Discover the Best of the South

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 Travel Southern Virginia covers the rich resources of Bedford, Halifax, Henry, Pittsylvania Counties, and the City of Clarksville in Mecklenburg County, with famous Buggs Island Lake. All were a part of the rich tobacco growing region of Virginia where the rhythms of life rose and fell with tobacco fortunes.  Driving through the region today, you will see a tobacco field here and there, but nowhere near the vast acreage planted in the past. The once bustling bright leaf tobacco markets of Danville, Martinsville, South Boston, Clarksville and Bedford have transformed into quaint, well preserved, interesting towns that now host antique auctions instead of tobacco auctions.

The major attractions you are about to see in southern Virginia have always been there. Thomas Jefferson built his retreat, Poplar Forest, in 1806. Patrick Henry retired to Red Hill in 1797. Berry Hill Plantation hails from 1842.  Even the Virginia International Raceway turns 50 in 2007. 

It’s these timeless treasures as well as all of our new and wonderful things that we welcome you to explore. In recent years, the John Kerr Dam and the Smith Mountain Lake Dam created two of the largest lakes in the country, with over 1200  miles of shoreline to enjoy. Scenic byways meander through lush countryside, while opportunities for outdoor recreation and water sports abound. As we move more strongly into tourism, other new developments keep happening. Enjoy our region as it transforms before your eyes!

Visit our websites to discover more about our region:

Bedford County/Bedford
http://www.visitbedford.com

At 250 years old, Bedford has had a long time to steep in history and quaint charm, but the fire of 1884 took its toll on many of its original wooden structures. One hundred years later, the town of Bedford was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, supporting the remarkable preservation of Centertown, already underway. Now, with Bedford complemented by two nearby National Monuments, you can enjoy the old, the new, the antique and the modern, all in one place.

Clarksville
http://www.clarksvilleva.com

You can feel the fresh lake breeze in Clarksville, even when you can’t see the vast Buggs Island Lake.  Created by the Corps of Engineers to provide flood control, now the rivers that brought tobacco trade to Clarksville feed the lake that provides the economic and recreational backbone of the town. While things continue to move at a more leisurely pace, the town is continuing its thrust forward to embrace a 21st century approach to the heritage that brought it to where it is today.  Buildings from the 18th century coexist peacefully with contemporary life and brick sidewalks, boat launches, and more. Art galleries and other fun locations are sprinkled in between.

Halifax County/South Boston
http://www.gohalifaxva.com
http://www.oldhalifax.com

Predating Bedford by two years, the Halifax area was surveyed by William Byrd, II, one of the English Lords who owned the original shires of Virginia. Its much larger neighbor, South Boston, was incorporated 130 years later and served as one of the region’s bustling tobacco markets. Now in the midst of a significant renaissance, led by the restoration of the large tobacco warehouses into The Prizery Community Arts Center and the Higher Education Center, the shops are once again filled with interesting treasures, restaurants with customers, and visitors enjoying everything from speedways to scenic trails and shopping.

Henry County/Martinsville
http://www.visitmartinsville.com

Revolutionary War General Martin or his friend Patrick Henry, wouldn’t recognize the Court House that today bears his name. Henry Ford or Harvey Firestone, who had to observe a 12 mile per hour speed limit, when traveling through town on The National Highway between Boston, Massachusetts and Jacksonville, Florida, in 1906, wouldn’t know it either. The transition from tobacco production and furniture manufacturing to technology industries continues the 150 years of enormous changes that have occurred in Martinsville, while visitors can now enjoy the heritage of all the years combined.

Pittsylvania County/Danville
http://www.visitdanville.com
http://www.victorianvilla.com

When you hear the song, The Wreck of the Old 97,” about a train plummeting off a high trestle, it was above Danville where they were traveling. When you hear the term the “Last Capitol of the Confederacy,” they’re talking about Danville too. Danville’s strategic location, which began as a tobacco warehouse in 1793, has led to it serving as many things over the years. A prison camp, Virginia’s largest bright leaf tobacco market and home to Dan River, the largest single unit textile mill in the world are only a few. Today, visitors can enjoy Danville’s Millionaire’s Row, the very well preserved Victorian mansions left behind by all the region’s fortunes and incredibly well preserved today.

© 2007 Southern Virginia Tourism Region