8:30 AM
Breakfast
Start with Joni's Restaurant & Catering.
A dedicated catering menu and online ordering complement the regular menu at 24 N Minnesota Street.
One-night itinerary
One night in New Ulm: heritage, brewery gardens, and the river valley
Arrive for a downtown walk and Turner Hall dinner, protect the next morning for New Ulm's German-American story, then choose Schell's Brewery or Flandrau State Park before heading home.
By Cal Mercer — a Second Star Guide itinerary
The river valley explains New Ulm's setting as clearly as the brick downtown explains its civic character.
Best length
1 night
One overnight creates a relaxed arrival evening and one full morning-to-afternoon circuit without padding the trip with distant stops.
Stay
Best Western Plus New Ulm
A full-service hotel with an indoor pool, hot tub, on-site restaurant, and rooms equipped with microwaves and…
Main activity
downtown New Ulm, Schell's Brewery, and the Minnesota River valley
The compact core is walkable, but the brewery, state park, and hilltop monument are distinct stops; avoid turning the day into repeated parking searches.
Trip shape
One evening and one full day
Keep the arrival night downtown. Use the next day for one history cluster, one brewery or park block, and a final overlook.
Saturday
Give the German-American story a morning, then choose brewery gardens or river woods.
Start with the Brown County history museum and downtown landmarks, add Hermann Monument when open, then spend the afternoon at Schell's Brewery or Flandrau State Park.
10:00 AM
Main activity
Read New Ulm's heritage in a deliberate order.
Start with the museum for context, then see the Glockenspiel, German Park, Turner Hall, and Hermann Monument as parts of an evolving community rather than isolated photo stops.
4:30 PM
Afternoon
Trade brick streets for the Cottonwood River woods.
Flandrau State Park gives the trip an outdoor counterweight with river-bottom forest, prairie edges, and short walks close to town.
4:00 PM
Check in
Stay at Best Western Plus New Ulm.
A full-service hotel with an indoor pool, hot tub, on-site restaurant, and rooms equipped with microwaves and refrigerators.
7:00 PM
Dinner
Reserve dinner at George's Fine Steaks & Spirits.
Handcrafted steakhouse dinners and spirits are served Monday through Saturday evenings at 301 North Minnesota Street, with reservations and private parties available.
Sunday
Leave through coffee, river air, or one final block.
The last morning should keep the spell intact: pastry, coffee, a quiet street, or one more look at the water before the road takes over.
9:00 AM
Sunday morning
Start Sunday with Tavern 507.
Start downtown, then make the brewery-or-park choice based on hours, weather, and who is traveling.
11:00 AM
One last stop
Finish above the Minnesota River valley.
End at a public overlook or Hermann Monument area when access and daylight allow, then return to US 14, MN 15, or MN 68.