Summit 821

Alpine Living in the Smokies

This striking three-story home, styled like an Austrian chalet, offers a perfect blend of classic American decor and European mountain coziness, with interior design by its owner, Yulia Petriv of Creating Comfort Lab. The warmly furnished getaway offers two levels of chalet-styled upper balconies, a heavy stone fireplace and a deep woods setting. It also has all the comforts of a modern American home—an easygoing living room, three bedrooms with private baths, an office, and a modern kitchen with an eat-in nook and separate dining room. Cozy European mountain chalet touches add to the interior decor, including wooden ceiling beams, the panoramic upper-level patios, refined wood furniture, and soft textural linens in a natural palette.

The house’s upper-level patios are panoramic view stations over the velvety green Smoky Mountains. One deck is furnished with a dining table, another with cushy armchair seating. There’s a woods-enclosed fire pit and barbecue area with Adirondack chairs, plus an indoor game room with a pool table. A leafy cloak surrounds the property, ensuring a secluded stay in the forest, with easy access to the many charms of the Maggie Valley.

Around

The Maggie Valley region is crossed by scenic hiking trails, stunning mountain overlooks and dense forests of evergreens and other woods. Lake Junaluska is nearby, a serene spot for kayaking, fishing, and picnicking with walking trails encircling it. Waterfalls hide within the endless forests, and the region is a hiking center, with trails for all skill levels. Winters find folks heading to the Cataloochee Ski Resort. Tamer adventures include golfing at the nearby Maggie Valley Club and Resort’s scenic fairways, with its high-altitude views, or visiting the Biltmore Estate, the largest privately owned home in America, with its stunning gardens and on-site winery.

Asheville is nearby as well, its creative dining scene offering a wide variety of restaurants and diners, from a much-celebrated Spanish tapas bar to classic Southern cafes, and Indian, Italian and Mexican spots. Breweries, wineries and distilleries keep the town spirits high, along with a number of mixology-level cocktail bars. The North Carolina Arboretum is a great place to explore the wealth of regional flora, and the mountain city is full of outdoor recreation options, from hiking and mountain biking to mountain spring hopping, river rafting, fishing, rock climbing, horseback riding, golf and tennis.

The area’s artistic heritage runs deep, with crafters and folk artists, dozens of contemporary art galleries and performance art venues, and the town's River Arts District lined with studios, exhibition spaces and shops.

Location

Nearest airports: Asheville, NC (35 miles); Knoxville, TN (60 miles)

Best time to visit

Year-round, depending on activity