Travel Guide Durham

Durham is one of the links in the University Triangle, home to the famous Duke University, ranked among the top 10 best universities in the country. The university is Durham's economic hub, employing nearly 35,000 people. A diverse and international population that makes Durham a cosmopolitan and dynamic city. Originally, the area was populated by Indians related to the Sioux: the Eno and Occaneechi tribes. During the colonial period, the new European arrivals developed the culture of plantations, where a slave labour force worked (which still explains, today, the importance of the African-American population, which represents more than 50% of the city's population). Tobacco was the main crop, and it was on this product, after the Civil War and reconstruction, that the city built its wealth, and this to this day. Durham's history is inseparable from that of the Duke family, who built some of the city's first homes and tobacco farms (the Duke Homestead site is accessible to visitors) before creating the largest national cigarette monopoly with the creation of the American Tobacco, which brought together the biggest brands including Lucky Strike. Later, the family financed the construction of the university campus and hospital to which they gave their name and, with the decline in tobacco consumption, invested in new sectors including the electricity grid and the textile industry. When the tobacco market collapsed, Durham experienced a period of economic crisis where unemployment and insecurity ruled for a while. The city centre emptied and many neighbourhoods fell into ruins. It is through research and health that the city is able to find a new lease of life. It is quite surprising, when we talk to the locals, to realize that just over 5 years ago, the city centre was completely different, almost abandoned and that the city was barely reborn from its ashes. Today, Durham offers a dynamic cultural scene with the DPAC theatre, and renowned festivals such as the American Dance Festival (July) or the North Carolina Gay + Lesbian Film Festival (August), among other events that take place throughout the year. It is also a reference in terms of gastronomy with an international cuisine and very popular addresses. Duke University is at the heart of the city's vitality and the magnificent campus is an essential part of a visit to Durham. Another centre of excellence is the hospital, which gave Durham the nickname of Medicine City. But to appreciate Durham, it must be understood that the city is not organized around a conventional city centre, but includes different neighbourhoods each with its own identity. The old industrial buildings are an integral part of the city's architecture with a superb rehabilitation effort carried out in recent years. The former tobacco factories now house trendy bars, restaurants and shops; the American Tobacco Campus and Brightleaf are the perfect example of these rehabilitation projects. The one we know best as Bull City (the bull is the city's emblem), a nickname that comes from the former tobacco company Bull Durham Smoking Tobacco, has not turned its back on its industrial past and has transformed it into one of the most popular destinations in the rankings of cities where life is good in the USA.