Steinbach Travel Guide: A Dreamy Getaway in Manitoba

This post is in collaboration with Travel Manitoba. Manitoba is located on the ancestral land of the Anishinaabeg, Anishininewuk, Dakota Oyate, Denesuline and Nehethowuk Nations and is the Homeland of the Red River Métis.

Need a getaway in Manitoba? Check out charming Steinbach, a town just an hour south of Winnipeg and an hour north of the US/Canada border!

Part of my campaign with Travel Manitoba included time spent outside of Winnipeg about an hour away in Steinbach and its neighboring areas. I very quickly fell in love and wound up spending a full extra day here, so I had even more time to wander around.

It’s kind of everything you could want in a rural getaway — a charming bed and breakfast, cute little shops and restaurants, and unique things to do that you just don’t quite get in a city.

If you’re need of one, here’s a little Steinbach travel guide for you!

A Rural Getaway to Steinbach & Nearby

Stay at Rosedale Chapel Bed & Breakfast

First things first, you’re going to book a stay at Rosedale Chapel Bed & Breakfast. Rosedale is the kind of cozy place I’ll talk about for years to come and recommend to anyone who even mentions Manitoba in conversation (just ask me about my stays in Prince Edward Island, Fes, and Vinh Long!)

As the name suggest, this building started its life as a chapel in Steinbach before its previous owners moved it to its current location about 10 minutes away in the nineties. There they turned it into their home and later built an addition to open Old Church Bakery.

Later its current owners, David and Junia, bought the house to live in and eventually turned the bakery space into a bed and breakfast. David’s worked extensively in carpentry; Junia has been all around the world, and their combined interests make for the loveliest stay!

David is responsible for many of the renovations that give the bed and breakfast its cottage feeling while Junia’s life abroad has led to the most charming details like crushed cardamom in your morning tea and breakfast served on a tray from India that once belonged to her parents.

They both live in the main chapel next door while the room has two queen sized beds (one upstairs and one downstairs) with a full kitchen, living area, and bathroom. Junia makes breakfast in the morning, and many of the ingredients come from her very own garden or nearby. Also their outside area and garden are free to wander around and enjoy. You can even find some nice trails!

David and Junia are also so friendly, and happy to chat about Steinbach and Manitoba! They actually gave me some of the recommendations below.

What to Do While in Steinbach

A Tinta Experience at Masagana Flower Farm

Hopefully rural getaway for you means the same as it does for me — unplugging and enjoying nature. Besides walking the nearby trails at Rosedale, a more unique way is to get creative (and delightfully messy) at Masagana Flower Farm.

Lourdes moved to the countryside with her husband where they turned their yard into a garden. She then learned about natural dyeing, and soon after that put together her tinta (dyeing) experiences. Rather than just teaching visitors about floral and indigo dyeing, she creates a holistic experience that’s designed to help you reconnect with nature.

I did her full tinta experience, which stretches across 5-6 hours in the afternoon, and includes time spent in her cozy studio, picking flowers, floral dyeing, floral printing by hand, and indigo dyeing. The whole afternoon passed by in the loveliest of ways as we all chatted and got to create items we can wear for years to come.

Bonus: she feeds a bunch of cute stray kitties who may start popping out once evening comes and the sun starts to set! They’re skittish but always close by observing.

Mennonite Heritage Village

This one is for you history buffs! When I knew I was spending an extra day in Steinbach, I just kind of looked on my Google Maps to see what I might like to do. I saw the Mennonite Heritage Village pop up, and I was curious about Steinbach’s Mennonite history, so I thought why not stop by!

So it turns out this isn’t just some rinky dink museum that you’ll pass through in twenty minutes. It is, as the name implies, a giant open-air history museum. It’s even bigger than it seems when you pull into a parking lot! First you’ll have a very extensive museum in the main visitor building where you can learn about the Mennonite religion and how it founds its way to Manitoba. And then you’ll exit the doors and find yourself transported back in time to the 1800s where you can pop into every building and see what life would’ve been like. A lot of it felt so real, I kept thinking they should film Yesteryear in one of these homes. (Winnipeg is, after all, a major filming location for many, many movies!)

Even more fun? I found out I was visiting during their Sunday lunch buffet, and as someone who grew up going to Shady Maples in PA’s Amish Country, I was immediately in. Think of all the heartiest Mennonite cuisine for a cool $24.95 CAD… heaven!

On your way out, stop into the quilt room and the gift shop. There’s a lot to peruse, and I even walked away with a beautiful dinnerware set. It was so sweet because as their owner, Nita, helped me package them up, she wound up telling me they used to belong to her mother and then her friend before they both passed. I promised her I’d send her a picture of the first meal I made on them (which wound up being a nice steak & veggie dinner I made with ingredients from farms near to Philly and the olive oil I bought at Prairie, a spot listed below).

Where to Eat Around Steinbach

Chino’s Bistro

When I was talking with Junia and David about where I was thinking of going to get a late lunch in Steinbach, they recommended I check out Chino’s Bistro. As soon as they mentioned homemade gelato, I was sold! Chino’s over all is a gorgeous little restaurant. It’s attached to their Sunshine Greenhouse, so you can dine by a window with the greenhouse views.

Oh, and the main menu is all wood-fired inspired. I had limited time and just got their buffalo chicken dip (so good with the added banana peppers). Luckily, they’re open quite late, so I could swing by later to get some gelato.

They do breakfast through dinner and even have a coffee bar if you find yourself in here in the morning rather than the afternoon!

Old Chapel Bakery

Remember when I said Rosedale’s addition used to be a bakery? Old Chapel Bakery never went away, it just moved into Steinbach! While they offer a slew of sweet treats, their real speciality is in their sourdough bread and baked goods. If you’re with a crew, get a few items to share because you’re going to want to try as much as possible! Since I was alone, I opted for the sourdough carrot cake — yum!!

Forum & Bistro

When I first got in to Steinbach, I had some time to kill, and was recommended Forum & Bistro. It’s attached to the Southeast Event Centre, so if you feel like you’re pulling into the parking lot of an ice rink, you’re in the right spot! They’ve got all the classics on the menu, but if you can’t decide, go with one of their pork-based dishes. They exclusively serve Hylife pork, a Manitoba-based premium pork producer! I, of course, went for the ribs.

Others I Didn’t Get to Visit:

I am but one person, and though my stomach is big, it’s not that big. I collected a bunch of other recommended spots in my notes app that I didn’t get to visit, but I’m putting here in case you have the time:

• Bigg Smoak BBQ– all things barbecue!
• Heartberry Cafe – an indigenous and queer owned cafe; the heartberry soda looks so tasty and the decor super cute. it’s part of Heartberry Hub, which is a Métis and Indigenous-led community space.
• Island Pacific Kitchen – a Filipino restaurant all about capturing that the feeling of getting a home cooked meal from a Filipino (if you know, you know!). I immediately sent it to my Filipino friend when I read the about page!!
• Coffee Culture Cafe & Eatery – a lovely franchise around Manitoba and Ontario.
• Hitch + Boler Coffee Roasters – they’re part of the Collecta Artisan Cooperative at Clearspring Centre so you can get your coffee and do a lil shopping as well
• The Public Brewhouse & Gallery – taproom meets contemporary art gallery!

Shopping Around Steinbach & Nearby

Bothwell Cheese

Junia mentioned the cheese in my quiche was Bothwell cheese from nearby, so naturally I had to drive over and pick up some blocks for myself! Bothwell is sold all over Canada, so it’s fun to go right to the source and pick up some goodies. They’ve been around since 1936 and 99% of all their ingredients come from within 100kms of their factory in New Bothwell.

Nature’s Farm

This was another David and Junia recommendation but I just missed their opening hours. Nature’s Farm is a small family-owned egg farm (near Chino’s, actually) that does artisanal pasta. They work hard to ensure sustainable farming practices which include humane animal treatment!.Though I wasn’t able to go, I was able to pick up some of their pasta at the next spot on this list…

Prairie Oil & Provisions

Next door to Old Church Bakery, Prairie Oil & Provisions is an absolute Mecca for all sorts of olive oils and vinegars!! You can sample any of them that you’d like, but they also do cooking classes and tasting events if you want even more guidance. I picked up a gift for my friend as well as a few oils to try including the olive oil I used on my steak from the story above. I liked that they had recommended pairings for each option (and have them on their site too incase you don’t snap a pic of the signage).

Retro Chique

At a stage in my life where I love shopping for vintage home decor, so when I was recommended Retro Chique, I knew I’d spend at least an hour looking through every nook and cranny. Walked away this the cutest little brass basket I’m going to style on my main entrance counter.

And there you have it — a little Steinbach travel guide and how to enjoy a rural getaway in Manitoba! Any spots I need to add for a future visit? Let me know below!

For more Canada travels:

• An Anne of Green Gables Guide to PEI
• A Lovely Weekend in Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Copy This Ontario-Quebec Road Trip

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