Are you ready for a vacation that does what it's supposed to do — refresh you? Step out of time and stroll down the same streets as American legends John James Audubon, Lewis and Clark, and Thomas Hart Benton. Ste. Genevieve is a hidden gem nestled in the limestone hills of Missouri that roll above the Mississippi River.

Ste. Genevieve holds the distinction of being the oldest permanent European settlement west of the Mississippi River, founded by French Creole settlers in the 1730s. The town's French colonial heritage is preserved in an extraordinary collection of historic buildings — including the largest concentration of French Creole architecture in North America.

The Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park, established in 2018, protects and interprets this remarkable heritage. The park's visitor center provides excellent context for exploring the town's historic district, and ranger-led tours bring the colonial era to life.

The limestone hills surrounding Ste. Genevieve are a defining feature of the landscape and a source of the region's distinctive character. The hills are riddled with caves, springs, and sinkholes that create a dramatic karst topography, and the limestone bluffs above the Mississippi River offer stunning views of the river valley.

The region's geology has also shaped its agricultural character — the limestone-rich soils are particularly well-suited to viticulture, and the Ste. Genevieve wine region has emerged as one of Missouri's most acclaimed wine-producing areas.

The Hawn State Park, just south of Ste. Genevieve, protects a beautiful landscape of sandstone glades, pine forests, and clear-running streams. The park's trail system offers hiking through some of Missouri's most scenic terrain.

For more information, visit visitstegen.com.