The City of New Braunfels Texas

Located on Interstate 35 between Austin and San Antonio is New Braunfels. Founded in 1845 by German settlers, and the word "Braunfels" actually means "Brown rock" in German and this community is actually named after the city Braunfels in Germany. The current population of New Braunfels is about 52,000. This little town is full of old world heritage and charm.

The historic district is a great place to start. There are museums, performing arts and many places to shop, eat and relax. There are many attractions nearby, including The Natural Bridge Caverns Wildlife Ranch, lots of shopping and much more.

Each November the city celebrates the German heritage by having "Wurstfest," also known as a sausage festival. Wurstfest began back in 1961 and drew a crowd of nearly 2,000 people. 48 years later, the festival has grown popular and has expanded. They now have an arts and craft show and have earned a spot on national television; in 2006, the festival was spotlighted on "Good Morning America!"

Perhaps the most popular thing about New Braunfels is Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort. It is a 65 acre water resort that people from all over the country come to visit. The park has miles of tube chutes, endless rivers, water coasters and much, much more. It is designed to accommodate every family member, from young to old. Schlitterbahn also provides free parking; free life jackets and visitors are allowed to bring their own picnic lunch into the park.

Schlitterbahn is not the only attraction in New Braunfels. There are a number of things to do and see in this German town. Gruene Hall is Texas' oldest dance halls; built in 1878 and has been the birth place of many famous people such as George Strait, Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl King and many more. They provide live entertainment daily.

New Braunfels is also famous for scenic white water rafting down the Guadalupe River. There are several places to rent tubes, floats and canoes.

Although New Braunfels is a fairly large city, residents feel safe in this close knit community. It is large, but has a small town feel to it. Friday night football games bring out entire families to cheer for their home team, birthdays are still listed in the community papers and new residents and visitors are always welcomed with a smile.

New Braunfels is proud of their heritage and has earned the "Preserve America Communities" award. The communities who receive this award have celebrated and protected their heritage, use their historic assets for economic development and encourage people to experience local historic resources through education. This award comes with White House recognition, a certificate and a "Preserve America" road sign. All of which this community should be proud of!

New Braunfels has also received the "National Trust for Historic Preservation" award.

The next time you are traveling through New Braunfels, take time to stop in and see the sites. Whether you live nearby or are just traveling, make this city one of your destinations.

Jill works with Inside Realty. They have a site that covers the San Antonio Texas real estate. They also post regular updates on their San Antonio real estate blog