Minnesota is the land of ten thousand lakes. And this is not fiction at all, according to official statistics there are almost 12 thousand of them! Obviously, because of this generosity of nature, Minnesotans are the proud holders of the title of citizens of the most livable state in America. Over the past 10 years, experts have recognized Minnesota as the healthiest of the 50 states 6 times.
Minnesota is famous not only for its amazingly beautiful lakes, but also for a large number of reserves. Excellent fishing, hunting, kayaking and canoeing, the country’s best cycling routes, excellent skiing trails annually attract millions of people from all over the world to the state.
- Countryaah – Cities in Minnesota: List of all municipalities in the state of Minnesota, including cities and towns of Minnesota.
The state capital is Saint Paul.
Major cities are Minneapolis, Bloomington, Duluth and Rochester. It will be interesting to visit Winona.
How to get there
You can get to Minnesota only with transfers. Fly first to Washington, and from there to Minneapolis. A transatlantic flight is not cheap, so if you have not taken care of tickets for several months, you will have to shell out a tidy sum.
Weather in Minnesota
The climate of the state is temperate continental. It has cold snowy winters and hot summers. A record winter temperature of -51°C was recorded in 1996, a record summer temperature of +46°C in 1936. It is believed that in Minnesota, in the city of International Falls, there is the coldest place in the continental United States – the so-called refrigerator of the nation. Rain, snow, blizzards, thunderstorms, hail and tornadoes are also not uncommon here. The southern part of Minnesota is located in the area of the so-called Tornado Alley: hurricane whirlwinds pass here more than 20 times a year, usually in the summer.
Popular hotels in the Region
Attractions, entertainment and excursions in Minnesota
Tourism is an important branch of the state’s economy. It cannot be otherwise, because Minnesota is famous not only for its amazingly beautiful lakes, but also for a large number of reserves. Excellent fishing, hunting, kayaking and canoeing, the country’s best cycling routes, excellent skiing trails annually attract millions of people from all over the world to the state. Fans of cognitive rest also do not remain without impressions.
Saint Paul
On the left bank of the Mississippi is the state capital, Saint Paul. This is a major cargo port, but looks more like a European city with well-preserved buildings of late Victorian architecture.
Downtown Saint Paul is simply a paradise for pedestrians; you can move freely around the city center thanks to a network of skyways – closed pedestrian crossings made of glass. You can walk 5 miles, that’s 8 km, and never go outside!
Saint Paul is famous for being the birthplace and author of the first major novel, This Side of Paradise, by American writer Francis Scott Fitzgerald. Also here, since the 19th century, the annual winter carnival of St. Paul has been held.
Minneapolis
Despite the fact that the capital of Minnesota is Saint Paul, the largest and culturally most famous in the state is still Minneapolis. The Institute of Arts is located here, where you can always see an interesting exhibition, the Walker Art Center, which houses the works of Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore, the Frederick Weissman Art Museum … However, Minneapolis and St. Paul are called “twin cities”, they are even located opposite each other, on different banks of the Mississippi. But Minneapolis is more modern, with wide, busy streets and soaring skyscrapers. And the skyway network is more than 12 km!
In terms of the number of seats in theaters, St. Paul and Minneapolis are second only to New York!
The annual theater fringe festival is very popular in the state, which shows drama, dance, puppet shows, as well as children’s shows and musicals.
Land of lakes
The area of lakes in Minnesota exceeds 40 thousand square meters! The largest and deepest of them is the Superior, one of the Great Lakes of North America and the largest freshwater lake in the world. In addition to lakes that are of interest to all tourists – and lovers of fishing, and divers, and families with children, there are about 6.5 thousand rivers and streams in Minnesota, it is here that the sources of the largest river in the United States, the Mississippi, are located.
Voyager Park
In the north of Minnesota, near the border with the Canadian province of Ontario, is the Voyageurs National Park. The park was founded in 1971 and occupies a huge area, moreover, a third of the territory is water. In addition to four large lakes, there are 26 more small ones, strewn with rocky islands. The scenery here is breathtaking!
Through ancient rocks and a network of water channels in the old days ran the routes of fur traders and travelers.
In the park you can relax both soul and body. For this, everything is here! You can set up a tent or stay in a house on the shores of Lake Rainey, rent a small barge with a cabin, or explore the local beauty in a motorboat, canoe or seaplane.
During the boat ride you will see eagles, loons, gulls, deer and elks. Or you can go on a one-day excursion to the historic Kettle Falls waterfall – you will learn a lot of interesting things about nature, and in the evening the organizers will arrange a bonfire party. The kids will love this trip too!
In the Voyager Park, there are several tourist centers at once, where there are exhibitions, and in cinema halls you can watch films about wildlife, about the history of the park. You can also buy books and souvenirs here.
Shopping in Minnesota
Shopping lovers will be interested in Mall of America, one of the largest shopping centers in the world. It is located near the state capital, in the suburbs of Bloomington. About 40 million people visit it every year, and every fourth is a tourist. The mall has more than 500 shops, at least 20 restaurants, an amusement park with 400 live trees and an aquarium that even has sharks.
