Austin, the capital of the US state of Texas, was the next stop on our round trip through Texas. The city on the Colorado River combines modern life with typical Texan charm and offers a diverse mix of culture, nature and technology. It is known for its relaxed lifestyle and is now one of the fastest growing cities in the USA.
Table of contents
Things to know about Austin – the capital of Texas
Austin is located in the center of Texas on the Colorado River and is the capital of the state. The city has around 980,000 inhabitants (as of 2023) and is one of the fastest growing cities in the USA. With the influx of many people from other states, the population is constantly growing, which continues to change and enrich the city. Austin is part of the “Texas Triangle” region, which includes Dallas, Houston and San Antonio and is one of the most economically important areas in the country. With Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and major highways such as Interstate 35, the city is very well connected in terms of transportation.
Good to know: There is a Colorado River that flows through the states of Colorado, Arizona, Utah and Nevada, among others. This is mainly known for the Grand Canyon. And there is another Colorado River that flows through the state of Texas.
Austin is known for its hilly landscape characterized by lakes and rivers, which offers ideal conditions for outdoor leisure activities. The climate is subtropical and is characterized by hot, long summers and mild winters. There are many parks and lakes in the surrounding area, including Lady Bird Lake, Barton Springs Pool and Zilker Park, which are used for leisure and recreation. The city is popular with outdoor enthusiasts who go jogging, hiking, kayaking or swimming there.
The city is famous for its lively music scene and is therefore often referred to as the Live Music Capital of the World of the World. With over 250 live music venues and festivals such as South by Southwest (SXSW) and Austin City Limits (ACL), the city is a mecca for music lovers. No other city in the USA offers such a high density of music clubs and live concerts as Austin.
The omnipresent motto“Keep Austin Weird” reflects the student-oriented, unconventional and creative atmosphere of the city. Originally introduced to support small, local businesses against the growing number of large chains, the slogan now has a deeper meaning. It aims to encourage residents to show their individuality, promote creative expression and preserve the cultural diversity that makes Austin so unique. The slogan also celebrates the city’s open spirit, which attracts and supports artists, musicians, start-up founders and creative minds. The motto has become an integral part of the city’s identity and symbolizes its independent, liberal attitude in the middle of traditionally conservative Texas.
Austin in Texas
Our accommodation in Austin
We booked a chic 2-bedroom apartment in the Hyde Park district of Austin. It only took us 10 minutes by car to get to the State Capitol and the city center. We paid a total of EUR 320 for 3 nights.
Sights & photo spots
For our tour of the city center, we started right downtown on Congress Ave. parked. We were super lucky to find a free parking space on the street, which was also quite central. As we were out and about on a Sunday, the parking lot was also free of charge – perfect 🙂 However, as everything was quite scattered around the city, we went to some of the attractions directly by car.
Texas State Capitol
Our first port of call was the Texas State Capitol, the most famous landmark in the capital of Texas. It functions as the government building of Texas and is the seat of the Texas Legislature, consisting of the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate. It sits prominently on a hill at the northern end of Congress Avenue, one of Austin’s main thoroughfares, which stretches south of the Capitol and leads directly to Lady Bird Lake (part of the Colorado River). The Capitol is surrounded by a large, well-kept park (Capitol Grounds), in which there are numerous monuments, statues and a variety of walking paths. After entering the Capitol building, there is a bag check in the entrance area. There is no entrance fee, as visitors can tour the Capitol for free and take guided tours that provide insights into the history and workings of Texas government.
Construction of the Texas State Capitol began in 1882 and was completed in 1888. The imposing dome of the 93-meter-high building is particularly striking and even towers over the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., underlining the size and importance of Texas. The Capitol comprises around 360 rooms and more than 900 windows. On our tour of the Capitol, we were able to discover numerous historical paintings and statues that pay tribute to Texan personalities and events. Visitors also have access to the chambers of the House of Representatives and the Senate, both of which are very classically furnished and show the influence of traditional American architecture.
6th Street Austin
Not far from Capitol Hill is 6th Street. It is one of the most famous streets in the city and is considered the heart of Austin’s nightlife and live music scene. The Historic Sixth Street District, which stretches between Congress Avenue and Interstate 35, is particularly lively.
6th Street was originally a commercial street and today consists largely of historic buildings from the late 19th century, which are home to a variety of bars, clubs, restaurants and music venues. Over the decades, the street has developed into a kind of cultural and party mile where there is something going on at almost any time of day – especially at weekends and during the numerous music and art festivals that Austin organizes. There was also a lot going on here when we visited, as the Pecan Street Festival had just taken place. Stalls lined up next to each other, there were music stages, live performances, international specialties and much more. That was really cool!
Downtown Austin
The Downtown district is the lively heart of Austin and is known for its vibrant mix of culture, music and technology. Austin’s skyline is growing rapidly and is characterized by modern skyscrapers such as ‘The Independent’, which is also known as the ‘Jenga Tower’ or ‘Tetris Tower’ due to its construction. At the same time, Downtown retains its unique character with historic buildings and green parks and exudes an authentic flair.
After visiting the Street Festival on 6th Street, we strolled through the other streets of Downtown and discovered the very photogenic Paramount Theatre, for example. It is a live theater/cinema built in 1915 in the classicist revival style. Over the course of its 100-year history, the Paramount Theatre has been the venue for numerous variety, musical, theater and film performances, including premieres of films such as Batman in 1966. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
A really cool Instagram spot is located on the corner of Brazos Street and Second Street. The Tau Ceti mural painted on the walls of two houses consists of three giant rainbow-colored triangles and is named after a star in the constellation Cetus. There are two good angles from which to photograph the mural: either directly from below with a wide-angle lens or directly from the intersection at the northwest corner.
About 5 minutes’ walk from the Tau Ceti mural is the Buford Tower – not far from the Colorado River. The six-storey tower is a historically significant structure that was originally known as the Austin Fire Drill Tower. It was built in 1930 to train firefighters for use in high-rise buildings and other multi-storey buildings. In the 1970s, the tower was renamed in honor of Captain James L. Buford, a longtime firefighter and instructor who retired in 1972. Today, the Buford Tower is no longer an active training location, but a memorial site. It is used as a memorial to firefighters and rescue workers and is a popular photo spot.
Zilker Metropolitan Park & Barton Springs Pool
Zilker Metropolitan Park and Barton Springs Pool are among the city’s best-known and most popular recreational areas. They are located on the southern shore of Lady Bird Lake and offer the ideal opportunity to escape from everyday city life and immerse yourself in nature while still being in the heart of the city.
Zilker Metropolitan Park is Austin’s oldest city park and has been a central meeting place for Austin residents and visitors since the 1930s. The sprawling 142-acre city park is known for its open green spaces, diverse recreational opportunities and annual events, such as the Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL), which attracts thousands of music lovers every year. The park is home to numerous leisure activities and facilities such as the Barton Springs Pool, the Zilker Botanical Garden and the Austin Nature and Science Center. Visitors can take a tour of the park on the Zilker Zephyr Miniature Train.
On the edge of Zilker Park is the 300-meter-long Barton Springs Pool, one of Austin’s most popular attractions. The pool is fed by underground springs and has a constant temperature of around 20-21°C, making it an ideal place to swim all year round. We had been so looking forward to going swimming here, but unfortunately the pool area was not in operation due to maintenance work. What a pity! Only a few lifeguards were allowed to do their exercises here.
You can also find really cool Instagram spots in Austin near Zilker Metropolitan Park. The “Love from Austin” mural is located at 1912 S Congress Avenue on the wall of the Prima Dora store. Two minutes’ drive away, we discovered the famous “Greetings from Austin” mural. It was painted in 1998 and restored in 2013. The mural resembles an old postcard and shows some of the city’s most famous landmarks, including the Texas State Capitol.
Bullock Texas State History Museum & Blanton Museum of Art
On our drive through Austin, we passed two museums that are very beautiful from the outside. We only made a short photo stop here and didn’t go into the museums.
The Bullock Texas State History Museum presents the rich history and culture of Texas. It was opened in 2001 and is named after former Texas Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock, who campaigned for the establishment of this museum. In front of the building is a bronze star over 10 meters high, which commemorates Texas’ most famous nickname as ‘The Lone Star State’ and thus its accession to the USA as an independent republic in 1845.
The Blantom Museum of Art belongs to the University of Texas and is one of the most important art museums in the southwest of the USA. It was founded in 1963 and houses over 21,000 works of European, American and contemporary art.
South Congress Bridge & Bats
One of Austin’s main attractions is located on the South Congress Avenue Bridge. This is where the largest urban bat colony in North America lives, providing one of the city’s most impressive natural phenomena. Between March and November, thousands of bats can be observed from the bridge as they take to the sky in the evening in search of food. The spectacle attracts numerous visitors and locals every year.
You can watch a video of the bats in Austin on YouTube.
Emma Long Metropolitan Park – the most beautiful beach in Austin
After spending a day looking around Austin in really hot temperatures (around 38 degrees), we wanted to relax for a day afterwards. And what’s the best thing to do in this warm and sunny weather? Something with water, of course. During our research, we came across Emma Long Metropolitan Park, which is picturesquely situated on the Colorado River about 30 minutes’ drive from downtown.
A day ticket costs USD 5 per car (Mondays to Thursdays) or USD 10 (Fridays to Sundays and on public holidays). Numerous parking spaces are available in the immediate vicinity of the Beach Park. There are toilets, showers and picnic benches on site. When we arrived here at around 10 o’clock in the morning, we were actually the only ones. A few more people arrived after us, but the beach was almost deserted. That was really perfect! This meant we could enjoy the water and the small beach to the full and relax.
Hamilton Pool Preserve – A natural emerald green lake
On our way to Fredericksburg, we made a stopover at the Hamilton Pool Preserve. This emerald green grotto is located around 37 kilometers west of Austin and can only be visited with a prior online reservation on the official website. For this you pay 12 USD per car online and a further 8 USD per adult on site. You also have to decide on a time slot in advance: Either in the morning between 9 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. or in the afternoon between 2 p.m. and 5.30 p.m.
When we arrived, we looked for a parking space, grabbed our swimsuits and walked towards the grotto. The path is not passable with a baby carriage as it is narrow and rugged with uneven steps. The path is about 400 meters long and it takes about 15 minutes to walk to Hamilton Pool. At the end of the trail, a ranger greeted us with some important information about this place.
Hamilton Pool is a natural water basin that was created by the collapse of a limestone cave ceiling thousands of years ago. This collapse left behind a semi-circular grotto with an overhanging cliff and a waterfall that plunges about 15 meters into the basin. The waterfall is fed by Hamilton Creek, which then flows into the Pedernales River. Even in dry periods, a small stream of water often still flows, giving the place a magical atmosphere.
To be honest, we were a little disappointed with the grotto. The waterfall was barely visible – due to the dry season – and unfortunately it was not possible to walk along the path under the overhanging cliff. From there you have the best view of Hamilton Pool. The reason for this is that this section of the path was closed for safety reasons because rocks had fallen down. Visitors can enter the beach, but cannot walk all the way around the pool to below the waterfall. Of course, we still ventured into the cool water to refresh ourselves in the hot temperatures.
3 Wochen Texas - Unsere Route & Reiseberichte
Für unsere Rundreise durch den US-Bundesstaat Texas haben wir viel recherchiert und am Ende wahrscheinlich eine "typische" Rundreise zusammengestellt, bei der man die bekanntesten Städte und Regionen erkundet. Angefangen haben wir unsere Reise in Dallas und Fort Worth, dann ging es weiter in die Hauptstadt Austin, dann nach Fredericksburg und San Antonio, von dort an die Golfküste nach Galveston und am Ende haben wir noch Houston besucht. Alles in allem eine wirklich schöne und abwechslungsreiche ca. 1.200 Kilometer lange Route, die man in 3 Wochen mit 2 kleinen Kindern sehr gut fahren kann 🙂
Unsere Reiseroute & Reiseberichte:
➥ Dallas - Sehenswürdigkeiten, Attraktionen & Fotospots
➥ Fort Worth - Cowboy-Feeling im Wilden Westen
➥ Fossil Rim Wildlife Center - Eine Safari in Texas mit dem Auto
➥ Austin - Sehenswürdigkeiten der Hauptstadt von Texas
➥ Fredericksburg & Luckenbach - 2 deutscheste Städte in Texas
➥ San Antonio - Top 10 Attraktionen
➥ San Antonio - Die San Antonio Missions
➥ San Antonio - SeaWorld & der Wasserpark Aquatica
➥ Galveston Island - Strandurlaub & Attraktionen
➥ Space Center Houston - Tauch ein in die Welt der Raumfahrt
➥ Houston - Unsere Highlights und Aktivitäten