Missouri
Small-Town Weekend Getaways from St. Louis
A Missouri River wine town founded by German settlers, the oldest French colonial village west of the Mississippi, and a bluff-road river town across the state line, all within an hour and a half of St. Louis.
At a glance
St. Louis has 3 small-town weekend escapes, each with a full 48-hour guide to where to stay, what to do, and where to eat. Drives run from 45 min to Grafton and 1 hr 25 min to Hermann. The headline draws: Grafton SkyTour gondola and Aerie's Winery, Bolduc House and the vertical-log houses, Stone Hill Winery and its limestone cellars. Most of these towns are at their best October, April-May.
- Escapes
- 3 towns
- Drive range
- 45 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes
- Closest
- Grafton, 45 min
- Best months
- October, April-May
Pick your trip
Three ways to start planning a weekend from St. Louis.
Shortest drive
Grafton
Grafton is 45 min from St. Louis. A river town under limestone bluffs where the Great River Road hugs the water and a gondola climbs to an overlook.
Most to do
Hermann
3 mapped stops in Hermann, at 1 hr 25 min out. Like a Rhineland village, stacked on a Missouri bluff
Worth the drive
Hermann
Hermann is the longest haul at 1 hr 25 min. A Missouri River wine town where German settlers planted vineyards in the 1830s and the brick cellars are still in use.
Compare the St. Louis escapes
Drive time, character, best season, and the one thing to do first, for every town within reach of St. Louis.
| Town | Drive | Character | Best time | Do first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grafton | 45 min | Like a Midwestern Varenna, stacked against the cliff | October, April-May | Grafton SkyTour gondola and Aerie's Winery |
| Ste. Genevieve | 1 hr 5 min | Like a piece of French Canada, on the Mississippi | April-May, September-October | Bolduc House and the vertical-log houses |
| Hermann | 1 hr 25 min | Like a Rhineland village, stacked on a Missouri bluff | September-October, May | Stone Hill Winery and its limestone cellars |
All St. Louis escapes
3 weekend trip ideas from St. Louis, sorted by how far you have to drive. Vibes covered: wine, history, river, views.
Under 1 hour
1 escape from St. Louis
What to do
The top attraction in each St. Louis escape town, pulled straight from the 48-hour guides.
Hermann
Stone Hill Winery and its limestone cellars
Tours ~$10. A winery running since 1847, with vaulted cellars dug by hand under the hill, a tasting room, and the best long view of the town from the top of the property.
Ste. Genevieve
Bolduc House and the vertical-log houses
Entry ~$8 per house. A 1792 French colonial house with its original stockade and gallery, plus the Beauvais-Amoureux house a few blocks away, the two clearest examples of a building method that has almost vanished.
Grafton
Grafton SkyTour gondola and Aerie's Winery
Sky lift ~$15 round trip. A chairlift and gondola from the river road to the ridge top, with a winery, a restaurant, and a raptor center at the top and the whole confluence below.
Questions & Answers
St. Louis weekend FAQ
Grafton is 45 min from St. Louis; Ste. Genevieve is 1 hr 5 min from St. Louis; Hermann is 1 hr 25 min from St. Louis.
Grafton: October, April-May; Ste. Genevieve: April-May, September-October; Hermann: September-October, May.
The escapes split by mood: river (Grafton); views (Grafton); history (Ste. Genevieve, Hermann); wine (Ste. Genevieve, Hermann). Every one is a 48-hour trip with specific places to stay, visit, and eat.
Grafton, about 45 min away. Like a Midwestern Varenna, stacked against the cliff Start with Grafton SkyTour gondola and Aerie's Winery.