An hour or so north of Madison, you’ll find this tiny town (population: sub-1,300) along a bend of the Fox River that once made it a milling and shipping site. Today, the grain elevators are gone, though brick storefronts remain, and the economy now runs on weekenders who know a good detour when they see one. The downtown’s Italianate façades, faded ghost signs, and river views peeking between buildings hint at a place that deserves to be a destination in its own right.

The revival has names attached: Urban planner Greg Wright and his design-minded partner, Matt Trotter, who have been instrumental in recalibrating the town over the past decade by restoring buildings, opening shops, and layering in culture without sanding down the grit. Their orbit includes the Princeton Art Collective, a nonprofit responsible for cultural pop-ups and new murals, like the large cranes painted by Nick Goettling that nod to local conservation efforts and serves as a de facto downtown landmark.

Make your base the Parlor Hotel, another Wright-Trotter venture. The 1868 dry-goods building has been transformed into one of the most design-aware stays in small-town Wisconsin. Tinker on the lobby piano, put a record on the turntable, or play foosball. Rooms are individually styled; the Grant is our choice for the king bed and soaking tub.

Mornings start at Renard’s European Bakeshop, where the cardamom braid flakes just enough and the black currant tart leans sharp. A few doors down is Dover Street Collected Home, a stylized vintage shop that’s set up in vignettes that make you want to redecorate with enamelware and cheeky oil portraits. Two former Chicago gallery owners plan to open Plaid, a shop for vintage and new art, antiques, books, and records, by summer. On Saturdays from April through October, the Princeton Flea Market takes over City Park with dozens of vendors. It’s one of the Midwest’s more serious bazaars; dealers show up at dawn with wagons and flashlights.

Lunch at Horseradish Kitchen and Market is a must. Trotter started it as a food truck before moving into a brick storefront. Sandwiches land on Renard’s bread (pistachio goat cheese with roasted beets is a staple), and the back patio is often animated with live music. Burn it off on the Black Bridge Nature Trail over the Fox River, then stop at Soul Hammer, an artists’ collective where you might catch a glassblower mid-pull or a metalsmith firing up a kiln.

Stop in for happy hour at Field Blend Wines (Thursday to Sunday, 5 to 7 p.m.), featuring complimentary snacks, $10 pours of low-intervention wines, and, on Thursdays, movie screenings. For dinner, head to PieZanos, a new pizzeria known for its housemade dough and blistered crust, or go full Wisconsin at Molly’s Buckhorn Bar & Grill with the fish fry, neon beer signs, and mounted antlers.