German immigrants arrived in central Texas in the mid-nineteenth century to escape economic hardship and political and religious unrest. They found inexpensive and arable land, a favorable climate and many others from the homeland moving there. That is why you’ll find at least a half-dozen cities and towns in the Hill Country with German names. One of them is Fredericksburg, which is 90 minutes west of Austin.
RAS and I went here because we enjoyed our last visit to the Hill Country nearly ten years ago, when we visited President Lyndon B. Johnson’s ranch. One thing I didn’t see then was the proliferation of wineries and vineyards. While there has been a concerted effort to establish a Texas wine country since the 1970s, most establishments have only come on the scene in the last ten years. We didn’t visit them, but we did stop by a tasting room in town - more about that later.
The time we spent in Fredericksburg was relatively short – probably just about four or five hours - and I would have appreciated more time here than we gave it. In fact, RAS wanted to go to Enchanted Rock, a designated state natural area, but it was a little too far to visit. Maybe spending a day here with an overnight would have been ideal, which is probably what I would recommend.
Highlights of the town
Two places in Fredericksburg are must-sees. But I must admit, we didn’t go to either because RAS wanted to walk around the town more. That proved to be challenging, because the temperature was at least 95 degrees and quite humid. Luckily, there were plenty of shops that we ducked into when we needed to cool off (more about those later). The first place is the National Museum of the Pacific War. It has an extensive facility that spans an entire block, with galleries named after native son Admiral Chester Nimitz (who led the World War II effort in this region) and President George H.W. Bush. There are also outdoor features: a Japanese peace garden, the Plaza of the Presidents, the Memorial Walk and the Pacific Combat Zone.
Another essential attraction is the Pioneer Museum, an outdoor complex that replicates how life was for the German settlers who first arrived here in 1846. Naming the town after their king, the pioneers grew a community where ties to traditional living remained strong. Today, visitors can witness volunteers dressed in traditional clothing making soap, shearing sheep and doing other tasks that made life challenging in their new home. Nearby in the central town square, called the Marktplatz, is the Vereins Kirche Museum, which was originally a church and is now a historical museum.
Local wineries and shops
Most visitors to Fredericksburg will explore its main street, also known as US Highway 290. As I stated before, the day we were here was typical summer in Texas, which meant high heat and humidity. Our explorations were limited to 10-to 15-minute segments of going outside, then heading into an air-conditioned business. That’s how we discovered a few fun places to window shop. Two of them were Headquarters Hats, which had a healthy mix of cowboy hats, boots and other accessories – some of which were quite pricy, and Rustlin Rob’s, a “Texas gourmet foods” store with countless dips, sauces and snacks, all of which can be sampled.
With the wineries, you can take tasting tours and go around the area vineyards or walk around the town to tasting rooms, as we did. We ended up going to two of them and tasting wine at one, because the staff member at the first did more talking than encouraging us to try the wines. When other people showed up, we left. The tasting room we did try was Becker, which had some surprisingly good whites, reds and a rosé that was perfect refreshment for the summer heat.
Places to eat
Besides the leading museums and wineries, you can enjoy dining on barbecue, Tex-Mex and German food. RAS didn’t want to have anything for lunch, mainly because we had such a hearty breakfast back in Austin before we left. We did get a fresh pretzel at the Old German Bakery and Restaurant, which has been in business for 50 years. That was all we could handle for a “lunch.” The chamber of commerce staff recommended Emi’s on Austin for Mexican, Backwoods and Eaker for barbecue and for a little of both, Leroy’s Tex-Mex BBQ.
Truly, I didn’t give Fredericksburg its due for a visit. I would have enjoyed seeing more of the museums, tasting more wines and dining on its best local cuisine. But maybe I’ll get to do that in the future.
