10 Reasons You Should Visit Fredericksburg Texas

Located just over an hour away from both San Antonio and Austin, Fredericksburg is a perfect getaway for when you want a break from the bustling city life. Take a trip back in time with these 10 reasons to visit this Texas gem.

Antique shopping

There are several antique shops in Fredericksburg boasting antique furniture, signage, and art for your viewing and purchasing pleasure, including Lone Star Antique Mall, Red Baron Antique Mall, and Carol Hicks Bolton Antiquités Labortoire de Design. Bring home a souvenir that is sure to be one of a kind, from rare coins to antique books.

Antique shopping in Fredericksburg, TX, USA

Wineries, distilleries, and breweries

There’s no shortage of buzzy beverages to sample in Fredericksburg. Take a trip down the Fredericksburg Wine Road 290 to check out your choice of 15 local wineries. Each winery has something special to offer, and many of them pair up with restaurants to hold tasting events. If you’re more of a beer person, Fredericksburg Brewing Company and Pedernales Brewing Company aren’t far away, and there are also multiple whiskey and vodka distillery tours you can take on if you’re somehow still standing.

Wineries, distilleries, and breweries in Fredericksburg, TX, USA

Fischer & Wieser Fredericksburg Das Peach Haus Truck

Dining

Due to the mass immigration of German and Spanish settlers during the 1800s, Fredericksburg has unique influences on its dining options that you won’t find as rampant in the nearby major cities. Along with upscale selections, such as V Supper Club at Vaudeville and August E’s Restaurant, there are plenty of casual options and markets featuring Texas beef and traditional German fare, such as Otto’s German Bistro.

Dining in Fredericksburg, TX, USA

2. Live music

The German settlers also influenced Fredericksburg’s music, with the introduction of the German accordion to Tejano music back in the 19th century. You can catch live music at the many fairs and festivals in the city year-round, but it’s especially easy during Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest takes place in downtown Fredericksburg and celebrates the town’s historic German heritage through food, beer, and entertainment, including live music acts.

Oktoberfest, 100 W Main Street, Fredericksburg, TX, USA

Scenic drives

Fredericksburg is located in the Texas Hill Country, a region known for rugged hills, caverns, and rivers. It’s called Texas’s “gateway to the west” as it offers a gentle change from the fields and trees of the east to the abrupt canyons of the west of the state. It also boasts the largest amount of Texas wildflowers during the spring, making for a lovely drive during this time of the year especially.

3. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area

Park

One such scenic location worth stopping at on your drive through the Texas Hill Country is Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. The main attraction is the park’s namesake enormous pink granite rock, but the surrounding area offers plenty of opportunities for camping, hiking, rock climbing, geocaching, stargazing, and bird watching. You can also request a ranger to lead a hike or star party for your group.

History

Fredericksburg is a history buff’s dream. Named after Prince Frederick of Prussia in the 1800s, the town even has its own dialect of German known as “Texas German,” spoken by early settlers who refused to give up their native tongue entirely. The town hosted many types of factories throughout the early 1900s but became known as a tourist destination by 1930. Today, there are multiple museums of interest in the area, including the National Museum of the Pacific War and the Pioneer Museum.

Museums in Fredericksburg, TX, USA

4. Racing

You can catch both horse and dog racing on TV at the Race Barn, as well as make wagers. You can also watch live-action horse racing at the Gillespie Country Fairgrounds during the summer throughout July and August. It also hosts, of course, a fair during August, complete with fried treats, crafts, a pageant, and rides.

Race Barn, 35 Fair Dr, Fredericksburg, TX, USA, +1 830 997 4058

Bed and breakfasts

Fredericksburg warrants more than a day trip, and the local bed and breakfasts are happy to accommodate you and complete your perfect trip back in time. Many of the bed and breakfasts set up home in historic old houses, such as Carriage House and the Lazy T B&B. Spending your downtime in Fredericksburg eating home-cooked breakfast, lounging on wrap-around porches, and enjoying Hill Country sunsets is what these bed and breakfasts are pleased to offer.

Bed and breakfasts in Fredericksburg, TX, USA

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.