Midwestern metropolis along the Mississippi River, St. Louis offers excellent opportunities for shopping, lively nightlife and cultural activities such as concerts, theater and opera. The historical city of St. Louis also hosts a great amount of interesting sights from the famous Gateway Arch to America’s largest brewery, a variety of museums and free attractions, as well as old-style riverboat cruises. Saint Louis is home to festivals, outdoor and amusement parks, and offers nearby historical attractions such as the Cahokia Mounds, listed as a World Heritage Site.
St. Louis, also written Saint Louis or STL, is one of the main population centers in the US Midwest. Located near the confluence of the great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers in Missouri, United States, the city of St. Louis is the center of a metropolitan area of some 2.8 million inhabitants.
Founded by the French in 1699, St. Louis is named after the French King Louis IX. Before the arrival of French explorers in the late 1600s the area was inhabited by indigenous people known as the mound builders. St Louis became an important trading post and later a gateway to the West for many settlers. The city was acquired by the USA in 1803 and grew rapidly into the 4th largest city in the country in the beginning of 20th century, hosting the World’s Fair and Olympic Games of 1904. Today, STL is a prosperous center of business and scientific research, and a multicultural city with influences from many regions around the world.
Downtown St. Louis is revitalized into a busy business, shopping and entertainment district, filled with restaurants, shops, nightlife spots and hotels. It is a good area for trendy shopping in St Louis, while Central West End and South Grand areas also offer great restaurants and shopping opportunities. The Grand Center area west of Downtown offers a great variety of cultural offerings, including many of the renowned theaters in St. Louis. St Louis is also home to Missouri Botanical Garden, the free Saint Louis Zoo and the Wainwright Building, one of the world’s first skyscrapers.
Cultural & outdoor activities. You can play golf in St Louis, take a riverboat cruise along the Mississippi River, visit the world-famous Anheuser-Bush Brewery, or enjoy a great variety of outdoor sports such as golf, tennis, fishing or skating at the large Forest Park at the heart of the city. There are also a great number of festivals and concerts in St. Louis to visit.
St. Louis, also written Saint Louis or STL, is one of the main population centers in the US Midwest. Located near the confluence of the great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers in Missouri, United States, the city of St. Louis is the center of a metropolitan area of some 2.8 million inhabitants.
Founded by the French in 1699, St. Louis is named after the French King Louis IX. Before the arrival of French explorers in the late 1600s the area was inhabited by indigenous people known as the mound builders. St Louis became an important trading post and later a gateway to the West for many settlers. The city was acquired by the USA in 1803 and grew rapidly into the 4th largest city in the country in the beginning of 20th century, hosting the World’s Fair and Olympic Games of 1904. Today, STL is a prosperous center of business and scientific research, and a multicultural city with influences from many regions around the world.
Sights and activities in St. Louis: from shopping & museums to theater & concerts
St. Louis offers plenty of attractions and things to do. The city’s best known landmark, Gateway Arch, designed by architect Eero Saarinen, is the world's tallest man-made monument. It is part of the Jefferson Expansion National Memorial that commemorates the settlement of the lands west of Mississippi in the location of the original French town of St. Louis. The variety of museums in St. Louis include history, art, science, and cultural museums, many of which are free of charge. The historical districts of Soulard, Laclede's Landing and Lafayette Square are good places to admire the old architecture of the city. The many beautiful churches in Saint Louis include the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis that contains the largest mosaic collection in the world, while the Old Cathedral is the oldest Roman Catholic cathedral west of the Mississippi.Downtown St. Louis is revitalized into a busy business, shopping and entertainment district, filled with restaurants, shops, nightlife spots and hotels. It is a good area for trendy shopping in St Louis, while Central West End and South Grand areas also offer great restaurants and shopping opportunities. The Grand Center area west of Downtown offers a great variety of cultural offerings, including many of the renowned theaters in St. Louis. St Louis is also home to Missouri Botanical Garden, the free Saint Louis Zoo and the Wainwright Building, one of the world’s first skyscrapers.
Cultural & outdoor activities. You can play golf in St Louis, take a riverboat cruise along the Mississippi River, visit the world-famous Anheuser-Bush Brewery, or enjoy a great variety of outdoor sports such as golf, tennis, fishing or skating at the large Forest Park at the heart of the city. There are also a great number of festivals and concerts in St. Louis to visit.
Photo: ChrisYunker, used under Creative Commons License (By SA 2.0)
Attractions just outside the city include the Cahokia Mounds, which are UNESCO World Heritage listed ruins of an ancient Native American city, Six Flags St. Louis amusement park, Lewis and Clark State Memorial Park and The Katy Trail State Biking Trail.
St. Louis practical travel information and tips
The climate of St. Louis is continental with hot and humid summers and dry and cold winters. There are four distinct seasons, of which winter from December to February is the driest with some snowfall. Spring from March to May is the wettest season in STL with frequent thunderstorms. Summers in Saint Louis are very warm and often extend late in the autumn. Tornadoes occur sometimes in the area.Traveling to St. Louis is possible by air, road and rail. The city is served by four airports, of which the International Airport of Lambert-St. Louis receives most scheduled flights to St. Louis. The city is located in the meeting point of many Interstate Highways, and there are several bus routes and many daily trains to St Louis.
Public transport in St. Louis is handled by buses and light rail system called Metro. Taxis are well available, and car rental in St. Louis is a viable option for visiting the areas outside the city proper. There are Visitor Information Centers at five different locations in St Louis.
Lodging & entertainment. There is a good number of hotels in St. Louis to choose from, with accommodation options from local inns and Bed & Breakfast places to large international hotels with conference facilities. As STL has been a center of immigration for centuries, restaurants in St. Louis serve a great mix of cuisines from all over the world, as well as local innovations. Nightlife in St. Louis is lively with a variety of entertainment and bar districts to try.
Safety. St. Louis has often been designated one of the most dangerous cities in America, but as the high rates of crime are concentrated in the northern and eastern suburbs of the city, all the most visited areas of Saint Louis are as safe as in any large city. Take care of your belongings and avoid any questionable-looking areas especially at night, and you should be just fine.
