In 1753, a group of Moravians established a 100,000-acre reli­gious colony in Forsyth County. They called the land "Wachovia" after an Austrian count who sympathized with them, and founded the towns of Bethabara, Bethania and Salem.

The area experienced an economic boom in the late 1800s with the industries of R.J. Reynolds tobacco and P.H. Hanes knitwear, making Winston the most populous city in the state.

In 1913, the cities of Winston and Salem were merged, and today the twin city is the fifth largest in North Carolina with more than 195,000 residents.

The city has seen tremendous development in recent years, in part due to the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership, an organization dedicated to strengthening the city's core by bringing business, housing, dining and entertainment options into downtown Winston-Salem.

Perhaps the most influential aspect of downtown revitalization is the Piedmont Triad Research Park, a venture of academic, public and private sectors in Winston-Salem for life science and information technology research. Anchored by the campus of Wake Forest University Health Sciences, the park will eventually cover 220 acres in downtown Winston­ Salem and house 30,000 employees.

Residential development has followed the surge in downtown employment opportunities and amenities. Mixed-use developments that combine commercial and residential space include West End Village, which will connect Winston­ Salem's downtown business district to the West End, and Southeast Gateway on South Marshall Street.

Winston-Salem is also seeing increased development in its outer areas. Waterford Village in suburban Clemmons features houses in the $200s, and Stratford Crossing, located off Stratford Road in Winston-Salem, includes homes ranging from $85,000 to $110,000. Ten minutes north of Winston-Salem is Long Creek Village. Offering both single-fam­ily homes and townhomes, Long Creek Village includes a bike path, an abundance of trees and homes along the Long Creek Golf Course. Prices in Long Creek Village range from the $120s to more than $200,000.

With a diverse industrial base, Winston-Salem is the headquarters for BB&T Corporation, and Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is the top employer in the Triad.

The population of Winston-Salem is highly educated; half of its residents have attended college. Wake Forest University, one of the best
universities in the country and a pioneer in medical research, is located here. Other institutions of higher learning include Salem College, a liberal arts college for women established in 1772; Piedmont Baptist College, which focuses on biblical studies; Winston-Salem State University, ranked No. I among comprehensive public colleges in the South by U.S. News and World Report; and Forsyth Technical Community College, which offers courses at eight different locations throughout the county.

Winston-Salem is also quite generous, as it ranks No. I  in the nation for dona­tions to the United Way per capita and No. I for contributions to the arts. As a result, Winston-Salem is referred to as the "City of the Arts" because of its rich cultural offerings.

Helping to foster the arts community, the North Carolina School of the Arts is part of the state university system. The Winston-Salem Symphony and Piedmont Opera each perform a number of concerts and contribute to the musical education of the community. For those who appreciate visual art, the Sawtooth Center for Visual Art features 26,000 square feet of visual art displays including metals, ceramics and photog­raphy.

For those who love the outdoors, the city also offers 75 parks and 3,348 acres of park and recreational space. The city includes 16 miles of hiking and biking trails on six different greenways and expects to add 34 more miles of green­ way trails within the next 15 years.

Salem Lake covers 365 acres and is a popular spot for hikers and bicyclists. A seven-mile trail circles the lake and connects to the Salem Creek Trail into downtown.

Located 10 minutes west of Winston­ Salem in Clemmons, Tanglewood Park was donated to Forsyth County by Will Reynolds, brother of tobacco entrepre­neur R.J. Reynolds. With tennis courts, a swimming pool, horseback riding, paddle­ boats and playing fields, the park is also home to two championship golf courses.

Located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Winston-Salem certainly has its share of outdoor adventures. Only about an hour north of Winston-Salem in Stokes County, Hanging Rock State Park includes a number of hiking trails, breathtaking views of the Piedmont from its cliffs and a cool mountain lake. Or you could canoe the Yadkin River at Pilot Mountain State Park, about an hour northwest of Winston-Salem. Visitors can camp on one of the islands on the river or at other sites within the park.