Situated Between Louisville And Lexington Is A Hilly Historic Kentucky City With A Vibrant Downtown

Amid the bluegrass-swathed hills and scenic horse farms of central Kentucky, the city of Frankfort sits overlooking the state's eponymous river. Drawing far fewer crowds than its famed neighbors, the state capital's historic center still feels authentic. Its bustling bars, lively downtown, and storied distilleries have long been a secret safeguarded by the locals making the most of their enigmatic city. Skip the crowds headed along the Bourbon Trail or visiting for derby season and head to the lesser-visited capital. Embark on a walking tour through the centuries of intrigue in the city's storied center, or sit shoulder-to-shoulder with the local connoisseurs at some of the oldest distilleries in the U.S.

Given its convenient location between two popular tourism hubs, accessing Frankfort is straightforward. The city is about 25 miles west of Lexington and 55 miles east of Louisville. You'll need a car to get around, as public transport is limited, but the wide avenues of the historic city center make it reasonably walkable. Travel during the shoulder seasons for optimal climates, and pair your Frankfort trip with a visit to Shelbyville, another bustling city situated between Lexington and Louisville, for a "perfect Kentucky getaway."

The late 19th-century architecture of Frankfort spreads out from its grandiose capitol building. As an unmissable landmark in the otherwise low-rise town, the state building is the starting point of the self-guided Historic Frankfort Walking Tour mapped out by the Frankfort Visitor Center. Stroll past attractions like the site of an infamous lovelorn assassination, the Madison-Harlan house where "the Great Dissenter" of the Supreme Court lived, and Senator Crittenden's home, whose sons swore allegiance to opposite sides during the Civil War. If simply seeing the sites of some of Kentucky's most influential events doesn't feel quite immersive enough, visit the Thomas D. Clark Center operated by the state's historical society and take a tour of the more than 3,000 items on display.

Make the journey up to Frankfort Cemetery, the first garden-style graveyard to crop up in Kentucky. From its somber bounds, you can catch sweeping views over the city. It's also home to the grave of Daniel Boone, one of the first colonizers to stake claim in this region, now eulogized in folk song and story. After establishing the Wilderness Road through the Cumberland Gap and freeing up access to modern-day Kentucky for more than 200,000 settlers, he was laid to rest next to his wife Rebecca in the cemetery.

It wouldn't truly be a trip to Kentucky without a sip of the state's famous corn-based liquor. While it may not be as much of a staple as Bardstown (the picturesque town in Kentucky famous for being the bourbon capital of the world), Frankfort has its fair share of spirit-sipping experiences to try. There are five distilleries that top travelers' to-do lists in the city, all situated within a few miles of each other. Ensure you don't miss a taste of the 200-year-old recipe used at the oldest continuously operating distillery in the country, Buffalo Trace Distillery. Stay steeped in history at Castle and Key Distillery, which has been leading bourbon tourism since 1887, and sip on smoky liquor at Glenn's Creek Distillery, which pays homage to the Old Crow Distillery from which it was modernized. Settle your stomach at one of the downtown's bustling restaurants that serves up hearty Southern classics.

While whiskey will never lose its seat at the fore, Kentucky wine country is still an under-the-radar region that deserves the same hype as Napa. The U.S. commercial wine industry was actually born in Kentucky more than two centuries ago, and its viticultural businesses are still thriving. Enjoy a glass at Prodigy Vineyards and Winery, which lies amid the bluegrass and peach farms just beyond Frankfort's bounds.