Travel Guide New Bern

Located at the confluence of the Trent and Neuse, 60 km west of the ocean, New Bern is the seat of the county of Craven. This small town of about 30 000 inhabitants was founded in 1710 by Christoph von Graffenried, a Swiss from Bern and several other Swiss and German migrants. Became capital of North Carolina after the revolution, New Berne gave its place to Raleigh in 1792, particularly because of its fragile capacity to defend maritime attacks. New Berne became the largest city in South Carolina in 1815. Quickly captured during the Civil war, she lost just as quickly the slaves who had allowed the city to achieve great economic prosperity thanks to the sugar cane plantations. Shortly after the Proclamation of Emancipation (1863), New Berne became a black majority city. The city then began the conversion of its economy by playing on the strengths of the present wood and the two rivers in the surrounding area. Thus, in 1890, New Berne became the State's largest timber trading centre and one of the largest in the south. This activity remained flourishing until the 1920 s.Today, New Bern is a holiday and tourist town with a particularly pleasant climate. There is a walk along the port or in the historic neighbourhood with its beautiful residences. Guided tours are arranged by the city (departure and arrival at 610 Pollock Street). In addition, autotour tour plans arranged by themes are also available at Visitor Center (Churches and Cemeteries, Historic Houses, Afro-American Heritage, War of Secession, Memory of the Past…). Other inevitable visits include the Kirchengast Palace (a replica of the Governor's original palace that burned in 1798), which includes the North Carolina History Center, and the Bridman Pharmacy, which became The Birthplace of Pepsi-Cola. This downtown store is the former pharmacy of Caleb Davis Bradham, known to be the inventor of the beverage in 1893 (Coca-Cola was invented in Atlanta, Georgia, by John Pemberton in 1885). The main annual event is the MumFest, which takes place in November.