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Amana Colonies, Iowa
Northwest of Iowa City there is a string of seven villages arranged in a 17-mile loop. These villages are called Amana, East Amana, West Amana, South Amana, High Amana, Middle Amana, and Homestead. They were settled by a religious group from Germany known as the “Community of True Inspiration.” These folks had been persecuted in the years following 1714 when they split apart from the Lutheran Church. They came to America between 1843 and 1844.
The people lived in these villages as a commune until 1932, when they wanted to work toward individual goals to make money. They are founders of a successful line of refrigerators that eventually turned into the Amana Corporation, which is now owned by Whirlpool.
The culture of these colonies is preserved at six different museums, including the Amana Heritage Museum. There are restaurants and inns where visitors can find truly delicious German meals along with a traditional mug of Millsteam wheat beer which is brewed in the colonies. They celebrate Oktoberfest as well as Christkindlmarkt, which are great times to visit the Amana Colonies. Prost!