Fredericksburg

How to Get There

From Austin (78 mi): Follow US-290 W from Austin for approximately 78 miles, then turn right onto N. Adams St to reach downtown Fredericksburg.

Overview

Fredericksburg (German: Friedrichsburg) is the seat of Gillespie County, in the state of Texas. Fredericksburg was founded in 1846 and named after Prince Frederick of Prussia. Old-time German residents often referred to Fredericksburg as Fritztown, a nickname that is still used in some businesses. The town is also notable as the home of Texas German, a dialect spoken by the first generations of German settlers who initially refused to learn English. Fredericksburg shares many cultural characteristics with New Braunfels, which had been established by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels the previous year. Fredericksburg is the birthplace of Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz. It is the sister city of Montabaur, Germany. On October 14, 1970, the Fredericksburg Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in Texas.

Things to Do

Stroll Historic Main Street
Explore a vibrant downtown lined with boutiques, galleries, specialty stores, tasting rooms, restaurants, and historic buildings that showcase Fredericksburg's German heritage.

Visit the National Museum of the Pacific War
Experience one of the nation's premier military museums, featuring immersive exhibits, historic artifacts, interactive displays, and the story of the Pacific Theater during World War II.

Tour Texas Wine Country
Enjoy wine tastings at numerous wineries, vineyards, and tasting rooms located throughout Fredericksburg and along the renowned Highway 290 Wine Trail.

Explore Pioneer Museum
Learn about the German settlers who founded Fredericksburg through historic buildings, artifacts, exhibits, and preserved structures.

Visit Marktplatz
Relax in the city's central gathering place and see the Vereins Kirche, a replica of Fredericksburg's original community church, school, and meeting hall.

Browse Art Galleries
Discover fine art, photography, sculptures, Western art, and handcrafted works in galleries located throughout downtown.

Visit Wildseed Farms
Explore one of the largest working wildflower farms in the United States, featuring seasonal blooms, gardens, walking paths, and shopping opportunities.

Discover German-Texan Culture
Enjoy authentic German food, bakeries, festivals, architecture, and traditions that have shaped the city's character since 1846.

Take a Scenic Hill Country Drive
Explore winding country roads, vineyards, ranches, wildflower fields, and some of the most beautiful landscapes in the Texas Hill Country.

Geography

Fredericksburg is located east of the center of Gillespie. It is 70 miles (110 km) north of San Antonio and 78 miles (126 km) west of Austin.

Enchanted Rock

Enchanted Rock is a geographical landmark 17 mi (27 km) north of Fredericksburg in Llano County. The rock is a huge, pink granite exfoliation dome that rises 425 ft (130 m) above the surrounding land, has a summit elevation of 1,825 ft (556 m) above sea level, and covers 640 acres (260 ha). Enchanted Rock offers 8.4 miles of hiking trails, camping, picnicking, rock climbing, and other outdoor activities. It is one of the largest batholiths (underground rock formation uncovered by erosion) in the United States, and was declared a National Natural Landmark in 1970. In 1994, the State of Texas opened it as Enchanted Rock State Natural Area after adding facilities. The same year, Enchanted Rock was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Cross Mountain

The first known record of Cross Mountain (elevation 1,915 ft (584 m)) was in 1847 by Dr. Ferdinand von Roemer. Native Americans used the location to signal each other about intrusions into their territory. The area was part of settler Dr. John Christian Durst's 10-acre (4.0 ha) allotment. Durst found a timber cross on the mountain, indicating that Spanish missionaries had once used the site. Durst named the place "Kreuzberg" or Cross Mountain. In 1849, Father George Menzel erected a new cross. In 1946, St. Mary's Catholic Church erected a metal and concrete cross. The mountain has been used both for the Easter Fires pageant and for Easter sunrise services. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark 1976.

Agritourism

The Fredericksburg-Stonewall area has become known as the Peach Capital of Texas and Benjamin Lester Enderle is known as the Father of the Hill Country Peach Industry. He was Gillespie County Surveyor and a math and science teacher at Fredericksburg High School when he planted five peach trees and began selling the fruit in 1921. Enderle worked to develop the Hale, Burbank, Elberta, and Stark varieties. He began marketing them through the H-E-B grocery chain, and eventually had 5,000 producing peach trees on 150 acres (61 ha). Growers claim the taste is due to the area having the right combination of elevation, sandy soil, and climate to produce flavorful clingstone and freestone peaches. The fruit ripens May–August, and consumers can either buy picked fruit, or pick their own.

A number of vineyards and related industries have also arisen in the post-LBJ era of Fredericksburg. The designated American Viticultural Areas of Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country AVA and the much larger Texas Hill Country AVA both include Fredericksburg inside their boundaries. Fredericksburg is a common starting point or destination for tourists visiting wineries in the Texas Hill Country.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fredericksburg, Texas", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 Sources: Fredericksburg attractions, Main Street, shopping, wine country, German heritage, festivals, and visitor activities. [1](https://www.yellowpages.com/houston-tx/mip/art-car-museum-1288535)[2](https://houston.kidcityguide.com/places/cool-museums-texas/) National Museum of the Pacific War, Admiral Nimitz history, museum campus, and World War II exhibits. [3](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g56003-d106124-Reviews-Art_Car_Museum-Houston_Texas.html)[4](https://www.findglocal.com/US/Houston/157278871822/Art-Car-Museum)[5](https://community.houstonpress.com/location/art-car-museum-6784979)[6](https://www.countyoffice.org/art-car-museum-houston-tx-dc6/)