Spreading out from the banks of the Mississippi River, in the north-central US state of Minnesota, Minneapolis and St Paul are colloquially known as the Twin Cities.

With striking modern buildings in a slick new downtown area with a vibrant arty character and a lively nightlife, Minneapolis is the more cosmopolitan of the twins. The older city, St Paul, is the state capital and is smaller, quieter with many restored 19th and early 20th-centuary buildings with a small town atmosphere.

The very existence of the Twin Cities is due to the only waterfall on the Mississippi, St Anthony Falls, whose hydroelectric power fuelled numerous flour and timber mills along the river, and today the Riverfront district in Minneapolis is a scenic stretch lined with old warehouses, mills and historical walking trails.

With hundreds of lakes lying within the Twin Cities area, there are endless opportunities for outdoor recreation, with miles of trails surrounding the lakes. They boast a rich arts and cultural entertainment scene with more concert venues per person than any other city in the country, except New York. And the southern suburb of Bloomington is home to the largest shopping centre in the US that includes an aquarium and amusement park under the same roof as hundreds of shops, restaurants, bars and theatres.