Stunning Cities In America That Will Make You Feel Like You're In Europe
If you live in the U.S. and you've got the travel bug, Europe is probably high on your list of dream destinations. However, you may not have the time or the budget to actually go anytime soon. That doesn't mean you have to let go of your dream of a European getaway — it just means you might have to figure out how to do it in the U.S. Fortunately, that's a lot easier to do than you might think.
While there's admittedly no replacement for actually visiting Europe, thanks to America's history as a melting pot of cultures and a large influx of European immigrants in the 19th and early 20th century, there are a number of American towns that have a distinctly European feel to them. Whether you want to go to Denmark, the Mediterranean, or the Alps — even if your passport has expired — these five American destinations will give you some European ambiance, architecture, and food.
Vail, Colorado takes you to the Alps
Colorado has some of the best skiing in the U.S., and Vail is one of Colorado's best ski destinations if you want to feel like you're in the Alps without dealing with jet lag. Vail was incorporated in 1966, just a few years after the opening of Vail Ski Resort, which was designed by skiers and former soldiers who'd been so impressed with the ski resort towns of Europe that they wanted to recreate it at home. They nailed it — the twisting cobblestone streets of downtown, the European-inspired architecture, and stunning mountain backdrop make you feel like you're in Switzerland. You can learn more about Vail's connection to Europe and its founding at Vail's Colorado Snowsports Museum & Hall of Fame.
Amp up the European feel by staying at The Hythe, which celebrates Vail's ski origins and feels like a luxury alpine chalet. The restaurant has a signature raclette dish; if you didn't already know, raclette is a classic Swiss treat of warm, gooey cheese. It even has a weekly pop-up raclette station if you're looking for an afternoon snack. For more alpine flavors, Alpenrose is a German-Austrian restaurant in the heart of Vail Village that has been in business since 1974. The waiters wear lederhosen and dirndls, and the menu features traditional dishes like sausage, schnitzel, and strudel. For a taste of European festival fun, for two weekends every September, Vail hosts its own Oktoberfest with games, dancing, tasty German dishes, and, of course, good beer.
Solvang, California transports you to Denmark
In the Santa Ynez Valley, one of California's most underrated wine regions, is the small town of Solvang where you'll feel like you're in Denmark. The town gets its name from the Danish word for "sunny fields," and it was founded in 1911 by Danish immigrants. The architecture of many of the small town's buildings pays homage to that Scandinavian heritage; one example is The M Solvang, a 24-room boutique hotel with a courtyard full of flowers and fruit trees. You'll see several windmills throughout downtown, and on the tops of some buildings, you'll spot life-size white wooden storks — but don't worry, these are Danish good luck symbols.
Solvang also has a half-size reproduction of Copenhagen's famous mermaid statue that inspired Hans Christian Andersen to write "The Little Mermaid" — it's on a fountain across the street from the museum dedicated to the Danish author. For more information about Solvang's history, pay a visit to The Elverhøj Museum of History & Art. The town celebrates its history during Danish Days, a three-day September event that involves parades, dancing, Scandinavian arts and crafts, and plenty of good food.
Even if you can't make it to Danish Days, you can still get a taste of Denmark at one of Solvang's many bakeries — our favorite is Olsen's Danish Village Bakery, which has been serving Danish treats since 1970. Try butter cookies, a kringle, or aebleskiver — aka deep-fried pancake balls topped with powdered sugar.
Visit St. Augustine, Florida to feel like you're in southern Spain
St. Augustine on Florida's northeast coast was founded in 1565 by Spanish admiral Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, and it's America's longest-occupied European settlement. The city's got impressive Spanish Renaissance Revival style architecture, like the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine and the Lightner Museum, which used to be a luxury resort hotel and is now home to an impressive collection of art and artifacts from America's Gilded Age. Next door to the museum is the historic Casa Monica Resort & Spa – constructed in 1888, its design and decor are all about Mediterranean elegance.
If you want to learn more about St. Augustine's storied history, there are free downtown walking tours every day. Even on your own, it's well worth wandering through the narrow brick lanes of the historic downtown, including Aviles Street – the country's oldest street. Another can't-miss spot is the Bridge of Lions, joining St. Augustine with Anastasia Island. Its namesake white marble lions on either end are modeled after the Medici Lions of Italy.
For a taste of Spain, the annual Spanish Food & Wine Festival celebrates the city's Spanish culinary heritage. If you want a more formal dining option, Columbia Restaurant – a Florida chain first started in 1905 – serves tapas and more in a beautiful dining room decorated with hand-painted tiles and a Spanish-style fountain.
Lindsborg, Kansas is known as Little Sweden USA
In the 1860s, immigrants from Sweden made their home in south-central Kansas, and the town of Lindsborg leans into its Swedish roots. To start with, you'll see plenty of Dala horses. The red Dala horse became an internationally known sign of Sweden in the late 1930s, and you can get your own personalized and handcrafted Dala horse as a souvenir from Hemslöjd in downtown. There are also over three dozen creatively decorated Dala horses throughout the city.
You'll see the Swedish language throughout Lindsborg, from "välkommen" on the city entrance sign (it means welcome) to the Dröm Sött Inn (it means sweet dreams). The charming 18-room boutique bed and breakfast in the heart of downtown has a cozy Scandinavian feel. It offers a Swedish breakfast option, which includes cheese, meatballs, and pickled herring. To enjoy the Swedish tradition of "fika" – having a hot drink and a pastry as you relax and chat with friends – The White Peacock coffee shop and the Blacksmith Coffee Shop & Roastery are both good options.
Lindsborg's Swedish heritage is on full display during its annual Swedish festivals, which involve dancing, costumes, crafts, and more. The Midsummer's Festival celebrates the summer solstice during the third weekend in June, and the second weekend in December is the Lucia Festival, featuring a procession of candle-carrying, white-gowned kids with its roots in Swedish legend.
Leavenworth, Washington was made to look like a Bavarian village
You'll feel like you're in a German mountain town when you get to Leavenworth in central Washington. The town reinvented itself in the 1960s from a dying logging town in the Cascade Mountains into a Bavarian-inspired village where now even the McDonald's blends in with the design. It wouldn't be a German village without an Oktoberfest, and for three weekends in October, Leavenworth's downtown features a street fair, carnival rides, traditional German dancing, yodelers, polka bands, and plenty of beer.
That's not the only German festival in town. It also has a traditional Christmas market in Front Street Park, which is one of the Village of Lights events. It starts at the end of November and runs through Valentine's Day. It's a particularly pretty time of year when downtown is all lit up with more than half a million festive lights. For more Christmas cheer, pick up an edible gingerbread house at The Gingerbread House, and learn about the origins of the nutcracker at the Nutcracker Museum.
Staying at the renovated Hotel Leavenworth, with its rustic, Alpine-inspired design, puts you in the middle of the village. It's a block away from Stein, a beer hall with an impressive 55 beers and ciders on tap, including some from Germany. And the nearby München Haus is a Bavarian-style brew pub complete with a beer garden. It's got German-style dishes like pretzels, sausage, Sauerkraut, and over a dozen mustards.