Fredericksburg TX & Its Main Street

We love Texas Hill Country. With all its winding roads, greenery, wild vegetation, hills and beautiful landscape. In a way, it reminds me the scenery of a place in Northern Poland called Jastrzebia Gora (Falcon Mountain). The moraine hills in the Polish region are of a totally different geographical origin than the Hill Country topography though.
One of 'our' places in this part of TX is Fredericksburg - town which was settled by German immigrants in 1846.

The town was founded by John O. Meusebach (Baron Otfried Hans von Meusebach). Thanks to the Treaty made by the Comanche and the German Immigration Company in 1847, the Penateka Comanche Tribe and the German settlers coexisted peacefully - the Treaty was never broken.

The Treaty - monument in the local park

What I love about Fredericksburg is its European spirit, still present there, and its western-like, frontier architecture. Two in one.
One of the main tourists attractions of the town is its Main Street (Haupstrasse). Walking along the street you can admire many historical structures which make Fredericksburg Historical District - houses built in the 19th century, when the town was founded and some years later.

Fredericksburg Historic District  - Bank of Fredericksburg (on the left side) - designed in 1889 by Alfred Giles

 

Pioneer Memorial Library (the Old Courthouse) - designed by British architect Alfred Giles in 1882

The first public building in Fredericksburg (1847) - The Vereins Kirche - designed by Friedrich Schubbert. Nowadays, part of Pioneer Museum Complex.

 

The house built in 1897 for John and Bertha Klein Schandua

A popular tourists' pass time activity is visiting all the shops on both sides of Main Street. You can find everything there - from fudge, funny gadget and Texas souvenirs to fancy jewellery and art gallery exhibits.

Main Street

 

All year round Christmas store

There are many food places in Fredericksburg. Our favorite one is Fredericksburg Brewing Co.

The interior of the restaurant reminds me small brewery inns I visited in Southern Germany. Similar style and very good beer, made locally too. All kinds of beer made in the brewery are tasty but, in my opinion, Enchanted Rock Red Ale is the best.

Besides, the German style dishes (all the delicious schnitzels) taste almost like the food I had at home - in Poland. Fredericksburg Brewery is always crowded - no wonder - great meals are served there. They have quite a convenient 'waiting' area which is a beer place too.

Frederickburg is an interesting place to visit all year round. If you happen to be there at Christmas time, you will find the town decorated beautifully, with traditional German accents in the town park. But you need to be prepared that on Christmas Day, almost all the stores and restaurants are closed there.

More about Fredericksburg soon - in the following posts.