Travel Guide Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem is the story of two cities, with distinct origins and developments, that came together in 1913 to form the 5th largest city in North Carolina. Winston-Salem forms, with Greensboro and High Point, a region called the Piedmont Triad. The history of the city dates back to the 18th century with the arrival of a Moravian colony, a Protestant denomination originating from Moravia in the Czech Republic which, fleeing religious persecution, settled in Saxony in 1722. Finally, the community is divided, taking root on several continents including Africa, the Arctic and America. After a visit to Georgia and Pennsylvania, a group of Moravians settled in a region of Piedmont, North Carolina, known as Wachovia. Thus, on November 17, 1753, the first Moravian settlers formed the city of Salem (whose name comes from "Shalom" meaning peace). Very manual, they developed crafts and Salem became an important commercial platform in the region where people went to sell or buy furniture, various craft or agricultural products. In 1849, part of the city was sold to the new county of Forsyth. In 1851, the town of Winston, named in honour of Joseph Winston, hero of the War of Independence, was founded there. Although the city was very quiet at the beginning, it became significantly more dynamic with the arrival of the railway and the establishment of the first tobacco factory. Tobacco plantations quickly flourished, attracting many farmers and entrepreneurs and stimulating the local economy. It's R. J. Reynolds and his company R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, created in 1875, which will bring Winston-Salem to the international tobacco market with the creation of the Camel brand in 1913. The company produces other major brands such as the Winstons, Salems, Dorals and Eclipses and also supplies, for a time, the tobacco used for Prince Albert's pipes. At the same time, the textile industry is also experiencing strong growth and the Hanes brand is moving from the production of socks and underwear for men to the status of Hanesbrands, a leading corporation on the textile industry market. Winston and Salem developed side by side, one excelling in the industry, the other becoming a reference in culture and crafts until they merged in 1913. If you talk to locals, you will quickly realize that Winston-Salem is above all a very close-knit community. This singularity would be associated with the importance of community among the Moravians, who are still numerous in the region. Today, Winston-Salem is both a place that enhances its past with the old town of Salem and the rehabilitation, on the city centre side, of many industrial sites into commercial, cultural and artistic complexes. And, at the same time, a city of innovation and with 6 universities and an economy focused on nanotechnology research and finance.