Known as Virginia’s “City of Churches,” Danville is an ideal place to visit if you enjoy walking. Shaped by the tobacco and textile industries, its location along the Dan River helped fuel its success as a trading hub and today adds to Danville’s allure as one of the South’s topmost walkable tourist destinations. Boasting pleasant brick-paved sidewalks connecting Victorian-era tobacco and textile warehouses to a revitalized riverfront and a Main Street lined with mansions and churches, strolling Danville’s downtown district is an experience not to be missed. The best way to experience this dynamic tourist hotspot? Simply slip on a pair of comfortable shoes and start walking.
Here’s a tip: as you stroll through Danville, keep an eye out for the town’s many helpful plaques and info stations. You’ll find them everywhere around town, usually positioned next to a historic building or a place where one once stood. They certainly add a lot to a self-guided tour of the town, so stop and have a read whenever you see one.
Downtown Danville has several important historic markers, with those lining Main Street being particularly interesting. One relates to Danville’s “City of Churches” nickname, detailing how the town has more places of worship per capita than anywhere else in Virginia.