North Carolina's Charming 'Bear Town' Is A Walkable Riverfront Gem With Tons Of Eateries And Shops

Historic small towns can sometimes feel run down and sad, and it's not easy to find one full of vibrant businesses that's also a pleasure to walk around and makes you want to stay longer. As American life has shifted to the suburbs, endless strip malls, dreary parking lots, and traffic congestion have become our daily lives. So, discovering a town like New Bern, North Carolina, is a real treat.

The best thing about New Bern is the pleasure you get just by walking through it. The downtown area is small (only a few square miles) and fringed by the Neuse and Trent Rivers. Both riverfronts are lined with walking paths and parks. The downtown business area is inviting, with shops and restaurants that never fail to surprise, while several gorgeous churches and the impressive City Hall clocktower give the town a unique look. It's a place where you can ramble for miles, zigging and zagging through the streets, and never get bored. One of the town's favorite activities is bear spotting — not real bears, of course, but rather statues, flags, and decorations depicting the creatures. The city's namesake animal is everywhere, on homes and businesses alike.

The town is the second oldest European settlement in North Carolina, and you'll find block after block of beautiful, historic Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival-style homes with well-tended gardens. Along the Trent River sits Tryon Palace and the North Carolina History Center. The Palace was the colony's first capitol from 1770 and then the state's capitol after the Revolutionary War. In 1792, the state capital was moved 120 miles northwest to Raleigh, North Carolina's "City in a Park."

In 1710, Christoph von Graffenreid led a group of settlers from Switzerland and what is now Germany to settle the area at the confluence of the Neuse and Trent Rivers. They named the town after the Swiss capital, Bern, a derivative of an old Germanic word for "bear." The town fully embraced its roots as Bern's sister city in the following years. Today, the towns share a coat of arms, a flag, and a heraldic animal: the bear.

Bears are found everywhere in town, not just on the city's flag. City Hall is adorned with ferocious bear gargoyles. Wooden bear statues decorate Bear Plaza, a small courtyard located downtown. And a collection of life-sized, artist-painted fiberglass bears can be spotted in parks and businesses around the city. The bears' decorations vary, with some depicting popular figures, such as town founder 'Bearon' Von Graffenreid, Mitch the Michell Hardware store bear, or Jimmy Buffett bear, while others are artistic interpretations of different themes.

The bears were created in 2010 for the town's 300th anniversary, and they become more plentiful every year. Visitors can download or pick up a tour map to help them find all the bears. The downtown map shows 30, but there are actually almost 100 bears around town — if you know where to look.

Though fun, bear spotting isn't all that New Bern has to offer. The historic downtown area is brimming with shopping and dining options, with more welcoming bars and storefronts around every corner. On the corner of Middle and Pollock Streets, you'll find a museum dedicated to the town's most famous drink. In 1898, Caleb Bradham worked in the pharmacy here where he created "Brad's Drink" — which would come to be known worldwide as Pepsi.

Despite its small-town feel, New Bern has enough going on to make it feel like a bustling larger city. Baxter's 1892 has a trendy speakeasy vibe with live music, while Persimmons offers upscale American and seafood on the waterfront. Other dining options, like Thai Angel, Bay Leaf Indian, Kuma Sushi, and countless places for burgers and seafood, mean you'll never be left hungry in New Bern. And, if you're staying overnight, don't miss the morning cinnamon rolls at Baker's Kitchen.

New Bern is part of the Inner Banks of North Carolina, a low-lying area marked by the many rivers and sounds that wind their way to the coast. The town is about an hour north of Beaufort and the beautiful beaches of North Carolina's Crystal Coast. Its location on the Neuse and several popular marinas makes it popular with boaters traveling on the Intracoastal Waterway, which passes nearby. If you end up looking for a more rustic beach for a day or two, you can simply drive to the Cedar Island ferry. From there, it takes about four hours to get out to Ocracoke and the beaches of the Outer Banks.