You don’t have to travel overseas to see a little bit of Europe. You can find some of the unique European culture in various towns in the U.S. The following destinations have some European influence that’s visually apparent to travelers.
Slovang, California
This Danish town is located around 40 minutes from Santa Barbara. Don’t let the size of this town fool you as there’s a lot to do there. The local farmer’s markets are worth the visit with the wide variety of items to try. Since Slovang is in the middle of wine country, there’s also plenty of places to stop at for some wine. The architecture, people and food make this town worth the visit.
New Glarus, Wisconsin
The architecture and events is what makes this town so similar to Switzerland. The Heidi Folk Fest is a highlight for locals and visitors with many Swiss inspired activities like yodeling. The New Glarus Brewery is also a popular place to go to sample some ale. New Glarus Bakery is a great place to check out with their Swiss inspired pastries.
Lindsborg, Kansas
When visiting Lindsborg you might feel as if you’re in Sweden and not Kansas. The town really tries to play it up by shouting out some Swedish phrases at visitors or putting on the biennial Svensk Hyllningsfest. One of the things that often throws tourists for a loop is you can usually see wild horses roaming around Main Street. Something else that’s worth checking out is the Swedish Pavilion that was part of the World’s Fair in 1904.
Tarpons Spring, Florida
It’s hard to imagine a town similar to Greece, but Tarpon Springs certainly does come close. Greek immigrants migrated to it in the 20th century and their influence is still greatly felt. Today it has the highest percentage of Greek-Americans in the United States. If you want to see a little bit of what Greek life is like, go down to the Sponge Docks where you can watch Greek divers try to find some of the world’s finest sponges. There’s also plenty of food here as well including a restaurant called Hellas Bakery which serves up one of their specialties: chocolate-covered baklava.
Venice, California
Venice, California is similar to Venice, Italy in a couple of ways. In 1904 the interesting man-made canals were actually designed to be like those found in Italy. Some of the areas in the city also don’t allow cars so you will get to walk over canal bridges or wander down beautiful streets to get from one place to another. If that’s not enough for you, check out the ocean promenade where you can find a lot of Italian food and plenty of entertainment.
