Founded in 1847 by a group of Dutch immigrants, the prairie side town of Pella is home to buildings with classically Flemish stepped gable designs, a canal with a working drawbridge, the tallest working grain windmill in the U.S., and tons of other Netherlands-inspired features (including a wooden shoemaker shop and a decorative pond shaped like a wooden shoe). Make a picnic of gouda cheese and Dutch letters—a buttery puff pastry filled with almond paste—in one of the town’s flower-filled parks, and be sure to visit in the springtime to catch the annual Tulip Time festival.

Pella is a haven of Dutch heritage and Midwest hospitality. This small Iowa town settled by immigrants from the Netherlands is big on charm, particularly each spring when it transforms into a patchwork of color during Tulip Time. But no matter when you visit, the iconic Vermeer Windmill, the tallest working windmill in North America, commands attention, as do the town's brick-covered period buildings, Historical Museums, and Molengracht Canal in Pella's central business district. When it's time for a pick-me-up, refuel with a Dutch letter and from-scratch pastries at Jaarsma Bakery.

Location: Marion County, Iowa, United States

Tripadvisor Review: 148 reviews

Elk Horn in Iowa ranks 2nd on the list of places in the Midwest that look like they could be in Europe. It was platted in 1901, and incorporated as a town in 1910. The city took its name from Elk Horn Creek. Newspaper articles from the Atlantic, Iowa newspaper were published in 1919 on the death of Mrs. Winters and in 1939 on the history of Clay Township In 1864 a colony of Wisconsin people with 3 or 4 covered wagons came to Iowa to establish a town and settled on a knoll two miles southwest of what is now Elk Horn. With the establishment of the post office, Mrs. Caroline Whitney Winters, wife of Theron W. Winters suggested the name of Elk Horn as so many elk shed their horns in the timber there. Mrs. Winters was the first postmistress as the post office was kept in the Winters cabin for a number of years. Her husband traversed the stage route along the ridge country between Grove City and Harlan, carrying the mail prior to the advent of the railroad. The site of the cabin was later occupied by Chris and Stena Jensen, and the Lawrence Nelson and Mrs. Peter M Petersen farms.

Head about an hour west of Des Moines to reach the small villages of Elk Horn and Kimballton, Iowa, home to the country’s largest rural Danish settlement and bountiful Scandinavian pride. Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted by the charming Danish Windmill Museum & Welcome Center, where you can tour the itty-bitty Morning Star Chapel and ponder a medieval life at a 900 AD Viking blacksmith’s workshop replica. From there, pick up butter-layered pastries at The Kringle Man bakery before checking out the Museum of Danish America, or sip local wine in a European-style barn at the nearby Danish Countryside Vines & Wines. For a peak Danish experience, visit for celebrations like the settlement’s annual Tivoli Fest featuring food, live music, and cultural demonstrations galore.

Location: Shelby County, Iowa, United States

Tripadvisor Review: 270 reviews

Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River. The city is perhaps best known for its Dutch heritage, which serves not only as a part of the city's cultural identity, but the local economy as well: the Tulip Time Festival in May and various Dutch-themed attractions augment the nearby Lake Michigan shoreline in attracting thousands of tourists annually. Over 28% of the population identified as being of Dutch descent. The Holland Museum contains exhibits about the city's history. Another, the Cappon House Museum, was built in 1874 and is a historic museum that once housed the first mayor of Holland, Dutch immigrant Isaac Cappon. The Settlers House Museum, a building that survived the great fire, contains furnishings and relics from the 19th Century. Holland's downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The "Snowmelt Project" established pipes transporting warm water from the nearby power plant to travel underneath downtown with the purpose of clearing the streets and sidewalks in the downtown area of any snow. Each May Holland hosts an annual Tulip Time Festival. Tulip planting and the festival began in 1930 when 250,000 tulips were planted for the event. Currently, six million tulips are used throughout the city. Tulips are planted along many city streets, in city parks, and outside municipal buildings as well as at tourist attractions like Dutch Village, the city-owned Windmill Island Gardens, and at a large tulip farm named Veldheer Tulip Gardens. It is normally held the second week of May, during the tulip blooming season. Cruise ships such as the Yorktown from the Great Lakes Cruising Company make Holland a port of call.

Location: Ottawa and Allegan counties, Michigan, United States

Tripadvisor Review: 329 reviews

New Glarus was founded in the 1840s by a group of 100 or so intrepid immigrants who came from the canton of Glarus in eastern Switzerland. They founded the town of New Glarus, sent more friends and family back to Switzerland, and the rest is history. While there are no real mountains in Wisconsin, it’s said that the original settlers chose the spot for New Glarus because its hills reminded them of home. Today those Swiss roots are still a very important part of the town. As you arrive in New Glarus, turning onto Main Street you’ll be greeted by a large, wooden building with Swiss flags that makes it look just like you’re in Switzerland! It’s the New Glarus Hotel Restaurant, an icon of the town for many years. While you can’t actually stay at this “hotel” anymore, this is the place you’ll want to go for some good fondue, dancing and live music.

An irresistibly cute First Street lined with chalet-style shops, bakeries and restaurants makes this small-town feel like a world away—but it's less than 40 minutes from Madison. America's Little Switzerland beckons with European eats and coveted brews you can only find in Wisconsin. Take a self-guided tour of New Glarus Brewing that wraps with a flagship pint in its beer garden (Spotted Cow and Moon Man are favorites). Travel back in time at Swiss Historical Village & Museum, sample mouthwatering fudge at Maple Leaf Cheese & Chocolate Haus or practice your swing at Swissland Miniature Golf, open from late May through early October. Keep an eye out for its resident goats.

Location: Green County, Wisconsin, United States

Tripadvisor Review: 680 reviews

Lindsborg in Kansas ranks 5th on the list of places in the Midwest that look like they could be in Europe. Originally settled by Swedish immigrants, Lindsborg’s Scandinavian heritage remains palpable through public art (like its Dala horse sculptures, a well-known symbol of Sweden) and plenty of Swedish specialty shops, so prepare to load up on Scandinavian textiles, tinned cookies, and bottles of spiced Glögg. Best of all is the town’s yearly Scandinavian celebrations, like the Midsummer Festival in June, where you’ll find folk dancing performances, bake sales, flower crown-making demos, and tons of other Swedish traditions.

Sweden has made its way into the heart of the Midwest through the town of Lindsborg. The echoes of its Swedish founders are alive and well, displayed through the vibrant Dala horses that can be spotted throughout the city (download a copy of the map ahead of your visit), shops like Hemslöjd filled with handcrafted gifts, and the Old Mill Museum, where you can learn more about the colorful Swedish heritage of this region. In mid-November, holiday traditions get a Swedish twist too. Julotta kicks off a season of celebrations, and downtown shops (and the Välkommen Bridge) turn on their holiday lights for the Holiday Open House.

Location: McPherson County, Kansas, United States

Tripadvisor Review: 1078 reviews

Mineral Point, Wisconsin was established by Cornish miners that came over from England in the early 1800s. When the mines in Cornwall were exhausted, they looked to Wisconsin to continue their trade. The town today still has British flair, and it is said to be ‘The Most Cornish Town in the USA’! The miner’s built their houses to look like those that they had left in England. Visitors can take a tour of Pendarvis, a group of 3 stone houses with Cornish names. In the USA the main road that passes through a town is called ‘Main St’, however, in the UK, it’s known as a High Street. There are several different art galleries in the town. Mulberry Pottery makes its pots out of clay shipped over from St Austell in Cornwall. There are traditional performances and events, a Cornish Pasty supper, and the ‘Taste of Mineral Point’ food festival.

Pendarvis is a historic site in Mineral Point, Iowa County, Wisconsin. It consists of several 19th-century cabins built by immigrants who came to Mineral Point to work in lead mines. The site is a museum of early lead mining in Wisconsin and is owned and managed by the Wisconsin Historical Society. During the height of the mining era in what is today’s Wisconsin, in the 1830s and 1840s, the population of Mineral Point grew to over 4,000 as people came to work in the lead mines. Many immigrants were tin miners from Cornwall, Great Britain. They built simple houses from wood or limestone. As the lead mines were exhausted, many miners moved on to other mining sites, especially in California. Many of the old cabins were being torn down in the 1920s. A couple of local residents purchased and restored several of the old Cornish buildings and called the first one Pendarvis. The collection of restored buildings was transferred to the Wisconsin Historical Society in 1970. The site was opened to the public as the Pendarvis Historic Site, containing a number of authentic mining tools and household items.

Location: Iowa County, Wisconsin, United States

Tripadvisor Review: 1740 reviews

One of the places in the Midwest that look like they could be in Europe is New Ulm in Minnesota. If you can't make it to Germany this year for its famed Oktoberfest celebrations, book a trip to this Minnesota hamlet instead. Named by German settlers from Ulm, New Ulm's annual Oktoberfest rivals ones across the pond. Festivities and live performances are held all over town, with plenty of opportunities to sip local brews from hefty glass steins. Your Deutsche getaway won't be complete without a stop at the 45-foot-tall Glockenspiel downtown or an authentic German meal at Veigel's Kaiserhof.

New Ulm may be best known as the place where the last major conflict of the American Indian Wars of the 1860s began. A group of Dakota Native Americans launched an attack on the town after the federal government reneged on payments for their land and local businesses refused to lend them credit. You can learn more about the war and its ramifications at the Brown County Historical Museum. Housed in a classic post office, the museum covers the history of New Ulm and features household items from Germany, an ice cutter used to cut chunks out of the frozen Minnesota River, and a telephone operator’s switchboard. In addition, you will enjoy a stroll and immerse yourself in the town’s history at the same time by visiting the homes of John Lind, who served as Minnesota’s governor and in the House of Representatives; Wanda Gag, the author and illustrator of Millions of Cats; and the Kiesling House, which dates to the 1860s. As you walk through downtown, you’ll see buildings that resemble storefronts from Germany, with some dating to the late 1800s. The German-Bohemian Immigrant Monument in German Park celebrates the city’s immigrants.

Location: Brown County, Minnesota, United States.

Tripadvisor Review: 2903 reviews

Washington Island ranks 8th on the list of places in the Midwest that look like they could be in Europe. It is your destination for adventure in Door County. It starts with a five-mile ferry ride across the once-treacherous waters of Death’s Door, where Green Bay and Lake Michigan meet. Once ashore, embark on a tour of one-of-a-kind shopping, eating, and outdoor fun hosted by the 600 residents who call the island home.

Back in the late 19th century, groups of Scandinavian immigrants crossed the perilous Death’s Door passage—a turbulent six-mile strip of water that connects Lake Michigan and Green Bay—to settle in Washington Island, located off the northeast tip of the Door County peninsula. Nowadays, you can embark on a scenic half-hour ferry ride to reach the small island community of Washington, which is home to galleries, stunning beaches, the sprawling Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm, and one of the country’s oldest Icelandic communities. Explore the island’s Nordic roots at attractions like the Jacobsen Museum, an impressive collection housed in Danish immigrant Jens Jacobsen’s turn-of-the-century log cabin home, or the Norwegian-inspired Stavkirke church.

Location: Door County, Wisconsin, United States

Tripadvisor Review: 3726 reviews

Affectionately called “Little Bavaria,” the colorful, wood-heavy architecture of this central Michigan town looks like it’s been transported straight out of a Franconian village. For the full Bavarian experience, stop by one of Frankenmuth’s many German restaurants for schnitzel, soft pretzels, and overflowing beer steins, and take a tour on the historic, paddle-powered Bavarian Belle Riverboat to learn a little more about the town’s Franconian roots. Fans of Christkindlmarkt-Esque decor will also be pleased to learn the town is home to Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, which professes to be the world’s largest year-round Christmas store.

If you've ever wanted to experience the magic of Germany's Christkindlmarket right here in the Midwest, Frankenmuth makes that possible. It's home to holiday festivities that feel both grand and European in spirit; German-inspired architecture adorned with twinkle lights, gluhwein tastings, and a spectacular shopping market are guaranteed to put you in a merry mood. To celebrate Christmas in July in Frankenmuth, head to Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, the world's largest Christmas store. The city is a magnet for visitors in other seasons as well—a cruise on the Bavarian Belle Riverboat provides views of the town and the Frankenmuth Cheese Haus will satisfy your käse cravings.

Location: Saginaw County, Michigan, United States

Tripadvisor review: 34,272 reviews

Galena in Illinois is one of the places in the Midwest that look like they could be in Europe. If you're looking for a Midwest-meets-Europe destination that includes a smattering of several countries, travel to Galena, Illinois. Lead mines first attracted European pioneers to this river town near the Iowa border, and today's visitors can still find traces of Europe along its cobblestone Main Street surrounded by old-world brick buildings. Load up on Alsatian favorites at Fritz and Frites, enjoy a taste of Italy at Vinny Vanucchi's or sip award-winning local wines at Galena Cellars Vineyard & Winery. Beyond downtown, Galena's scenic hills offer even more attractions and accommodations, including the Goldmoor Inn, a romantic bed and breakfast that resembles a French castle.

If not for the modern-day goods sold in the retail establishments, you might think Galena was frozen in time. The six-block Main Street boasts striking examples of various architectural styles, ranging from French Colonial to Greek Revival, and a whopping 85% of the town is a national historic district. General Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th U.S. President, lived here briefly before leaving to head the Union troops in the Civil War. Upon his triumphant return, the town presented him with an elegant mansion. That house and other restored historic homes are open to the public. There's much more here to fascinate the history enthusiast: the Old Market House and the Historical Society and Museum, housed in a stunning Italianate home. Before its Civil War glory days, Galena was a booming lead-mining town. Today, you can descend underground into the Vinegar Hill Lead Mine. But don't stay down there too long, or you won't get to enjoy the rolling hills and lush valleys of this charming getaway, which also offers fine dining, numerous bed and breakfasts, golfing, and antiquing.

Location: Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States

Tripadvisor Review: 71,261 reviews