I would second Southern Indiana, with a day trip to Indianapolis (does that satisfy all of us from Indiana okay?).

In Indiana, don't forget about the Amish communities up north--well worth an overnight.

My parents live in Indiana. Does that make me a Hoosier once removed? Or a Hoosier legacy?

Go to Austria! It has got all you require: Art, architecture, wine (in the very scenic Wachau vally), culture,excellent food,and history. If you stay in Vienna you will be in a great spot for your needs and just a short drive or train ride away from great scenery, hiking etc.

Jocelyn:

We will grant you honorary Hoosier status if you promise to visit the great state frequently!

You're right, the north is nice too!

Oh, and if you can't make it to Indiana, David, Italy makes an okay second choice, I guess. :)

Hey!

Don't forget Columbus, IN for architecture. Usually ranked 6th in the US for modern architecture.

I'm sitting in a Weese right now...

:-)

Sorry, I thought you hoosiers would pick up on the fact that Vevay, Milan,and Versailles are all towns in southern Indiana within 50 miles of each other. We could add West Baden further west for you Black Forest lovers--it is right next to French Lick and not far from Santa Claus.

Thank you all for your suggestions. I'm thinking Indiana might have to wait for another time...But I will do some more research and let you know what I end up doing!

Thanks,
David

*Switzerland* in the french-speaking region. Geneva and outlying areas along Lac Leman and up into the countryside, hills, mountains offer everything on both your lists.

You could also visit Brazil, Mexico, Peru, and Russiaville, or even up to Warsaw, all north of Indy. Buttttt, I'm suggesting not.

I liked Sweden myself (not having been to some of the other suggested places) Was there in November and didn't get to see too much, but I can tell you that Scandinavia is one place I'd like to spend some more time in.

Rex, do you live in Southern Indiana now? If so, where?

with only one week, I vote for Tuscany.
You have remarkable towns with preserved medieval architecture, you have wineries and amazing food, you have easy drives with short distances between towns, you have scenery, and I assume there is hiking.
Drawbacks are that August will be very crowded with travelers, including other Italians. Ditto Provence with the French.
I haven't been to Ireland, but except perhaps for the wine, that might work as well, and a week is doable.

Mystery on this thread! - - the left hand column "brings it up" saying there is (was?) a post from today, but I see none.

Anyhow - - yes, I do now live "back home" in Southern Indiana - - in Floyds Knobs (outside New Albany, just across the river from Louisville). Moved here last summer/fall.

I agree that both Tuscany and Provence would be wonderful choices. If you're looking for something a little more off the beaten path and probably quite a bit cheaper, I would also suggest looking into Hungary. I was just in Budapest and absolutely fell in love with it. It's a lot cheaper than many other EU countries, the architecture and history are fascinating, and we had some truly wonderful wines at very reasonable prices. Hungary is famous for Tokay, but they also produce some really excellent red and white wines. With a week, you could spend a few days in Budapest and then perhaps get out into the country a bit where your friend could do more outdoorsy stuff. I didn't have the chance to explore much outside the city, but the countryside looked beautiful. And there are many regions to go wine tasting (Eger, Tokaj, etc) so you could both get what you're looking for. Oh, and the food was excellent too - everything from very cheap traditional fare (absolutely delicious) to fabulous gourmet cooking.

David,
I would suggest Tusacany, it is what you are looking for. Better make your arragnments now!!!!

Ok, I am too lazy to read this entire thread right now. Has anyone mentioned Slovenia? Let's tackle the interests one by one.
Wine--major producer of good wine, esp. the Goriska Brda region which is just across the border from Italy's Friuli region. Beautiful countryside and lots of smaller wineries that have a great interest in improving the quality. There are several different wine regions in Slovenia and all have something unique to offer. One of the most unusual wines here is Teran. It is a full bodied red with a lemony tinge. Definitely an acquired taste but very different. Here is a website discussing more of what Slovenia offers in terms of wine. http://www.slovino.com/en/index.php

Now, for history combined with natural beauty, a trip to the Soca River Valley is a must. This is where Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms" was set. The town of Kobarid has a wonderful WW1 museum and the whole area is dotted with memorials. The Soca River Valley is a mecca for sports enthusiasts. They offer rafting, danyoning, climbing and hiking. It is drop dead gorgeous.

For Architecture, come to Ljubljana. Joze Plecnik designed much of the city. He also contributed to Prague so you may see some similarities.

Ok...that is just a start. But come off the beaten path...skip Italy and France and come a bit farther East. You won't be disappointed!

Cheers,
Jan

Slovenia and Croatia would be for what you wish, but also Slovakia. Go into the Tatry National Forest area for some great hiking as well as old castles and interesting history.

Provence!

This maybe a little late ,but hve you considered the Ahr River Valley in Germany. There are some very quaint villages and wonderful wineries. Start in Cochem and follow down thru Ahrweiler and many more small villages.The sceney is wonderful and once pasr Cochem ,not many USA tourists.
Great fun and great wine.

My vote goes to Croatia! There is plenty of history and, of course, some of it is very recent. The scenery is amazing, the food is great, the wine is incredible and there is plenty of hiking to be done.

You could visit Plitvice National Park. Check it out at http://www.photocroatia.com/Small_Ex/NP_PLITVICE.htm

For great wine visit Zlatan Plavac winery near Zavala on Hvar

For recent history visit the War Photos Museum in Dubrovnik and also take a day trip to Mostar.

I have been to over 15 countries in Europe and I spent two weeks in Croatia this year and it tops my list of favorite coutries.

Cheers!

dis1010,
We go to Provence each year, based in St. Remy, and it would be my choice too. Burgundy should not be overlooked. Sienna and Florence merit an honorable mention since both have urban and near by country appeals.

For a quirky possibility how about the State of Maine? Except for architecture it meets your requirements. Little village inns, lobster, art galleries could help fill any "void".