Charleston

Compelling, compact and cool, Charleston o ers a dynamic culinary scene, important historical monuments and iconic waterfront bars on South Carolina’s coast

9AM

MEET THE NEIGHBOURS

The Queen Street Grocery — complete with corner-store vibe and breakfast crepes — is a good spot to begin a morning walk through a welter of wealthy residences in South of Broad. Check out the ice cream-coloured terrace of Rainbow Row and the view at White Point Garden that looks out to Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the American Civil

War were fired. queenstreetgrocerycafe.com

10AM

UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS

The flying staircase may provide the wow factor at Nathaniel Russell House Museum — set in the lavish, former home of a 19thcentury slave trader — but what’s even more startling are the contrasts revealed between the lives of the wealthy white family that lived here and the Black slaves who served them. historiccharleston.org

11.30AM

SOUTHERN ART

Beneath the stained-glass dome of its beauxarts building, the Gibbes Museum of Art showcases an astounding range of Southern art, from 17th-century portraiture to Gullah sweetgrass baskets. gibbesmuseum.org

1PM

FEED YOUR SOUL

The crab-and-shrimp rice at Hannibal’s Kitchen is well worth a trip up Charleston’s east side, perhaps in an eco-friendly bike taxi. This hole-in-the-wall joint may look unassuming, but its soul food dishes — from seafood to fried chicken — are cooked to perfection by the family who’ve run the place for the past 40 years. biketaxi.net hannibalkitchen.com

3PM

SHOP LIKE A KING

The mile-long stretch of King Street in downtown is three centuries old and it’s still buzzing. Studded with independent boutiques, booksellers, antique shops and restaurants, it’s the cultural heart of the city.

6PM

SUNDOWNER WITH A VIEW

The Dewberry Charlton’s roo”op bar, the Citrus Club, is one of Charleston’s most chic hangouts, its views as mouth-watering as the hibiscus mojito and chicken lollipops. thedewberrycharleston.com

8PM

PUB CRAWL IN NOMO

No one heads north of Morrison

Drive (NoMo) for its industrial scenery — they go for the energetic food and drink scene. There’s Peanut Butter

& Jelly beer on tap at Edmund’s Oast, duck-fat fries at the Tattooed Moose and whipped feta with honey at Butcher & Bee. edmundsoast.com tattooedmoose.com butcherandbee.com

EJ

MORE INFO: explorecharleston.com discoversouthcarolina.com