Winona, otherwise known as the river city and the capital of stained glass, is a historic campus in southwest Minnesota. The number of its own population does not reach even 30 thousand people. The nature of Winona is determined by two factors. Firstly, there are two universities and one college in the city, so here it is full of youth. Secondly, there are wonderful river landscapes with hills and valleys that attract tourists to nature.
How to get to Winona
The nearest airports are La Crosse (25 miles), Rochester (45 miles) and Twin Town Airport (Minneapolis / Saint Paul) at 110 miles. Also, it is possible to get to Winona by the Amtrak train via Chicago-Seattle / Portland.
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A bit of history
The city was founded in 1851 ., and already in 1855 g .The first Kashubian family from Poland arrived here .This marked the beginning of the emergence of a large Polish diaspora in the city (at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries about a quarter of the city's population were Poles) .The city grew thanks to the development of the railway and steamships, Vainona became a major river port .In the year 1858, .here there was a first educational institution for teachers west of the Mississippi, which then grew to the state university .This eventually transformed the city into a significant educational center, and this status of Winona still retains .
Entertainment, excursions and attractions of the Vainona
In Winona there are many churches - beautiful, different and quite curious from the architectural point of view .The decoration of their windows was one of the reasons for calling Winona "the stained-glass capital" .Among such churches, for example, is a rather modest but interesting Cathedral of St. .Hearts with characteristic triangular facade .Polish Catholic Church Sv .Stanislava Kostka in the East End looks very colorful due to the dark red construction in combination with white decoration and domes .The basilica was built in 1894 .in the traditional Polish cathedral style (unfortunately, its original interior was not preserved) .Also interesting is the unitary Methodist church at the corner of Broadway and Main Street - its tall sharp terracotta spire is seen from afar .This is the fourth church in this place: the previous one was destroyed by fire in 1961 .It only survived the tower designed by Lorenzo Wheeler, to which a new building was built .
Noteworthy is the first congregational church, the first in the city, built in 1863 .Especially beautiful is the gothic window-socket with inserted in 1920 g .stained glass windows .Also noteworthy is the central Lutheran church, whose stained-glass windows were created by Eugene Marggraf in 1955 .Glass for them was imported from England, France and Germany, and then it was blown out manually, which left a lot of bubbles that affect the color and light .The windows of the first Baptist church, built from local limestone and trimmed with red sandstone in 1893 ., also decorated with stained-glass windows made in Chicago .
Another architectural landmark of the city is the historic district court building, built in the Richardson-Romanesque style in 1888 .Then the construction of this beautiful building with several towers cost the city a considerable amount of 125 000 USD, and subsequently the court became the first in the state, entered in the National Register of Historic Places .Between the 1970s and 2000s .in the restoration of the building was invested about 2, 5 million USD, but nevertheless in 2000 .the ceiling on the fourth floor collapsed, damaging the fire-prevention system, causing the building to flood .Today the court is again restored and pleases the eye from inside and outside .
The National Trade Bank was built in Winona in 1912 .This is a chunky and very noticeable example of a prairie style with unusual ornaments and stained-glass windows .Architects faced the challenge of building something that looked reliable and inspired confidence, and as a result, the building was decorated externally with terracotta sculptures and reliefs, and its interior - murals with sketches from the farm life .The architect Purcell remembered the interesting effect created in the interior by solar and stellar rays, penetrating the interior through large windows with stained glass windows, and a year later used it in the construction of the famous house of Edna Purcell in Minneapolis .
- Photograph the city from the observation deck with the majestic lake below and the eccentric "Sugar Loaf" on the side.
- Admire stained glass windows.
- In the summer - go for a kayak or canoe ride on the lake, and in winter to move with skis to the hills.
- Put another tick in the route "Route 66", compiled from the text of the famous song. Winona is mentioned there between Flagstaff and Kingman.
The Museum of Minnesota's Marine Art is on the river, near the port. Here, visitors can appreciate a large collection of paintings on the marine theme, folk art items associated with the river, as well as an interesting selection of photographs taken by river engineer Henry Bosse, and sculptures by Leo Smith. The museum owns one of the best collections of Canadian painting on the marine theme outside of Canada. In addition, the works of the recognized geniuses are presented in the expositions: Monet, Pizarro, Picasso, Renoir and Van Gogh.
Curious can also be a visit to the Museum of the Polish Cultural Institute on Liberty Street. Here you can learn about Kashub, an ethnic group that emigrated massively in the 19th century from Poland. The center of emigration of Kashubians in America was Winona, and the museum has many photographs, national costumes, household items and handicrafts.
The most famous observation platform near Winona is Garvin Heights. To get there, you need to climb the same road, and then keep heading east, by signs. The site is located at an altitude of about 170 m above the Hiawatha valley, and on a clear day even an Alma power station can be seen from it.
Another natural "open" attraction of Vainona is the rock "Sugar Loaf". It rises 150 meters above the level of Lake Winona and was formed as a result of limestone mining in the 1880s. At the foot of the cliff at different times, various offices and enterprises were opened, using the name of the landmark as a trademark. In particular, the former brewery still stands on the north-eastern slope: the building is on the register of historical places, and an art-craft shop is open in it today.
Book popular Winona hotels at the best prices
| Days Inn Winona from 4 001 rubles Winona 420 Cottonwood Drive | Holiday Inn Express Winona from 7 879 rubles Winona 1128 Homer Road | Super 8 Winona from 4,309 rubles Winona 1025 Sugar Loaf Road |
Winona events
The Great River Shakespeare Festival organizes a state university in Winona, and the festival itself takes place on the main campus .But this is not some kind of amateur performance, but a professional Shakespearean theater giving performances every 6 days a week during the summer season .Another regular event from the new ones is the Mid-West music festival, which takes place in spring-summer .And at the Beethoven Festival, which also takes place in the city in the summer and lasts for a month, world-class musicians come to Winona, including from Europe .Every year in January the city hosts the Frozen River Film Festival with the main emphasis on short films .
But the most ambitious event of the Vainona is the Days of Steamships, during which the city hosts a carnival with fireworks and a parade, as well as many other events. The holiday usually lasts 6 days.