There’s no better place than the Minnesota State Fair to get a feel for what Minnesota is all about. The “Great Minnesota Get-Together” draws over 1.5 million attendees every year and is the largest 12-day fair in North America. The annual celebration features endless games and rides, animal exhibits, and over 400 free concerts. The fair celebrates everything that is special about Minnesota. If you’re looking for an experience you won’t find anywhere else, visit the North Woods area to see lumberjack and stunt dogs performances, and make sure to catch the State Fair Parade at 2pm every day. Popular musical artists visit the Grandstand each year to play to sold-out crowds. Food is also a highlight of the State Fair; past culinary innovations included SPAM sushi, deep fried grilled cheese bites, and a Reuben pickle dog!

Hammarby is a rural 18th-century estate bought by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. In the well-preserved manor house, you’ll find Linnaeus’ study with unique plant illustrations. Many of the plants that Linnaeus grew still flourish in the lush park. From the hill above the farm, you can enjoy the scenery and dream yourself back to the landscape of the 18th century. The manor with a café and exhibitions is open from May through September, and the surrounding cultural reserve all year round.

In the days of the tsars, the people who enjoyed themselves in the Riviera’s casinos until late on Saturday night, were not exactly short of money. They went here, to church though, on Sundays. After the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, things are much as they were in the old days, but thick wads of dollars now rain down on the Riviera — and the beautifully restored cathedral. Strict dress code applies.

Uppsala University’s oldest existing building is now a museum for the university’s collections. There are mummies and ancient coins, as well as artefacts from the age of the Vikings, and instruments from Linnaeus, Rudbeck, and Celsius. The building also houses the imaginatively embellished Augsburg Art Cabinet and the Anatomical Theatre.