In Pictures: Fredericksburg, Texas

During our extensive “Fabric of America” road trip, one of the things we really wanted to do was explore Texas Hill Country, specifically the areas with a rich German tradition. Texas German is unfortunately fading out, but we figured we might be able to find some folks to talk with and experience some of the history in the area.

The focal point of Texas German country is the town of Fredericksburg, so we obviously thought this would be the place to start.

Unfortunately, we didn’t find much other than a lot of German-themed shops and restaurants, with most people in town telling us the old farmers are the only people left who speak German, and they don’t regularly come into town.

And why would they? These days, the town has turned itself into a bit of a tourist fixture, the main drag being lined with shops that sell all sorts of “German” goods, as well as locally-produced wines and an abundance of hot sauce.

While we were overwhelmingly disappointed with what we found in regard to German itself, Fredericksburg still has tradition that can be seen through the architecture and the remnants of what once was a thriving German community.

Of course, we made the most of it and did our time in the beer garden, as well as walking around the town talking to friendly shop owners and taking pictures.

So, enjoy some photos from Fredericksburg, Texas, part of our “In Pictures” series here on the site. Prost!

Have you ever been to Fredericksburg or Texas Hill Country? If so, what’d you think? Did you even know there was such a thing as Texas German? Let us know in the comments!