Madison: Wisconsin's capital between two lakes

The Wisconsin State Capitol, with its white granite dome, remains the only American state building constructed with four identical facades facing the cardinal directions.

Just a short walk away, the Memorial Union of the University of Wisconsin animates the Mendota lakefront with open-air terraces popular among students.

Moving along the isthmus, one walks between the two lakes Mendota and Monona, which surround downtown on both sides.

As evening falls, the farmers' markets around the Capitol, among the largest in the United States, animate Saturday mornings with local Wisconsin produce.

The Wisconsin State Capitol remains the only state government building in America with four identical facades, each facing one of the cardinal directions of the city.

Madison, built on a narrow isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona, offers one of the few American state capitals surrounded by water on both sides of the downtown area, a rare urban feature in the United States.