Bardstown is a small town in the rolling hills of central Kentucky, about forty-five minutes south of Louisville, founded in 1780 as one of the oldest towns in the state. Its Court Square is ringed with brick and stone buildings from the 1700s and 1800s, and the town sits at the heart of Kentucky bourbon country. In December the square glows with a lit tree and wreaths. The first day stays in town.
Court Square on foot
Where to eat: Donuts and coffee at Hadorn's Bakery on Third Street.
Start on Court Square, where the old Nelson County Courthouse stands in the center, now the visitor center. Pick up a map, then walk the square past the brick storefronts, antique shops and galleries trimmed with garlands. Look for the Old Talbott Tavern, a stone building from 1779 that once hosted travelers on the frontier road west, and the old jail on Third Street.
The Basilica of St. Joseph
Walk two blocks to the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral, completed in 1823 as the first Catholic cathedral west of the Appalachian Mountains. Its tall white columns and steeple rise above the street, and inside you can see old paintings given by European royalty and a quiet, simple sanctuary. Step in softly, as it is still an active parish church.
My Old Kentucky Home
Where to eat: A Kentucky Hot Brown at the Old Talbott Tavern.
Drive five minutes to My Old Kentucky Home State Park and Federal Hill, a red brick Federal-style mansion from 1818 said to have inspired "My Old Kentucky Home," now the state song. Costumed hosts lead visits through the rooms, and in December the house is trimmed for a Victorian Christmas. Walk the grounds and the old family cemetery under bare trees afterward.
An evening on the square
Where to eat: Fried chicken with bourbon glaze at Kreso's on Court Square.
Return to Court Square as the lights come on around the courthouse. Visit the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History if it is open, with old bottles, stills and stories of Prohibition, or browse the shops open late in December. Then settle in for dinner by the fire at one of the old restaurants on the square, and walk back to your inn under the lights.
Where to eat and stop
- Breakfast · Hadorn's Bakery — North Third Street Why here: A family bakery a Bardstown favorite for decades.
- Lunch · Old Talbott Tavern — Court Square Why here: A classic Kentucky dish in a 1779 stone tavern.
- Dinner · Kreso's Restaurant — Court Square Why here: A family restaurant on the square.
- Quick stop (treat): Old Talbott Tavern — Court Square Why here: A warm Kentucky dessert by the fire.
Bardstown is about forty-five minutes south of Louisville and about an hour west of Lexington by car. Park on or near Court Square and walk the square, the basilica and the shops.
Where to stay
- An inn on the courthouse square — Historic inns and small hotels on and near Court Square put the lit tree, the shops and dinner a short walk away, in buildings from the 1700s and 1800s.
- A bed and breakfast in an old home — Bardstown has bed and breakfasts in Federal and Victorian homes on the quiet streets around downtown, many with porches, fireplaces and big Southern breakfasts.
Dinner: Bourbon-glazed fried chicken at Kreso's on Court Square.
Tomorrow: Visit Heaven Hill and Maker's Mark on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, with a lunch in the hills.
Bad-weather plan
On a rainy day, spend longer at My Old Kentucky Home and the whiskey museum, then settle into the old stone tavern by the fire for a long, slow lunch.
Court Square · Basilica · My Old Kentucky Home · Evening on the square
Good to know: Plan a sober driver for any bourbon tastings on this trip, or use a local car service for the evening.
