Minneapolis-St Paul Travel Guide

Chicago and Indianapolis may garner most of the attention in the Midwest, but St Paul and Minneapolis, which together make up the Twin Cities, are absolutely worth a visit. Blessed with dramatic natural beauty, exciting pro sports, award-winning theatre and a tremendous food scene, this bustling region beckons with its unique blend of worldly polish and Midwest charm.

Minneapolis and St Paul are the two halves of a singular metropolis bisected by the Mississippi River in eastern Minnesota. The older city, St Paul, is the state capital and is smaller, quieter, and more reserved than its modern sibling across the river. It has a compact downtown area sporting a variety of restored Victorian architecture among its glass skyscrapers, and is home to several major universities, and many museums and theatres. Minneapolis, founded on money made by the hundreds of saw and flour mills along the Mississippi, has many contemporary buildings in a slick downtown area with a lively, arty character and a vibrant nightlife.

The very existence of the Twin Cities is due to the only waterfall on the Mississippi, St Anthony Falls, whose hydroelectric power fuelled numerous flour and timber mills along the river. Today, the Riverfront district in Minneapolis is a scenic stretch lined with old warehouses, mills and historical walking trails.

While Minneapolis and St Paul are the original Twin Cities of Minnesota, the name now refers to the sprawling metro area, encompassing dozens of smaller towns, that extends for 30 miles in all directions. These towns have their own unique charm and identities, from the quaint 150-year-old main street of Anoka in the north to the antique stores and scenic St Croix River valley of Stillwater to the south.

With hundreds of lakes lying within the Twin Cities area, there are endless opportunities for outdoor recreation, with miles of trails surrounding the lakes. Residents of the Twin Cities pride themselves on a high quality of life that includes sport and outdoor activities as well as top priorities such as a good education, a clean environment, excellent healthcare and a low crime rate.

Minneapolis and St Paul boast a rich arts and cultural entertainment scene with more concert venues per person than any other city in the country, except New York. And the southern suburb of Bloomington has the Mall of America, which is the largest shopping centre in the US. It includes an aquarium and amusement park under the same roof as hundreds of shops, restaurants, bars and theatres.