About this city
West Bend is a calm, internationally unique rural valley town located in the far northern tier of Iowa, positioned flatly along the Des Moines River. Laid out meticulously in 1881, the community maintained a highly peaceful, agrarian lifestyle until 1912, when a visionary Catholic priest began a monumental piece of religious architecture. West Bend is globally celebrated among architectural scholars and spiritual seekers alike for housing the largest and most intricately crafted mineral and gemstone grotto on Earth, serving as a masterpiece of geological folk art.
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Practical Tourism Metadata
Suggested stay: 1 day
Marvel at the millions of dollars in embedded quartz, jasper, and amethyst crystals at the magnificent Grotto of the Redemption, explore local prairie pioneer sod house ruins, and stroll downtown.
