Why is arts-centered Ashland so appealing to visitors? It was designed that way.

Ashland’s founders figured out quickly in the 1850s that this tiny southern Oregon settlement, on the emigrant trail and sheltered by the picturesque Siskiyou and Cascade mountains, could prosper not as a boom-and-bust gold town but one that supplied people prospecting for a richer future.

Pioneers built flour and lumber mills propelled by Ashland Creek on land that later became Lithia Park, a 93-acre beautification project designed by the landscape architect who helped create San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

They erected narrow storefronts that continue to stand shoulder to shoulder on the major downtown streets and lure travelers to the still-vital business district.

And the wide Plaza, originally designed for wagons to turn around, has never stopped being the city’s social soul.

Today, 350,000 visitors arrive in Ashland each year and pretty much do what people did when the ambitious city was young: They wander from the Plaza to East Main Street, a slow-motion spec of Highway 99, and eventually amble up either South Pioneer Street or the Chautauqua Walk to a festival.

First, it was the Chautauqua festival, where for 30 summers starting in 1898, the great minds of the day spoke to an overflow of people attracted to intellectual pursuits. Since 1935, it’s been the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and world-class theater.

Historic preservation consultant George Kramer, who has lived in Ashland for 40 years, says this dot on the Oregon map always had big dreams and was deliberate in achieving them.

“Early on, Ashland had an attitude that people wanted to come here,” he says.

The enduring allure is more than cultural events and natural beauty. Ashland has something that has survived in few cities: Although the downtown remains the center of local government and tourism, it feels authentic, welcoming.

The handsome historic buildings help create this response. All but one are just a few stories tall, making it impossible to block the valley’s captivating scenery. The lone tower, the 1925 Ashland Springs Hotel, serves as a buttercream-colored Art Deco beacon to I-5 travelers.

Visitors, comfortable in casual clothes and walking shoes, sense the clock has been turned back in another way: There are no national chain stores with brand recognition, so local merchants have to choose wisely to interest window shoppers.

Restauranteurs reel in repeat customers by making the room, drinks and food memorable. Most have a Chez Panisse level of commitment to seasonal, locally produced ingredients, whether it’s a quick grass-fed beef burger at Flip or an evening devoted to 10 foraged, wildcrafted courses at Mas.

In this Ashland Insider’s Guide, we suggest places to stay and point to well-known and hidden spots to eat as well as ways to enjoy Oregon Shakespeare Festival events on a budget and where to park when everyone’s downtown.

We tapped Ashland residents, business owners and experts at arts organizations, Travel Ashland and the Ashland Chamber of Commerce for these fact-filled stories:

We can’t map it all out for you, but we’re sure you’ll find your way. Ashland is an easy place to navigate – the natural landmarks will guide you – and in the heart of the city, where the speed limit is 20 mph, people slow down.

Locals whose families have lived here for generations are accustomed to out-of-towners asking for recommendations. And new residents were most likely visitors first, coming here for fun or just to mellow out.

One long-timer explained her relaxed attitude: Settlers built here because of the creek and later discovered the calming benefits of the lithia natural mineral springs.

“You know,” she laughs, gesturing to a bubbling drinking fountain in the Plaza, “there is lithium in the water.”

12 Ashland welcomes travelers

--Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman

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