Right on Main Street you will find the Pioneer Museum, which is a combination of museum and historic structures where you can learn how people from Germany looking for a better life risked everything to come here in the 19th. century.
Even the name of the town is associated with the European country’s roots. It was named after Prince Frederick of Prussia.
Look around and you will notice German architectural elements like pointed arches, ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, and decorative stonework.
One block off Main Street a stunning building stands out. Built of native stone quarried near the city, the St. Mary's Catholic Church is a good example of Gothic Revival architecture with stained glass windows, arches above the center aisle and altars made of wood.
There is a marktplatz or central town square, where the octagonally shaped building The Vereins Kirche stands surrounded by gardens, pavilions, picnic areas, and gathering spaces.
The Marktplatz is the site where the magic of Christmas takes place in Fredericksburg. Often compared to a holiday movie, there is traditional food, drinks, crafts, ice skating and a wide variety of abundant decorations.
Wine
Fredericksburg is surrounded by wineries, vineyards and tasting rooms where you can learn about the making of the precious alcoholic beverage, taste it and acquire it.
Yes, Texan wine has improved significantly in recent years. Here winemakers have become more skilled and knowledgeable, adapting their techniques and grape selections to suit the unique Texas terroir and climate.
Stop at Meierstone Vineyards and meet the gorgeous owner and winemaker Krystal Patel, where you can sample either white or red wine.
When it comes to red wine, try Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Wrecking Ball, and you will be surprised by the full body and notable notes of it.
On a different approach from most European producers, when they grow three or four types of grapes to make different wines, many Texan wineries choose several varieties instead just to try which ones work better in the region.
Becker Vineyards is another must stop winery. Award-winning Bordeaux, Burgundian, and Rhone-styled wines have been served at The White House several times, and that proves the quality.
“Becker strongly promotes Texas wine made from Texas grown fruit and currently buys more fruit from independent Texas grape growers, than any other winery in the state,” Marketing Director Nichole Bendele stated.
Gastronomy
Yes, you will find plenty of German cuisine and breweries in Fredericksburg, but don’t expect the typical party town where you can go around loud and excentric. Fredericksburg remains a peace-loving location, and its residents want to stay that way.
Residents and authorities care for the town, as they work hard “to ensure that it continues to be a special place for future generations,” President and CEO of Fredericksburg Convention & Visitor Bureau, Brady Closson, accentuated.
Fredericksburg also portraits a diverse culinary scene with farm-to-table dining, and contemporary international and American fare.
Let’s start at the Cabernet Grill Texas Wine Country Restaurant, renowned for its dedication to displaying the state's wine and culinary offerings.
The restaurant boasts an extensive wine list featuring over 170 selections from more than 50 Texas wineries, making it one of the largest, if not the largest, all-Texas wine destinations in the nation.
Hill Country Herb Garden & Spa is another place to visit. Alongside the restaurant and its culinary creations incorporating fresh herbs grown in the garden, this charming location features a colorful well-maintained garden, an impressive 5,000-square-foot spa with its own product line.
Eager for some pasta? Italian restaurant Alla Campagna comes to your rescue. Nestled in a Victorian house, the kitchen staff bets to honor Italian food by making pasta by hand and baking pizza in a custom-tiled rotating oven.
You can’t leave the town without trying some fresh Tex-Mex food. Emi’s on Austin, right on Austin Street, will exceed your expectations: fresh chips fried when ordered, with salsa, guacamole, or cheese, plenty of tacos, bowls full of flavors, and beers.
Then you have Das Peach Haus, a kind of culinary theme park for adults, where you find cooking classes, local fresh peaches, preserves, glazes, sauces deli, wines, liquors from an on-site distillery, even lodging and a breathtaking lake in the back.
What was once a small orchard planted by German immigrant J.B. Wieser in 1928 evolved first into a roadside peach stand and later into what it is today under the motto “creating flavorful experiences that make people happy”.
Ask for the strawberry arugula salad featuring Texas cactus jelly and jalapeños on the side and you will discover a unique different tasty flavor.
Shopping
Walk along main Street, between 10 am and 7 pm, and you will come across many boutiques and art galleries, home décor, women's fashion ranging from vintage to upscale contemporary, in addition to cowboy’s and cowgirls’ boots and hats, handmade jewelry, antiques, artwork, and gifts.
One quick stop at Loca on Main will give you the idea this women’s boutique is filled with options for her: Texas made as stylish as they are one-of-a-kind.
Peaches
This juicy fruit is to Fredericksburg what sunshine is to summertime. And here there are dozens of orchards and roadside peaches and fruits stands.
Growing peaches for over six decades, Jenschke Orchards is a family-owned business where you can find from U-pick sweet-tasting fruits to homemade preserves and gifts.
Vogel Orchards’ location is one of a kind. They grow peaches, plums, and blackberries, as well as watermelons, cantaloupes, and other assorted fresh vegetables. Here you’ll be able to see how they select and pack their products on the site and learn about the different trees and how to take care of them from the owner Jamey Vogel.
Then you have more peaches, a rich creamy semisweet ice cream, and dozens of goods gourmet products at Burg's Corner, where Katelyn Eames has seen customers coming since she was a kid.
“We have multi-generations coming. I remember coming with my grandparents and meeting customers that today they’re in their 90s and they're not able to visit us anymore, and I'm going to ship peaches to them just because I love them”, she emphasized.
How to get there
You can either drive to Fredericksburg or fly to San Antonio or Austin where you can rent a car and ride over.
Accommodation
Fredericksburg offers a range of hotels, locally owned motels, small inns, short term rentals, guesthouses and traditional bed and breakfasts.
We stayed at the Hoffman Haus with the award-winning public relations firm Geiger & Associates, one block off Main Street where most of the action is, yet private and peaceful.
The Hoffman Haus blends traditional Texan and contemporary architecture where rustic wood is the main component to create an inviting stay.
Breakfast is delivered to your door each morning and presented in a picnic basket.
Visit Fredericksburg Convention & Visitor Bureau for more information.
