Decorah is a small town with a strong Norwegian heritage in northeastern Iowa, not too far from the Minnesota border. The population was 8,109 in 2012. The town has been the home of Luther College since 1861. Decorah celebrates it Norwegian heritage with its architecture and its annual Norwegian festival - the Nordic Fest each July. Decorah is also the home of the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum. There is a charming downtown with galleries and restaurant. There are some attractive parks on bluffs above the Upper Iowa River, which is popular for all kinds of recreation including kayaking and hiking. Photo of Downtown Decorah courtesy of Wikipedia and Bobak Ha'Eri, Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0/
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