Inn is expansive for a house but cozy for a hotel. This bed and breakfast has 11 guest rooms, some of which have their own private entrances, allowing you to enjoy the sensation of staying in this grand 1894 mansion while experiencing all the modern necessities.

Delicious breakfast and snacks are available, as is the innkeeper’s expertise on all things Asheville. Enjoy the comforts, like jacuzzi tubs and fireplaces, as well as other unique elements of your room, before heading out to see the rest of the Wellness District of Asheville. 

Location: 61 N Liberty St., Asheville

Check Prices on Booking.com

3. Take Your Breakfast on the Porch at Chestnut Street Inn

This historic bed and breakfast is simply beautiful – with a manicured garden and lawn, a wraparound porch, and lovely spaces indoors, you’ll be enchanted throughout your experience. The excellent breakfast allows you to either sit at the large table and mix and mingle or at other smaller tables inside and outside on the porch. Take in the mountain air with your locally roasted coffee in hand!

So close to so many of your wellness destinations, this bed and breakfast is an easy walk back so you can pamper yourself with a mid-afternoon nap. Chestnut Street Inn guests also are prioritized for special events, so if you’re planning a jaunt over see if there’s a wine tasting or an artists visit coming up!

Location: 176 E Chestnut St., Asheville

4. Hotel-Style Amenities Abound at TownePlace Suites

Maybe you just aren’t a boutique hotel or bed-and-breakfast person – that works out fine in the wellness district. Just a couple of streets away from most of the businesses, but still a hop out of downtown is the TownePlace Suites. It’s a modern hotel in the Marriott group that offers a fitness center, a continental breakfast, free wifi, and digital check-in.

Their claim to fame is also that they include a full kitchen in each room, and most of the rooms are spacious suite-style layouts that mean you can often fit more folks than in other hotel rooms. If your girls’ weekend or get-together needs a home base, consider this one!

Location: 39 Elm St., Asheville

Check Prices on Booking.com