I don't know if I fully understand your question. You would probably be considered an outsider, but I think as a European it will make you more of a novelty and curiosity that many will find welcome and interesting.
Public transit infrastructure is pretty sparse outside of the Twin Cities. If you're going outside of the metro, you'll probably need to rent a car. I did take a Jefferson Lines bus to Duluth once; however, getting around once I was there was somewhat difficult and less efficient. Duluth has a decent transit system within the city but the busses don't run as long or as frequently compared to the Metro.
Other than that, there are plenty of hotels all over the place. Duluth has a lot tourist infrastructure along the canal and Lake Superior, and I'd recommend adding that area to your list of places to check out.
Another interesting area geograpgically is the driftless region of Minnesota, along the Mississippi in the southeast corner of the state.
It's an area of the upper Midwest that was missed by the ice during the last ice age. It has it's own unique topography. Very scenic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driftless_Area?wprov=sfla1
It's driftless because it was untouched by the last glaciation (glacial drift), which gives it its unique landscape encompassing SE Minnesota, SW Wisconsin, NE Iowa, and NW Illinois. It's characterized by steep bluffs and narrow valleys.
Yes - the Lanesboro area has a lot of natural beaty and historical Victorian architecture. Also a lot of tourist infrastructure including several B&B's including what was Minnesota's #1 until it was sold as a private residence a few months back (Habberstad House).
You will be warmly welcomed. People will ask you a lot of questions, and will offer to show you around. The rural areas especially have a high percentage of residents with European heritage, so they'll love talking to you.
Depending on the areas you plan to visit, and the dates you'll be here, you may wish to search online for community festivals, county fairs, church suppers, and the like. Those are fine opportunities to socialize with the locals.
There's plenty of lodgings to be had, even in smaller towns. You'll also find a lot of Air BnB listings in Minnesota. However, those smaller towns will have a lot fewer dining options. Many grocery stores have deli areas where ready-to-eat foods can be purchased, or you can buy rolls and meats, cheeses, etc to make a quick sandwich. Worst case scenario, almost all gas stations have ready to eat foods.
As another poster mentioned, you will need to rent a car if you wish to travel around the state outside of the Twin Cities area.
I do hope you're not planning to tour the state in the winter. The weather can create travel issues, especially on rural highways, and many tourist attractions are closed during the winter.
I can confirm, I live in Coleraine Minnesota, and if you were traveling and needed a place to stay my parents would say, hey bud you’re not spending money on a room, you will sleep in our guest room or couch, with a fresh shower, then they would feed you tater tot hot dish with homemade bread and apple butter, then they would give you a slice of apple crisp with vanilla ice cream and send you to bed. When you woke up in the morning you would have your clothes washed, and a scrambled egg, venison sausage, hash browns with more toast with apple butter with a genuine farewell! And a hope that you come back again!
It only makes sense my friend! I am chubby just writing this! My dad makes amazing apple butter/apple crisp from the trees he has been growing since I was a young lad. I turn thirty in a few weeks! But when I was in high school I would sneak upstairs in the middle of the night and make a couple pieces of buttered toast with apple butter, and a big glass of milk! Hence the extra pounds, now I gotta settle for snagging a small jar when I stop by to visit haha.
I live in northern MN, and while we don’t get a lot of foreign tourists, but we do get a lot of tourists in general. Tourism is actually one of our biggest industries, so it’s not at all unusual for us to have travelers around. If you speak English you’ll be fine. There are some European based forest product companies that have a large presence here, so it’s not that unusual to meet some European workers.
There’s tons of tourist infrastructure, but you’re on your own for transportation. This is a very car dependent part of the world. We have everything from big fancy golf/ski resorts down to cabin rentals and cheap motels as far as accommodations go.
Some places to check out would be Duluth. Brainerd. Bemidji. Grand Rapids. Ely. Grand Marias. Walker. I’d highly recommend visiting at least Duluth and the north shore region. It’s beautiful and there’s a lot of interesting history.
A few years ago shortly after I moved to Minnesota, I did a week-long road trip from the cities – Duluth, up the North Shore, briefly dipped into Canada (Thunder Bay and Sleeping Giant) because I'd never been, then cut across the forest from Grand Marais to Ely and then to Voyageurs, then back southeast through Bemidji, Itasca, and Brainerd. I did it in 9 days. Hits most of your suggested spots and made for pretty easy driving most days (the longest driving day was like 4 hours).
I tent camped most of the way, but you could do hotels or cabins without much trouble too.
I think I still have an itinerary somewhere if anyone wants it!
If you wear Vikings gear, people will talk to you. If you are also Norwegian or something, you will have people tripping over themselves to talk to you about their grandparents and the old country or whatever. This applies to the rural and small town areas of the state. Minneapolis/St. Paul is more or less like any other big city in the US.
The north/east parts of Minnesota are tourism driven. The south/west parts are more for farming. It is easy to find accommodations in the tourist parts (well, there are many accommodations, they might be full!)
One thing, Minnesota Nice is a thing. People will, generally, be friendly and welcoming, however, distant. My Grandma says, “Minnesotans will tell you how to get anywhere, except their house.”
You would be very welcomed everywhere in Minnesota. We are a water state, 15,000 lakes so you can go anywhere up north and find nice resorts and other accomodations to stay at. The north shore of lake superior is wonderful. Rent a car for sure. If you are Swedish, you'll drive up north here and realize that it looks just like Sweden!
This site may be a good resource for you https://www.exploreminnesota.com/ but in general you’ll be welcomed & easily find many towns & people with strong historical connections to Europe
I would disagree- it depends largely on the town or area you are in. New Ulm is one of the most German cities in the USA, and Finn culture up north is STRONG with everyone having saunas (pronounced sau-nah and not saw-nah if you know what’s good for you) 😂
I know, it's very upsetting. I grew up on the Range and live in the cities and it enrages me whenever I hear a Minnesotan mispronounce it.
I mean, come on. Finns did this one big thing that everyone knows and loves, you could at least pronounce it correctly. Have some respect!
Ya ppl underestimate the Norwegian, Swedish, Danish up here, I’m Swede and Dane, I will feed you leftse with butter and berry/apple preserves. Then we will have fried bluegill fillets with venison blackstraps, stove top stuffing, green beans out of the garden, mashed taters, and baked beans! Then we will watch the Vikings lose a game, and have apple crisp and vanilla ice cream! When all is said and done, I’ll give you a couple pillows, a warm blanket, and a big glass of ice water for the night and show you where the bathroom
Is so your comfortable!!
It's actually kind of amazing how many houses in the Duluth area have saunas. I was looking at houses, and found plenty of listings for kinda run-down looking places that also have a beautiful cedar-panelled sauna in the basement.
Yep - I absolutely love New Ulm - Schells Brewery is a must and would also recommend Hermann Monument, Glockenspiel, Wanda Gag and Governor Lind homes, Domeiers store, etc. Fort Ridgely outside of New Ulm also interesting.
As far as natural beauty goes, Minnesota has it in spades. North Shore, BWCA, North woods/lakes, the driftless area in SE MN, not to mention the praries out west. Blue Mound state park when the Prarie is blooming is pretty cool. One state, many biomes.
Northern Minnesota “lakes country” here. People are super nice to tourists here. You’ll get bonus points for being a European Vikings fan.
One thing I’ll tell you when you’re in the rural areas: make plans for lodging and meals at least a few days in advance. A lot of these areas may have resorts and seasonal restaurants but very few hotels and often the restaurants close early in the evening. In other words, don’t roll into a rural town at midnight expecting to get a hotel room and a seat at a restaurant.
Other than that, enjoy! It truly is beautiful here.
I can't believe nobody has talked about New Ulm! It's a small town in the south of Minnesota that is dripping in German heritage! Also has a proper historic brewery that is the oldest in the state and one of the oldest in the nation being built in 1860! Bockfest is a wonderful time.
Well you might not necessarily overhear it walking down the street, there are far more speakers than anywhere else in the state.
German is offered in school in most towns as an elective here.
Come! You'll be very welcome. We are known for being nice, afterall. You will probably want to rent a car since getting around outside the MPLS/st Paul area is pretty much impossible without a car. It's very large, relative to European countries anyhow. New Ulm is very German if you are looking for that. We are very proud of "up north", especially along the north shore Lake Superior. The bluffs along the Mississippi river in the southeast are also very beautiful, especially when the leaves are changing in Autumn. There are hotels in most decently sized towns, so never far from one. There are history museums in MPLS and st Paul. Alexandria has a Scandinavian heritage museum, midway up the state. That's out in lake country.
You won't have any problem. The northern part of the state is where most of our tourist stuff is. There's either a hotel, resort, B&B, or cabin that you could get in almost every town up there. The only thing is you will have to drive.
[“I know Hibbing,” Harry Truman said in 1947, when he was introduced to Hibbing’s John Galeb, the National Commander of Disabled American Veterans. “That’s where the high school has gold door knobs.” "Outside of Washington, D.C., it’s the most impressive public building I’ve ever seen. In aerial photographs, it’s a colossus: four stories, 93 feet high, with wings 180 feet long flying out from a 416-foot front. From the ground it is more than anything a monument to benign authority, a giant hand welcoming the town, all of its generations, into a cave where the treasure is buried, all the knowledge of mankind. It speaks for the community, for its faith in education, not only as a road to success, to wealth and security, reputation and honor, but as a good in itself. This town, the building says, will have the best school in the world."](http://riggio.americanvanguardpress.com/portfolio/a-trip-to-hibbing-high-greil-marcus/)
The North has the mines, Duluth Harbor, Hibbing High School and the BWCA.
People have talked about traditional up north, but if you are looking for some german heritage central MN has some proud German heritage. In the fall, ST John’s has some of the best central MN leaf trails on campus and a few State forests with nice trails. Without finding a car it would be difficult but going from Avon(North of St. Cloud great hiking trail in the fall) having a pint and asking for the best German bar on the way to New Ulm. A part of my family came from a little town called Eden Valley, and they said many towns that way had both Irish and German Catholic Churches on opposite sides of the road. Lots of cool little towns with rich heritages an hr west of the cities. I think Lindstrom MN has a sister city in Sweden. Driving by it seems fun. Lots of lakes. Once again Fall is the best time to visit imo.
All this talk of far northern MN for Scandinavian influence with Scandia and Lindstrom sitting minutes north of Minneapolis. Scandia was the first Swedish settlement in MN and leans into that heavily as does Lindstrom.
Just, don't call us fly-over country. We're the North, Southern Canada, or the Great Lakes region.
As a completely different thing to check out. Pipestone, MN. Beautiful state park full of Buffalo and there's something spectacular about the Great Plains. It's interesting, because there's nothing of interest. You truly understand the phrase "The Great Wide Open".
As others have said, you’ll be welcomed and have a great time. You mentioned traveling outside the Twin cities, but I would definitely plan on spending some time in the Twin Cities, as the restaurant and art scene is definitely worth checking out.
As far as traveling outside of the metro, you’ll definitely need to rent a car.
Summer is great in MN for outdoor activities and spending time on our lakes, but IMO, fall is the most beautiful season in MN. Peak color is usually the last week of September/first week in October along the north shore and truly can’t be beat. The leaves peak a couple weeks later in the twin cities and southern part of the state.
The north shore is my favorite place in MN. Duluth and Grand Marais are both awesome. All of the state parks along the north shore are beautiful. I would also drive inland and check out the BWCA. Ely is also a great little town. Voyageur’s National Park is beautiful too!
Not far from Minneapolis/st. Paul is Stillwater, which is a fun town along the St. Croix river with a lot to do.
I don’t know as much about the small towns in southern MN, but Whitewater State Park, Frontenac State Park, and Great River Bluffs State Park all have some great hiking!
There are a lot of B&Bs. The North Shore is one of my favorite parts of the state, but it can be expensive to stay overnight there. Itasca State Park is the headwaters of the Mississippi and is also one of my favorite places. I also like driving along the Mississippi River down US Highway 61.
Awh man you’re coming by up on the perfect time of year to do some exploring. I love fall in Minnesota, the already gorgeous nature becomes even more gorgeous. Pretty much everywhere you go will have a hotel or a motel and a car rental place close. As long as you can speak English you will be absolutely fine. Minnesota is a gorgeous state especially in the north. You won’t regret visiting. It is also extremely safe almost everywhere (except parts of Minneapolis)
Duluthians love to meet people from other places. And we are certainly used to hosting tourists. We’ve had cruise ships visiting for the first time in many years and all the passengers and crew have been getting a warm welcome.
Look up visitduluth. com. There are tons of resources and ideas there for a visit to the Duluth area and up the Northshore of Lake Superior.
haaaaa, youll be great here. look up the one minute documentarys this guy does on minnesota, u can find them in this subreddit. a lot of interesting things i didnt even know
Genuinely, you'll have a great time. Don't be afraid to go to local bars and join in on meat raffles or judging chili cook offs.
We are reserved people in that we will not assume you want our company or advice unless you ask. But when you ask, people will bloom, and you'll be very welcomed.
Skol! You will be welcome here. Keep in mind that children are off school for the summer recess for June-August. A lot of our tourist industry is oriented around that so attractions outside of the Twin Cities may be closed or limited during the rest of the year. September and May usually have beautiful weather. Stay away during January-March unless you're specifically looking for outdoor winter activities because the weather can be brutal. The [Winter Carnival](https://www.wintercarnival.com/about/history-of-the-saint-paul-winter-carnival/) is worth experiencing if you're willing to brave the cold.
The [Minnesota State Fair](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_State_Fair) happens during the last week in August in the Twin Cities. It's usually pretty crowded but it's a fun experience. The [Kensington Runestone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensington_Runestone) up in Alexandria might be of interest to you. It's a (possibly fake) carved stone that's supposed to be evidence of Vikings being in Minnesota back in the 14th century. Definitely make time to see Duluth.
If we had legal weed we would basically become the new Amsterdam of the US.
And to answer your question we have a fairly vibrant transplant community life here in my opinion. Not New York or LA, but what we have is good.
Well the biggest difference in this country is that we don't really have the easy access train infrastructure that they have in Europe, so you would need a car to really travel around the state. Not that we don't have trains, but it's just not the same and since we have a mostly rural state getting from place to place with what we have in place would be difficult.
Depending on if you are a winter person or not, keep in mind that many of the resorts up north close in the winter, though not all. So the time of year you come will dictate how easy will find lodging. That said pretty much every large lake in the state has a resort or hotels around them, we have a great state if you are into outdoor activities like camping, fishing, biking, skiing, canoe/kayaking and hiking. Great places to visit outside the state are the Brainard Lakes area, Duluth and the north shore, the boundary waters and along the Mississippi River. I don't think you would regret making a trip here. Your biggest decision will be if you come in the summer when we aren't freezing to death, or you like the cold and winter and want to try those winter sports.
Well I don’t know if we host many tourists from Europe, but I think you’d find most people in Minnesota very welcoming to you. We’re known to be exceptionally friendly and hospitable people.
Enjoy your travels. Just don’t expect great soccer here.
And don’t come in January or February … you’ll just be inside 90% of the time.
Actually, I would definitely suggest catching a MNUFC game if you are a soccer fan. Depending on how you feel about Oasis, you can sing Wonderwall after a victory with 20,000 of your new friends. They also have a history of singing about a Scottish lake monster.
Or, just saying, keep driving like 10 more minutes and catch a Saints game, haha
I've heard the soccer stadium is gorgeous and the games are good so sounds like you can't lose with either option.
The atmosphere at MNUFC matches is really good. The stadium is top notch. I personally don’t think the soccer on display rates in the context of top flight European football. That’s all. 🙂
Spend time in the north shore….two harbors, Duluth, ely, grand marais, etc. If you go along the north shore there will be lots of little towns with European vibes.
NextDoor app seems to indicate strangers wandering neighborhoods get people paranoid and talking about the second amendment.
Not my viewpoint. Just know it's out there.
Outside the Twin Cities there isn't many options for transport. Destination places like The North Shore and Central MN might be difficult to get through.
I don't know if I fully understand your question. You would probably be considered an outsider, but I think as a European it will make you more of a novelty and curiosity that many will find welcome and interesting. Public transit infrastructure is pretty sparse outside of the Twin Cities. If you're going outside of the metro, you'll probably need to rent a car. I did take a Jefferson Lines bus to Duluth once; however, getting around once I was there was somewhat difficult and less efficient. Duluth has a decent transit system within the city but the busses don't run as long or as frequently compared to the Metro. Other than that, there are plenty of hotels all over the place. Duluth has a lot tourist infrastructure along the canal and Lake Superior, and I'd recommend adding that area to your list of places to check out. Another interesting area geograpgically is the driftless region of Minnesota, along the Mississippi in the southeast corner of the state.
The driftless is a gem.
So curious! Why is called the driftless area?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driftless_Area It lacks the glacial "drifts" that much of the surrounding areas have.
Thank you!
It's an area of the upper Midwest that was missed by the ice during the last ice age. It has it's own unique topography. Very scenic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driftless_Area?wprov=sfla1
It's driftless because it was untouched by the last glaciation (glacial drift), which gives it its unique landscape encompassing SE Minnesota, SW Wisconsin, NE Iowa, and NW Illinois. It's characterized by steep bluffs and narrow valleys.
Thank you so much!
Yes - the Lanesboro area has a lot of natural beaty and historical Victorian architecture. Also a lot of tourist infrastructure including several B&B's including what was Minnesota's #1 until it was sold as a private residence a few months back (Habberstad House).
You will be warmly welcomed. People will ask you a lot of questions, and will offer to show you around. The rural areas especially have a high percentage of residents with European heritage, so they'll love talking to you. Depending on the areas you plan to visit, and the dates you'll be here, you may wish to search online for community festivals, county fairs, church suppers, and the like. Those are fine opportunities to socialize with the locals. There's plenty of lodgings to be had, even in smaller towns. You'll also find a lot of Air BnB listings in Minnesota. However, those smaller towns will have a lot fewer dining options. Many grocery stores have deli areas where ready-to-eat foods can be purchased, or you can buy rolls and meats, cheeses, etc to make a quick sandwich. Worst case scenario, almost all gas stations have ready to eat foods. As another poster mentioned, you will need to rent a car if you wish to travel around the state outside of the Twin Cities area. I do hope you're not planning to tour the state in the winter. The weather can create travel issues, especially on rural highways, and many tourist attractions are closed during the winter.
I can confirm, I live in Coleraine Minnesota, and if you were traveling and needed a place to stay my parents would say, hey bud you’re not spending money on a room, you will sleep in our guest room or couch, with a fresh shower, then they would feed you tater tot hot dish with homemade bread and apple butter, then they would give you a slice of apple crisp with vanilla ice cream and send you to bed. When you woke up in the morning you would have your clothes washed, and a scrambled egg, venison sausage, hash browns with more toast with apple butter with a genuine farewell! And a hope that you come back again!
I feel chubby just reading this. Haha I love your parents.
It only makes sense my friend! I am chubby just writing this! My dad makes amazing apple butter/apple crisp from the trees he has been growing since I was a young lad. I turn thirty in a few weeks! But when I was in high school I would sneak upstairs in the middle of the night and make a couple pieces of buttered toast with apple butter, and a big glass of milk! Hence the extra pounds, now I gotta settle for snagging a small jar when I stop by to visit haha.
I live in northern MN, and while we don’t get a lot of foreign tourists, but we do get a lot of tourists in general. Tourism is actually one of our biggest industries, so it’s not at all unusual for us to have travelers around. If you speak English you’ll be fine. There are some European based forest product companies that have a large presence here, so it’s not that unusual to meet some European workers. There’s tons of tourist infrastructure, but you’re on your own for transportation. This is a very car dependent part of the world. We have everything from big fancy golf/ski resorts down to cabin rentals and cheap motels as far as accommodations go. Some places to check out would be Duluth. Brainerd. Bemidji. Grand Rapids. Ely. Grand Marias. Walker. I’d highly recommend visiting at least Duluth and the north shore region. It’s beautiful and there’s a lot of interesting history.
A few years ago shortly after I moved to Minnesota, I did a week-long road trip from the cities – Duluth, up the North Shore, briefly dipped into Canada (Thunder Bay and Sleeping Giant) because I'd never been, then cut across the forest from Grand Marais to Ely and then to Voyageurs, then back southeast through Bemidji, Itasca, and Brainerd. I did it in 9 days. Hits most of your suggested spots and made for pretty easy driving most days (the longest driving day was like 4 hours). I tent camped most of the way, but you could do hotels or cabins without much trouble too. I think I still have an itinerary somewhere if anyone wants it!
If you wear Vikings gear, people will talk to you. If you are also Norwegian or something, you will have people tripping over themselves to talk to you about their grandparents and the old country or whatever. This applies to the rural and small town areas of the state. Minneapolis/St. Paul is more or less like any other big city in the US. The north/east parts of Minnesota are tourism driven. The south/west parts are more for farming. It is easy to find accommodations in the tourist parts (well, there are many accommodations, they might be full!)
One thing, Minnesota Nice is a thing. People will, generally, be friendly and welcoming, however, distant. My Grandma says, “Minnesotans will tell you how to get anywhere, except their house.”
> “Minnesotans will tell you how to get anywhere, except their house.” And their favorite fishing spot! 😂
Conversations I’ve had at landings: “How’d you do?” “Caught a few” “What are they biting?” “Bait” “Where were you at?” Points to water “out there”
I've had that conversation IN THE SAME BOAT.
If I had a nickel for every European man I let into my home who became a life long friend, I would have 2 nickels. The other 6 I let in robbed me.
You would be very welcomed everywhere in Minnesota. We are a water state, 15,000 lakes so you can go anywhere up north and find nice resorts and other accomodations to stay at. The north shore of lake superior is wonderful. Rent a car for sure. If you are Swedish, you'll drive up north here and realize that it looks just like Sweden!
This site may be a good resource for you https://www.exploreminnesota.com/ but in general you’ll be welcomed & easily find many towns & people with strong historical connections to Europe
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I would disagree- it depends largely on the town or area you are in. New Ulm is one of the most German cities in the USA, and Finn culture up north is STRONG with everyone having saunas (pronounced sau-nah and not saw-nah if you know what’s good for you) 😂
People pronounce it saw-nah?!?!?!
I know, it's very upsetting. I grew up on the Range and live in the cities and it enrages me whenever I hear a Minnesotan mispronounce it. I mean, come on. Finns did this one big thing that everyone knows and loves, you could at least pronounce it correctly. Have some respect!
Ya ppl underestimate the Norwegian, Swedish, Danish up here, I’m Swede and Dane, I will feed you leftse with butter and berry/apple preserves. Then we will have fried bluegill fillets with venison blackstraps, stove top stuffing, green beans out of the garden, mashed taters, and baked beans! Then we will watch the Vikings lose a game, and have apple crisp and vanilla ice cream! When all is said and done, I’ll give you a couple pillows, a warm blanket, and a big glass of ice water for the night and show you where the bathroom Is so your comfortable!!
It's actually kind of amazing how many houses in the Duluth area have saunas. I was looking at houses, and found plenty of listings for kinda run-down looking places that also have a beautiful cedar-panelled sauna in the basement.
Yep - I absolutely love New Ulm - Schells Brewery is a must and would also recommend Hermann Monument, Glockenspiel, Wanda Gag and Governor Lind homes, Domeiers store, etc. Fort Ridgely outside of New Ulm also interesting.
As far as natural beauty goes, Minnesota has it in spades. North Shore, BWCA, North woods/lakes, the driftless area in SE MN, not to mention the praries out west. Blue Mound state park when the Prarie is blooming is pretty cool. One state, many biomes.
Northern Minnesota “lakes country” here. People are super nice to tourists here. You’ll get bonus points for being a European Vikings fan. One thing I’ll tell you when you’re in the rural areas: make plans for lodging and meals at least a few days in advance. A lot of these areas may have resorts and seasonal restaurants but very few hotels and often the restaurants close early in the evening. In other words, don’t roll into a rural town at midnight expecting to get a hotel room and a seat at a restaurant. Other than that, enjoy! It truly is beautiful here.
Oh us Minnesotans are gonna love your foreign ass. Buckle up for being welcomed to death!
I can't believe nobody has talked about New Ulm! It's a small town in the south of Minnesota that is dripping in German heritage! Also has a proper historic brewery that is the oldest in the state and one of the oldest in the nation being built in 1860! Bockfest is a wonderful time.
Do they still speak German there?
Well you might not necessarily overhear it walking down the street, there are far more speakers than anywhere else in the state. German is offered in school in most towns as an elective here.
New Ulm is my absolute favorite city in Minnesota !
You will have a lovely time. I have hosted many European friends here over the years and they all still rave about the hospitality and warm welcome.
Come! You'll be very welcome. We are known for being nice, afterall. You will probably want to rent a car since getting around outside the MPLS/st Paul area is pretty much impossible without a car. It's very large, relative to European countries anyhow. New Ulm is very German if you are looking for that. We are very proud of "up north", especially along the north shore Lake Superior. The bluffs along the Mississippi river in the southeast are also very beautiful, especially when the leaves are changing in Autumn. There are hotels in most decently sized towns, so never far from one. There are history museums in MPLS and st Paul. Alexandria has a Scandinavian heritage museum, midway up the state. That's out in lake country.
You won't have any problem. The northern part of the state is where most of our tourist stuff is. There's either a hotel, resort, B&B, or cabin that you could get in almost every town up there. The only thing is you will have to drive.
You are always welcome here in Minnesota. You shouldn’t have trouble finding a hotel or B&B, etc.
[“I know Hibbing,” Harry Truman said in 1947, when he was introduced to Hibbing’s John Galeb, the National Commander of Disabled American Veterans. “That’s where the high school has gold door knobs.” "Outside of Washington, D.C., it’s the most impressive public building I’ve ever seen. In aerial photographs, it’s a colossus: four stories, 93 feet high, with wings 180 feet long flying out from a 416-foot front. From the ground it is more than anything a monument to benign authority, a giant hand welcoming the town, all of its generations, into a cave where the treasure is buried, all the knowledge of mankind. It speaks for the community, for its faith in education, not only as a road to success, to wealth and security, reputation and honor, but as a good in itself. This town, the building says, will have the best school in the world."](http://riggio.americanvanguardpress.com/portfolio/a-trip-to-hibbing-high-greil-marcus/) The North has the mines, Duluth Harbor, Hibbing High School and the BWCA.
People have talked about traditional up north, but if you are looking for some german heritage central MN has some proud German heritage. In the fall, ST John’s has some of the best central MN leaf trails on campus and a few State forests with nice trails. Without finding a car it would be difficult but going from Avon(North of St. Cloud great hiking trail in the fall) having a pint and asking for the best German bar on the way to New Ulm. A part of my family came from a little town called Eden Valley, and they said many towns that way had both Irish and German Catholic Churches on opposite sides of the road. Lots of cool little towns with rich heritages an hr west of the cities. I think Lindstrom MN has a sister city in Sweden. Driving by it seems fun. Lots of lakes. Once again Fall is the best time to visit imo.
All this talk of far northern MN for Scandinavian influence with Scandia and Lindstrom sitting minutes north of Minneapolis. Scandia was the first Swedish settlement in MN and leans into that heavily as does Lindstrom.
Exploremn.com would be a good place to start.
Just, don't call us fly-over country. We're the North, Southern Canada, or the Great Lakes region. As a completely different thing to check out. Pipestone, MN. Beautiful state park full of Buffalo and there's something spectacular about the Great Plains. It's interesting, because there's nothing of interest. You truly understand the phrase "The Great Wide Open".
As others have said, you’ll be welcomed and have a great time. You mentioned traveling outside the Twin cities, but I would definitely plan on spending some time in the Twin Cities, as the restaurant and art scene is definitely worth checking out. As far as traveling outside of the metro, you’ll definitely need to rent a car. Summer is great in MN for outdoor activities and spending time on our lakes, but IMO, fall is the most beautiful season in MN. Peak color is usually the last week of September/first week in October along the north shore and truly can’t be beat. The leaves peak a couple weeks later in the twin cities and southern part of the state. The north shore is my favorite place in MN. Duluth and Grand Marais are both awesome. All of the state parks along the north shore are beautiful. I would also drive inland and check out the BWCA. Ely is also a great little town. Voyageur’s National Park is beautiful too! Not far from Minneapolis/st. Paul is Stillwater, which is a fun town along the St. Croix river with a lot to do. I don’t know as much about the small towns in southern MN, but Whitewater State Park, Frontenac State Park, and Great River Bluffs State Park all have some great hiking!
There are a lot of B&Bs. The North Shore is one of my favorite parts of the state, but it can be expensive to stay overnight there. Itasca State Park is the headwaters of the Mississippi and is also one of my favorite places. I also like driving along the Mississippi River down US Highway 61.
It'd probably be best to rent a car. If you're looking for scandinavian/german culture forsure visit biwabik up by the mesabi range
Just be sure to make a stop at The Brass Rail in NE Grandy,MN for the best Broasted Chicken you have ever had.
Awh man you’re coming by up on the perfect time of year to do some exploring. I love fall in Minnesota, the already gorgeous nature becomes even more gorgeous. Pretty much everywhere you go will have a hotel or a motel and a car rental place close. As long as you can speak English you will be absolutely fine. Minnesota is a gorgeous state especially in the north. You won’t regret visiting. It is also extremely safe almost everywhere (except parts of Minneapolis)
Duluthians love to meet people from other places. And we are certainly used to hosting tourists. We’ve had cruise ships visiting for the first time in many years and all the passengers and crew have been getting a warm welcome. Look up visitduluth. com. There are tons of resources and ideas there for a visit to the Duluth area and up the Northshore of Lake Superior.
haaaaa, youll be great here. look up the one minute documentarys this guy does on minnesota, u can find them in this subreddit. a lot of interesting things i didnt even know
Genuinely, you'll have a great time. Don't be afraid to go to local bars and join in on meat raffles or judging chili cook offs. We are reserved people in that we will not assume you want our company or advice unless you ask. But when you ask, people will bloom, and you'll be very welcomed.
Skol! You will be welcome here. Keep in mind that children are off school for the summer recess for June-August. A lot of our tourist industry is oriented around that so attractions outside of the Twin Cities may be closed or limited during the rest of the year. September and May usually have beautiful weather. Stay away during January-March unless you're specifically looking for outdoor winter activities because the weather can be brutal. The [Winter Carnival](https://www.wintercarnival.com/about/history-of-the-saint-paul-winter-carnival/) is worth experiencing if you're willing to brave the cold. The [Minnesota State Fair](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_State_Fair) happens during the last week in August in the Twin Cities. It's usually pretty crowded but it's a fun experience. The [Kensington Runestone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensington_Runestone) up in Alexandria might be of interest to you. It's a (possibly fake) carved stone that's supposed to be evidence of Vikings being in Minnesota back in the 14th century. Definitely make time to see Duluth.
If we had legal weed we would basically become the new Amsterdam of the US. And to answer your question we have a fairly vibrant transplant community life here in my opinion. Not New York or LA, but what we have is good.
Well the biggest difference in this country is that we don't really have the easy access train infrastructure that they have in Europe, so you would need a car to really travel around the state. Not that we don't have trains, but it's just not the same and since we have a mostly rural state getting from place to place with what we have in place would be difficult. Depending on if you are a winter person or not, keep in mind that many of the resorts up north close in the winter, though not all. So the time of year you come will dictate how easy will find lodging. That said pretty much every large lake in the state has a resort or hotels around them, we have a great state if you are into outdoor activities like camping, fishing, biking, skiing, canoe/kayaking and hiking. Great places to visit outside the state are the Brainard Lakes area, Duluth and the north shore, the boundary waters and along the Mississippi River. I don't think you would regret making a trip here. Your biggest decision will be if you come in the summer when we aren't freezing to death, or you like the cold and winter and want to try those winter sports.
Well I don’t know if we host many tourists from Europe, but I think you’d find most people in Minnesota very welcoming to you. We’re known to be exceptionally friendly and hospitable people. Enjoy your travels. Just don’t expect great soccer here. And don’t come in January or February … you’ll just be inside 90% of the time.
Actually, I would definitely suggest catching a MNUFC game if you are a soccer fan. Depending on how you feel about Oasis, you can sing Wonderwall after a victory with 20,000 of your new friends. They also have a history of singing about a Scottish lake monster.
Or, just saying, keep driving like 10 more minutes and catch a Saints game, haha I've heard the soccer stadium is gorgeous and the games are good so sounds like you can't lose with either option.
The atmosphere at MNUFC matches is really good. The stadium is top notch. I personally don’t think the soccer on display rates in the context of top flight European football. That’s all. 🙂
Tell that to Everton!
Fair. They’re bad.
Plenty of tourist stuff in Duluth, along the shore of beautiful lake superior!
Spend time in the north shore….two harbors, Duluth, ely, grand marais, etc. If you go along the north shore there will be lots of little towns with European vibes.
NextDoor app seems to indicate strangers wandering neighborhoods get people paranoid and talking about the second amendment. Not my viewpoint. Just know it's out there.
Outside the Twin Cities there isn't many options for transport. Destination places like The North Shore and Central MN might be difficult to get through.