For a skyline that's so compact, downtown Minneapolis lends itself to a number of dramatic views. Maybe that's because it's compact: Rising out of the flat, unremarkable landscape, the skyline creates a striking contrast--almost as if it were set atop an actual hill! The freeways that loop around the city provide notable views, but they're fleeting (unless you're hitchhiking. But the view from just across the river to the northeast, framed by the wooded banks of the Mississippi, is in a class all by itself. In fact, it just might be the most undeservedly underfrequented attraction in the vicinity of downtown.