According to existingcountries, Minneapolis is the largest city in the US state of Minnesota in the United States of America. The city covers a total area of 151.3 km2 and has around 380,000 inhabitants. Together with the city of St. Paul forms a metropolitan area called the Twin Cities, with a total population of over 3 million. The population density is 2,691 inhabitants per square kilometer. Formerly ordinary provincial towns were transformed into metropolises over time.
Minneapolis is about 700 km from Winnipeg and lies on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River. Its flow begins about 300 km northwest of Minneapolis near the city of Bemidji, in one of the tens of thousands of small and large lakes that cover Minnesota. Minneapolis lies in a fairly rolling landscape and its center is situated on a gentle hill. The high-rise buildings located in the center look very impressive from a distance.
They are all connected by a system of closed glass passages, called “skyway” (way through the sky), usually at least at the level of the first floor above the streets, from which there is a good view of the street traffic. In Minneapolis, there is one of the first pedestrian zones in the United States called Nicollet Mall. In bad weather, you can hide in the Skyways, the glass passageways connecting all important objects, such as offices, shops or skyscrapers.
The most famous monuments near Minneapolis City Center are Cathedral of Saint Paul, James J. Hill House, City Hall, Museum of American Art, Science Museum of Minnesota, Walker Art Center and Landmark Center. The Walker Art Center is one of the ten most visited museums in America, dating back to 1927. It uses a three-hectare garden area where sculptures of all shapes and sizes will smile at you. The museum underwent modernization every quarter of a century. The metropolis preserves historical and often very interesting buildings, such as the State Capitol – a huge marble building and Fort Sneelling, built in 1825. In the summer months, when the influx of tourists is the largest, the typical American life of the old pioneers from the beginning of the 19th century is presented here. century. In the Twin City there is also the largest shopping mall in the world – Mall of America,
One of the attractions of the city is also the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, which is located directly across from the modern art gallery Walker Art Center. The 11-acre garden is a joint project of the Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Corporation. It is also the largest urban area of its kind in the entire country. The garden used to be connected to adjacent Loring Park, but construction of the I-94 freeway in the 1960s split the park in two.
The garden is a combination of a landscaped castle park with an exhibition hall, where we find modern sculptures from the 20th century, very diverse in style, in synergy with trees and shrubs. The most famous piece on display is the Spoonbridge and Cherry fountain – designed by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. Also worth mentioning is the Cowles Conservatory, a greenhouse with tropical plants. Inside you will find other sculptures such as Standing Glass Fish, Frank Gehry. A pedestrian bridge, the Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge, designed by Siah Armajani crosses I-94 today, reconnecting the Sculpture Garden to Loring Park after many years.
Mississippi NR&RA
The Mississippi National River Recreation Area protects a 115 km long corridor along the Mississippi River, covering a total area of about 220 km2. It is a stretch from Dayton and Ramsey to Hastings, Minnesota. It is here that there are many natural, historical, recreational, cultural, scenic, scientific and economic resources of national importance in the vicinity of the river.
As this area is officially referred to by a rather long name, it is sometimes abbreviated as MNRRA (people then pronounce these abbreviations as “minnra”) or MISS. The Mississippi National River was established in 1988 and was a new and unique type of national park. Unlike traditional national parks, the Mississippi NR&RA does not own the land on which it is located and therefore has no control over that land. Mississippi works with dozens of different partners, whether it’s local, state, or federal government, numerous nonprofit organizations, businesses, educational institutions, or individuals who own land along the river.
The Mississippi NR&RA is under the protection of the National Park Service, which strives to maintain and preserve this unique area for future generations. The Mississippi NR&RA Visitor Center is located inside the Science Museum of Minnesota. Local rangers introduce visitors to the possibilities of activities, learning and education around the river.
