Imagine a city that is small enough to offer the laid-back feel of small-town life and diverse enough to provide a plethora of things to experience. From some of the country's finest mountain views to the excitement of ACC football, Charlottesville is a city sure to capture everyone's interest.

For a unique visitor and community experience, tourists should not miss the Downtown Mall - the heart of Charlottesville. This shopping center offers primarily specialty shops and restaurants on a brick walk-way amid old brick buildings. An ice skating rink and movie theater complex offer entertainment for those people less inclined to shop. The Downtown Mall often has live music on the Mall or at the east end at the Charlottesville Pavilion.

Charlottesville is home to the nationally acclaimed University of Virginia, which was founded in 1819 by then-Charlottesville-resident Thomas Jefferson. Enrolling over 12,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students each year, the University of Virginia ensures cultural enrichment of the city by hosting many events. you can attend a student theater or dance production. With an award-winning faculty, there are always lectures given by professors who have won awards for their research.

For more historically-minded residents and tourists, Charlottesville sets itself apart from other cities with a fantastic assortment of historical sites.  Not far from the city, visitors can tour the homes of ex-presidents Thomas Jefferson, Woodrow Wilson, and James Madison. Tourists come from across the world to see Jefferson's architectural wonders, the Rotunda, serpentine walls, and his home at Monticello.