The Amana Colonies

For a quiet getaway amid a beautiful landscape, visit the Amana Colonies in the Iowa River Valley

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Oct 21, 2009

Dotting the prairie along the Iowa River Valley, the historic Amana Colonies offer not only 150 years of history but also great dining, cozy bed and breakfasts and an opportunity to return to a less hectic way of life.  

Amana, meaning "remain faithful" and its colonies located west of Iowa City and east of Des Moines are a national historic landmark was founded by German Pietists as a place where they could live peacefully. The buildings are made of local materials such as sandstone, limestone and wood blending traditional German architecture with that of Colonial America. Old barns, mills and small factories still stand in the colonies that still produce many quality products.  

Often mistaken as Amish, colony settlers voted in 1932 to end their communal way of life, creating individual ownership of many of its business, including restaurants, furniture shops and farms. Perhaps one of the biggest draws for the colonies is the regions bucolic landscape. Built amid rolling hills and lush pastures, American painter Grant Wood based many of his works on landscapes within the colonies.   Visitors from across the country and around the world visit Amana for its peaceful setting. Although far from any major city and void of strip malls, the colonies still offer creature comforts.   According to their history books, colony executives describe the purpose of settlement as follows:

The purpose of the Amana Society was to live peacefully, cooperatively, with humility and dignity, and with faith in God. The communal kitchens exemplified the goals of their society. There was no cooking in the homes; instead, people ate together in groups of thirty to sixty. There were many communal kitchens in each village and each kitchen had its own garden. People ate breakfast at 6:00 a.m., a mid-day meal at 11:30 a.m. and an evening meal at 6:30 p.m. There were also times for snacks. Men and women ate at separate tables, Grace was said before and after meals and there was no talking permitted during mealtime.

The Kuechenbaas, the kitchen boss, was one job a woman could hold. The Kuechenbaas had a high status similar to that of an elder. She was responsible for planning meals and allocating supplies like eggs to families. More common positions held by women were in the kitchens, communal gardens, and laundry, among eight occupations. Men on the other hand had 39 different jobs to choose from, including barber, butcher, tailor, machine shop worker, and doctor. People were not paid for their jobs with cash, but were given allowances of credit that they could use at the Amana shops.

Today you can shop for antiques, wines and even visit Iowa's oldest micro-brewery while at the colonies. Still home to excellent craftsmen, many visitors come to the colonies to purchase handmade furniture, art work and crafts.   Several museums are located within the colonies as is a general store and many casual but good restaurants. The fare is most often home-cooked German and yearly festivals offer up the best of the colonies, be in food, spirits or music. A drive to the Amana Colonies can work as a day trip. But if you're looking for a reprieve from the stresses of daily life, consider spending a weekend. Unlike many "colonies" in the U.S. the Amana's provide more authenticity.