The Grandfather Mountain Nursery Garden Center has been nurturing Banner Elk's wonderful outdoors since 1976. Located at the base of Grandfather Mountain, they offer extensive knowledge regarding landscaping, gardening, and more.

Built between 527 and 565 AD at the foot of Mount Sinai for Emperor Justinian, this monastery later took its name from St Catherine of Alexandria, whose remains are said to rest here. It’s more fortress than church, with thick stone walls guarding the Church of the Transfiguration, the chapel of the Burning Bush, and a monks-only library packed with ancient manuscripts. Inside, you’ll find mosaics, religious ornaments, and some of the oldest illuminated manuscripts in the world on display. Outside, don’t miss Moses’ Well and the garden with centuries of history. The place is open most mornings but closed on Fridays, Sundays, and Orthodox feast days. Still active today, the monastery holds importance across Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and continues its Greek Orthodox traditions uninterrupted.

Broke was settled as early as 1824, and became an important staging point on the overland cattle route between the Hunter and Sydney. Dairying, orange orchards and market gardens also featured in the early development of the town. Today, the village is a major wine area that produces soft and distinctive wines including semillon, shiraz, chardonnay and verdelho as well as Italian varieties such as sangiovese, barbera and dolcetto.