The world's largest bike - an old-fashioned high wheeler formed out of fiberglass - welcomes visitors to Sparta, which dubs itself the "Bicycling Capital of America." The town offers ready access to several nationally known bike trails including the Elroy-Sparta State Trail, the first rails-to-trails bicycle route in the country. Sparta itself has a lovely historic downtown district.
Its hospitality and location make it a good "home base" for day trips to nearby attractions. These include the Wisconsin Cranberry Discovery Center in Warrens, about a 40-minute drive northeast of Sparta. Tours of Wisconsin's largest Amish settlement in nearby southern Monroe County can be arranged through Down a Country Road in Cashton, about 13 miles south of Sparta. Fort McCoy, eight miles northeast of Sparta, offers an excellent public recreation area as well as interesting military displays.