Town of Middleburg

America's horse and hunt country capital, home to the Forbes 5 Star Salamander Middleburg, is a gorgeous settlement dating back to 1728 when a fieldstone tavern was established on an old Native American trail by a cousin of George Washington. That tavern became the Red Fox Inn, still going strong today.

The historic downtown is lined with chic boutiques, raffish men’s stores and superb cafés and restaurants while the National Sporting Library & Museum on its western edge is the nation’s leading resource on equestrian and outdoor pursuits. Talking outdoors, narrow stone-walled lanes of the surrounding countryside take you past thoroughbred horses frolicking in green fields and to wineries, breweries and a craft distillery.

Celebrated events in town include the Middleburg Film Festival each fall, now a major stop on the Oscar trail, and Christmas in Middleburg on the first Saturday of each December: a spectacular parade featuring red-jacketed riders, foxhounds, horse-drawn carriages and a 1.5-mile-long procession of drummers, bagpipers, bikers and first responders down the festively-decorated main street.