Milwaukee

On the shore of Lake Michigan, the Milwaukee Art Museum opens and closes its white wings like a bird – a Santiago Calatrava design that has become the city's landmark. A trip to Milwaukee takes you to a beer town with German roots, to the Harley-Davidson Museum, and to one of the largest music festivals in the world. For a summer city break, ideally combined with Chicago, the city on the lake is a charming choice.

The German Athens on the Lake

In the 19th century, so many German immigrants arrived that Milwaukee was known as the "German Athens," complete with German-language newspapers, theaters, and gymnastics clubs. They brought brewing with them: Schlitz, Pabst, Blatz, and Miller made Milwaukee the beer capital of the U.S. In 1903, William Harley and Arthur Davidson built their first motorcycle here. Later, Polish, Mexican, and African American families arrived and shaped neighborhoods like Mitchell Street and Bronzeville.

Sights in Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Art Museum, with its Burke Brise Soleil, the movable sunscreen, holds a large collection ranging from Georgia O'Keeffe to German Expressionism. At the Harley-Davidson Museum in Walker's Point, hundreds of motorcycles are on display, including the oldest surviving model. The Riverwalk runs along the Milwaukee River through downtown and the Theater District, where the bronze statue "The Bronze Fonz" recalls the TV series "Happy Days." The Pabst Mansion, home of a beer baron, and the Mitchell Park Domes, three glass greenhouse domes, are other worthwhile stops. The Miller brewery offers tours with tastings.

Neighborhoods and Food

The East Side with Brady Street draws visitors with cafés, pubs, and vintage shops; Riverwest is artsy and alternative; Bay View in the south, with its bars, restaurants, and views of the lake, is popular with young people. Breweries and the LGBTQ scene have settled in Walker's Point, while University Hill and Marquette have a student feel. Restaurants in Milwaukee serve bratwurst, butter burgers, cheese curds – squeaky, deep-fried nuggets of Wisconsin cheese – and the Friday fish fry, a traditional fish dinner on Fridays. Frozen custard, an especially creamy kind of ice cream, is a local passion. The Milwaukee Public Market in the Third Ward offers regional specialties.

On Lake Michigan

The lakefront is Milwaukee's great stage. The Lakefront Trail links beaches such as Bradford Beach, where volleyball games take place in summer, with parks and marinas. At Discovery World on the harbor, everything revolves around science and the Great Lakes, with a replica schooner and aquariums. Boat tours and kayak trips on the river depart from the piers. In the evening, you can enjoy the view across the water at Veterans Park as the sun sets behind the skyline and the art museum folds its wings.

Getting Around, When to Go, and Day Trips

Milwaukee Mitchell Airport is about 15 minutes south of downtown, and the Hiawatha train reaches Chicago in an hour and a half. The streetcar, The Hop, connects downtown, the Third Ward, and the lakefront. The best time to visit is summer: Summerfest takes place on the lakeside grounds in late June and early July, followed by ethnic festivals such as German Fest and Irish Fest. Winters are cold. Day trips lead to Chicago, the Door County peninsula, and Madison, the capital of Wisconsin.