From old-time Fiddlers� Reunion and square dancing, Appalachian craft courses to civil war reenactments and traditional festivals, West Virginia offers a rich heritage and culture that complement the region�s highland forests and mountains of the Allegheny and Appalachian ranges. A range of 7-day courses compiled by the Elderhostel educational travel organisation are scheduled between October to December to take advantage of the splendour of the fall colour and located in three areas of the state: Charleston, the capital city, Elkins, an historic town in the Potomac Highlands and Ripley, nestled in the Appalachian foothills.

The Old-Time Week course immerses its participants in Appalachian mountain music and folk culture. Travellers learn traditional mountain dancing and participate in lectures and demonstrations on music and local civil war events as well as folk culture by leading historian, musicians and folklorists. They learn the basics of playing a stringed instrument and take a field trip to areas of Civil War History. Evenings are filled with square dances, films and old-time music, followed by a weekend public folk festival, the Old Time Fiddlers� Reunion, featuring more than 30 of the leading fiddlers in the state. The programme is arranged in association with the Augusta Heritage Centre of Davis & Elkins College which is dedicated to the preservation of American folk culture.

The Heritage Crafts week includes learning a collection of rare historic crafts and artefacts and time with masters of West Virginia�s traditional music and crafts and noted folklorists. The evenings are filled with square dancing, old-time music concerts and jam sessions as well as documentary films. A different craft is taught each day and several projects are completed by each person during the week. The week is followed by a weekend folk festival, from Saturday through to Sunday morning.

West Virginia Film Festival/Film Production course takes place in Charleston. This course focuses on the study of independent and international films produced outside the Hollywood system. College staff with first hand experience in writing, animating directing and producing full-length award winning films lead daytime discussions about styles and techniques, film production from beginning to end. In the evenings, participants attend nine recently released critically acclaimed culturally diverse domestic and foreign language feature films at the West Virginia International Film Festival.

Individual craft skill courses range from Stained Glass, Woodcarving or Woodturning, Faux Painting Techniques, Basketry, Quilting and Watercolour in Ripley. The courses are organised in association with Cedar Lakes Crafts Centre and located in the tranquil Appalachian foothills and take place between October and December.

Accommodation is offered on campus or in a new hotel in Elkins. The programme includes all lectures by experts, group leaders, field trips and excursions, accommodation and most meals, group transfers, gratuities, taxes and an insurance plan.

ENDS

To book, contact Bon Voyage on 0800 316 0191. Prices start from �825 pp which includes flights to Charleston, WV, taxes, accommodation, lectures, field trips and meals.

For more information, contact www.bon-voyage.co.uk.org

The capital city, Charleston on the Kanawha River is the gateway to the nearby Appalachian Mountains and unique culture and traditions. The state�s largest city features a wide variety of urban amenities including performing arts venues, historic shopping districts.

Elkins is the gateway to the 900,000-acre Monongahela National Forest with numerous scenic historic and recreational sites. The Tygart Valley River flows near this historic town in the mountainous Potomac Highland region of east-central West Virginia. The area is rich in Appalachian tradition.

Ripley nestles in the Appalachian foothills of the Ohio River Valley in the western part of the state. The county seat of Ripley features a historic downtown and theatre and easy access to nearby areas of natural beauty, abundant wildlife and hiking trails.

For more information on West Virginia Tourism, contact Jane Wilson on 0208 948 2388 or visit www.wvtourism.com