“the handcrafted escape”
The Amana Colonies are a group of settlements of German Pietists in Iowa, comprising seven villages. Calling themselves the Ebenezer Society or the Community of True Inspiration, die Gemeinde der wahren Inspiration, they first settled in New York state near Buffalo in what is now the Town of West Seneca. However, in order to live out their beliefs in more isolated surroundings they moved west to the rich soil of east-central Iowa (near present-day Iowa City) in 1855. They lived a communal life until the mid 1930s. A striking feature of the Amana Colonies is that for eighty years they maintained an almost completely self-sufficient local economy, importing very little from the wider, industrializing U.S. economy. The Amanians were able to achieve this independence and life style by adhering to the specialized handcrafts and farming occupations which they had brought with them from Germany. Today, Amana is a major tourist attraction known mainly for its restaurants and craft shops. Included in the shops are woodworking shops, wine shops, and even a brewery called Millstream. The colonies as a whole have been listed as a National Historic Landmark since 1965.
A great place to visit for a couple days. Many stores to browse through as well as museums. A nice bike path around Lily Lake. Had a dinner at Ronnenburgs as well asOx Yoke Inn. Both were excellent.
A fun place to walk around and shop.
This was such a quaint little village! A must stop through Iowa.
The High Amana General Store had some great hand made items. We ate at the Ox Yoke Inn. We had the schnitzel plate, grilled cheese and bratwurst sandwiches. We would pass on that and instead get the warm German potato salad and the vegetable beef soup. Items were a bit overpriced.
We picked up some delicious chocolates and cordials from the Chocolate Haus Dessert and Coffee Cafe which we found devine!
The Amana Colonies is a German settlement in Iowa in seven villages called the Ebenezer Society. If I understand the history, they more or less lived something like an Amish community for about 80 years, sustaining a self-sufficient local economy. These days it's open to the public and they have a ton of wood/leather shops, a brewery, wineries, candy shoppes, etc. And the biggest Christmas store I've ever seen - really neat off-the-wall stuff.
The Amana Colonies are a great place to learn about a rich part of Iowa's history. Stop by the Amana Heritage Museum to learn about the community's 300-year legacy, shop for locally made goods in a variety of shops and grab an authentic German meal at The Ronneburg or the Ox Yoke Inn.
During the holiday season, explore the Tannenbaum Forest, located in the historic Festhalle Barn.
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Amana Visitor's Center
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