WISCONSIN TRAVEL

Lake Geneva has been ranked as one of the most romantic small towns in the U.S.

Claire Reid
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Maybe it's fancy dinners overlooking the lake. Or long walks along the Geneva Lake Shore Path. Or enjoying a spa day at one of the town's resort spas.

Whatever the reason, New York Travel Guides named Lake Geneva the 43rd most romantic small town in America.

Earlier this month, Travel Guides published a list of the "140 Most Romantic Small Towns in America." Lake Geneva was one of two Wisconsin towns to make the list, the other being Sturgeon Bay, which ranked 139.

In compiling this list, Travel Guides compared 600 American small towns across four categories:

  1. Romantic places to stay: This score factored in the number of romantic accommodations in each small town, including stays with a view, luxury hotels, and bed and breakfasts, Travel Guides said.
  2. Romantic activities: This score was calculated based on "the presence of certain romantic features in each small town, such as spas, horse-drawn carriage rides, horse-drawn sleigh rides, movie theaters, performing arts theaters, art galleries and ski areas."
  3. Historic architecture and scenery: This score was based on the number of listings on the National Register of Historic Places in each town, as well as scenery such as mountain and lake views.
  4. Cozy coffee shops and restaurants: This score was calculated based on the number of highly rated coffee shops and the number of fine dining restaurants in each town.

Lake Geneva scored in the top 10 for "Romantic places to stay" and also scored highly for "Historic architecture and scenery."

Families cool off from the summer heat at Lake Geneva Public Beach on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Lake Geneva, Wis.,

What makes Lake Geneva romantic?

Travel Guides praised Lake Geneva for its relaxing spas. One of the most popular is the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, which offers a wide variety of services, from couple's massages to anti-aging facials to manicures and pedicures. Avani Spa at The Abbey Resort is another highly rated choice.

Travel Guides also recommends the 240° West restaurant, which offers "panoramic" lake views from The Abbey Resort. Another fun food and drink option is wine tastings at Geneva Lake Distilling and Studio Winery, which produces all its own wine and spirits.

Additionally, Lake Geneva has many unique small shops, and it has plenty of nature activities, like the 21-mile Geneva Lake Shore Path and the popular Riviera Beach.

Pier 290 Restaurant along Geneva Lake in Williams Bay is a nice spot for dinner.

What are the most romantic small towns in the U.S.?

Here are the top 10 most romantic small towns on the Travel Guides list:

  1. Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif.
  2. Sedona, Ariz.
  3. St. Augustine, Fla.
  4. Aspen, Colo.
  5. Laguna Beach, Calif.
  6. Provincetown, Mass.
  7. Jackson, Wyo.
  8. Estes Park, Colo.
  9. Ashland, Ore.
  10. Gatlinburg, Tenn.
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