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Lexington Travel Guide, Kentucky

Lexington, KY, is located in the Bluegrass Region, the most important and best part of Kentucky where all the activity centers.

As the state's second-largest city, Lexington is the main hub for horse lovers, bourbon drinkers and basketball fans, a fun city to visit which has retained a friendly, authentic feel, despite the crush of thousands of visitors.

Downtown Lexington is a vibrant center of activity during weekdays and on weekend afternoons and evenings, when many locals head to the restaurants and bars and it is also home to several historic buildings. The best way to start visiting the city is first getting some information on the most important sights and maps from the Mary Todd Lincoln House visitor center.

Lexington is a perfect starting point for visiting the area’s most important sights. One of them is the Kentucky Artisan Center, located at about 40 miles from the city. The drive is really worth making as there you can find the state's folk arts and crafts capital. There is no shortage of exhibits, demonstration shows and shops. You can see some exquisite Appalachian artifacts. The atmosphere is pleasant; you can enrich your knowledge and buy some beautiful souvenirs. Everybody is welcomed to visit the center as it is for free; the condition is that you have a great time.

For another cultural trip head towards the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, just 25-mile southwest of Lexington. Adding to the place’s diverse cultural scene are the grandiose 33 original 19th-century buildings. if you want to spend more time in the area to fully enjoy the outdoor activities like horseback riding, and riverboat excursions, there are some possibilities for lodging.

Lexington is the central hub for horse lovers and they can spend hours on end visiting the numerous horse farms. Calumet Farm is one of the most appreciated and the place where numerous champions were bred as is the Claiborne Farm where the well known horse named Seabiscuit was born and the Three Chimneys Farm. Tours are available at all farms but an advance reservation is required. They are generally for free so even those who are not into horse riding can learn a few interesting things about breeding and champion horses.

Another much visited site is the Kentucky Horse Park where horse lovers and not only, come by the thousands every year. The most crowded period is when the races are held, but they take place only six weeks a year, if you don’t happen to come in that period there are plenty of other activities to fill up your time and the children’s as they can ride ponies or horses.

But horses and races are not the only attractions in and around Lexington. There is a totally different type of activity going on in the Bourbon distilleries. Those who like Bourbon and those who want to try it for the first time have the perfect chance to do it by visiting the distilleries. Many of them offer free tours. Be sure to check out the Wild Turkey Distillery, the Heaven Hill Distilleries, the Maker’s Mark and the Labrot & Graham Distillery. At all of them you can taste some exceptional Bourbon appreciated worldwide for its quality.

There are plenty of reasons to come to Lexington and the experiences you’ll have will make you want to come back for more.

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