Bardstown is a home rule-class city[5] in Nelson County, Kentucky, United States.

David Bard obtained a 1,000-acre (400 ha) land grant in 1785 in what was then Jefferson County, Virginia.

First settled by European Americans in 1780, Bardstown is among the oldest cities in Kentucky.

[7] Reflecting the westward migration of Americans over the Blue Ridge Mountains after the Revolutionary War, Bardstown was also the first center of Catholicism west of the Appalachian Mountains in the original western frontier territories of the United States.

[9] The Diocese of Bardstown was established on February 8, 1808, to serve all Catholics between the Appalachians and the Mississippi River.

In 2008, videos showing sewage and storm water spewing from the sewer systems in multiple locations around the city led the state of Kentucky to order the city to fix the problem.

[citation needed] Bardstown is located in north central Nelson County.

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.

The Old Talbott Tavern, built in 1779,[8] has been patronized by frontiersman Daniel Boone, and future 16th President Abraham Lincoln.

[17] Bullet holes in an upstairs wall are reputed to have been shot by Jesse James.

Distilleries operating in Bardstown include Heaven Hill, Barton 1792, and Lux Row Distillers.

[25] Some of the city is instead served by the surrounding Nelson County School District.

In early 2023, Bardstown was ranked as number 8 of Travel and Leisure 20 Most Beautiful Small Towns in America.

Mentioned were the Federal and Georgian achitiecture, cobblestone paths, and gateway to Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

[26] [27] The Bluegrass Parkway is a limited-access highway that passes just south of Bardstown.

A part of the Kentucky parkway system, the highway was formerly a toll road.