The Top 5 Reasons to Visit Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Now
BY TRIPVEEL EDITORIAL STAFF | February 2020
Dotted with famed Gilded Age lakefront estates along the well strolled Lake Geneva Shore Path, world class fine dining, boutique shopping and of course, a crystal clear lake—Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, known as the “Newport of the West,” is an ideal weekend getaway.
Image courtesy of VisitLakeGeneva.com
1. THE BEACHES
With close proximity to the famed Geneva Lake Path, Riviera Beach spans along Wrigley Drive and is one of the best spots to be in the summer. One look at the glistening sand and the gentle glide of waves hitting its shoreline is all the proof you’ll need to understand why it’s so loved.
Image courtesy of VisitLakeGeneva.com
With a backdrop of opulent Gilded Age mansions and spectacular evening sunsets, Riviera Beach is perfect for sunbathing, swimming and people watching along the lake’s edge. Although a public beach, the nominal admission fee allows for a stunningly clean stretch of sand, lifeguards and a bathhouse.
2. THE ART
Art in the Park is held in Flat Iron Park every summer and is a prized opportunity to view and purchase exceptional works of art in a serene lakefront setting. This fine art show features more than 80 distinguished artists exhibiting a variety of art, including clay/pottery, fiber, glass, printmaking, jewelry, metal, oil/acrylic painting, pastel, photography, sculpture, watercolor and wood.
Image courtesy of VisitLakeGeneva.com
Art is everywhere in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. For a refined gallery experience, head to Gallery 223 where you’ll discover the work of local artists from Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.
3. THE COCKTAILS & CUISINE
With panoramic views of the intricately designed Geneva National Resort & Golf Club course and the western shore of Lake Como, the rustic Hunt Club Steakhouse is situated within a gracious circa 1915 Palladian-style estate and offers a historic setting to indulge in carefully curated craft cocktails and delectable culinary creations. For your artisanal cocktail fix, we recommend trying the Blackberry Mint Margarita—concocted with Patrón Reposado, hand-picked blackberries and mint, as well as fresh squeezed lime.
Hunt Club Steakhouse at Geneva National Resort & Club in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Amidst the passion for superlative ingredients that span every inch of the seasonal, fresh menu—favorite dishes to indulge on include Pinn Oak Farms Lamb Tenderloin over beetroot purée, Sea Bass with clams in a fennel cream sauce, Royal Dutch Veal Tenderloin with candied honey nut squash and Hudson Canyon Scallops with a beetroot and port wine emulsion.
For those craving something sweet, end your experience with dessert done decadently. Try their Chocolate Pots de Crème with raspberry bavarios and raspberry gelée. Hungry yet?
4. THE GARDENS
Dating back to 1888 on the grounds of the Conrad Seipp mansion, the 19-century Queen Anne Victorian known as Black Point Estate and Gardens is now a Wisconsin historic site. The formal estate gardens evoke the sense of a time and place when urban Chicago families escaped to Wisconsin to spend lazy summer days entertaining guests on the wrap-around porch or sailing on Geneva Lake. The newest addition, Woodland Garden, is layered in history and draws inspiration from the original plans conceived in 1900.
The Seipp family had a fond love for collecting evergreen trees. The beautiful evergreen trees surrounding Black Point Estate & Gardens were not put in for privacy, but because of the family’s love for evergreens. Over the years, the family planted every type of evergreen tree that could grow in the Lake Geneva soil and climate. At least 74 different species of conifer or evergreen trees are here.
5. THE ARCHITECTURE
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin has been a giant playground for wealthy families from Chicago, Illinois almost since the first log cabin was built in 1835 and many opulent, Gilded Age lakefront mansions call Lake Geneva home. Some of the first mansions were built by Victorian Age families, following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The influx of these families from Chicago , their “lakeside castles” and fondness for expensive hobbies such as sailing gave the area its nickname, “Newport of the West.”
