Audio Guide: Charleston Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Charleston

A major port on the South Carolina coast and a favorite stop for travelers, Charleston is the kind of place that knows how to make an entrance—with its Southern charm, easygoing friendliness, and a long, layered history. Founded in 1670 as Charles Town, named so after King Charles II of England, it also holds an important distinction as the first comprehensively planned town in what would later become the United States.

Charleston’s story, however, isn’t all graceful architecture and warm hospitality. During the 18th century, the city became a central port in the transatlantic slave trade. Nearly half of all enslaved Africans brought into the U.S. arrived through Charleston’s harbor. That tragic legacy shaped the city’s economy and society for generations and continued to influence events during the Revolutionary War.

When the Civil War erupted, Charleston was one of its most symbolic battlegrounds, with Union and Confederate forces struggling for control of the city and its strategic port. The war devastated Charleston’s economy, but in its aftermath, the city’s freed African American community grew significantly. In 2018, Charleston formally apologized for its role in the slave trade, acknowledging that dark chapter as profoundly inhumane.

If you’d like to explore this complicated past, one important stop is the Old Slave Mart Museum. Built in 1859, it was the last slave auction facility operating in South Carolina, and today it serves as a museum. For insights into the Civil War period, the Confederate Museum, located inside Market Hall, presents artifacts and exhibits related to that era.

Modern Charleston, however, is equally known for its beauty. In 2016, readers of Travel + Leisure ranked it the best city in the world. Strolling through the historic districts, you’ll encounter cobblestone streets, pastel-colored antebellum houses, and the occasional horse-drawn carriage—especially in the elegant French Quarter and along the waterfront at The Battery.

Several well-known landmarks help define the city’s character. Rainbow Row features a charming line of brightly painted 18th-century homes, while the historic Charleston City Market—more than 200 years old—remains a lively place to browse local crafts, including the famous sweetgrass baskets woven by local artisans. Another highlight is the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, completed in 1771 and once used to hold British prisoners during the American Revolution.

Charleston is also known as “The Holy City,” a nickname earned from the forest of church steeples that rise above the skyline. One particularly distinctive example is the French Huguenot Church, built in 1844 and recognized as the oldest Gothic Revival church in South Carolina.

Charleston’s streets are layered with stories. To see how all their chapters come together, continue on this self-guided walk and discover the many faces of the Holy City.