When it’s been too long since you got together with the girls, head to Fredericksburg, Texas, where the charm, history, food, wine, and shopping make for a great getaway. Writer Chelle Koster Walton and her pals went and returned with these suggestions for things to do in Fredericksburg. 

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Sundresses and Boots: Doing a Fredericksburg Getaway with your Best Cowgirls 

2021-2022 is the time to celebrate this food-and-wine destination observing its 175th anniversary.

NOTE: Call ahead to restaurants and wineries, which may have been impacted by COVID-19.

Don your sundress – with a Maya-Mexican design, preferably — your cowgirl boots and rhinestone hat. Now you’re ready for your GNO (girls’ night out) in Fredericksburg, Texas. Don’t worry if your wardrobe isn’t compliant with Texas Hill Country chic standards. It only means you need to begin your cowgirl’s getaway with a downtown shopping spree.

First check into one-of-a-kind places to stay in Fredericksburg, downtown or scattered around the outskirts. The Hoffman Haus, only a couple of blocks off Main Street, fits the first bill and makes a perfect headquarters for a girls’ trip with its cottages and rooms, hill country chic style, a spa, and hot gourmet breakfast delivered to your room each morning.

Something more unique? Hangar Hotel recreates a World War II military hangar at the county airport, where you can watch private jets landing and taking off, especially on weekends. The Fredericksburg Herb Farm boasts adorable cottages modeled after German “Sunday Haus” architecture with on-site gardens, a restaurant, and a beautiful spa. Both of these are adults-only and reside a short distance from downtown.

The Hangar Hotel appeals to aviation and history buffs. Watch take-offs from a rocking chair on the second-floor observation deck. It’s one of the places to stay in Fredericksburg, TX. Photo courtesy of Hangar Hotel.

Hungry for more? Learn more about Fredericksburg’s history in this article.

Plan your Hill Country getaway with these tips.

Things to do in Fredericksburg: Tex, Mex & German

The latter Fredericksburg lodging options reflect the hill country’s German roots, which also surface in strong farming traditions, German restaurants, and shop nomenclature. Take for instance the FarmHaus Antiques and Designs. Here you get a potent taste of hill country chic as it applies to décor – a subset of country style that ranges from ranch motifs to an airy, austere designer look you will find at places like Woerner Warehouse and Carol Hicks Bolton Antiquities.

The café at Woerner, incidentally, makes a great lunch refuel spot with healthy salads, sandwiches, and baked goods. Or, for a different shop-and-dine one-stop, try Vaudeville, where the high-end goods are imports and the food is contemporary.

If you’re looking to explore the German part of Fredericksburg’s multi-cultural equation, Der Lindenbaum Restaurant professes to be the most authentic. We found it slightly overpriced and preferred the Old German Bakery & Restaurant nearby.

But, back to finding those hill country duds. Texas Jack Wild West Outfitter has it all in cowgirl fashion, and check out Headquarters Hats for accessories. Don’t forget your silver and turquoise jewelry, easy enough to find all around town.

A German pancake at the Old German Bakery and Restaurant in Fredericksburg, TX.

Things to do on a girls’ getaway: On the Wine Trail and Wine Tours in Fredericksburg TX

Then, it’s time for wine. The modern side of the German farming tradition of peaches, berries, and tomatoes has created more than 50 wineries and tasting rooms along Fredericksburg’s Gillespie County wine trail. Within walking distance of downtown, the Urban Wine Trail lists 11 wine bars. The even better news is that the county has made it legal to take your wine (or other adult beverage) along on your stroll through town.

Expect music in the streets starting May 7, 2021, when the year-long 175^th anniversary of Fredericksburg gains steam. Fireworks, community picnics, art exhibitions, and dances promise to put the “Texas” in this year-long celebration.

Bars throughout town host musicians nightly, but the requisite party icon lies about 12 miles out of town. Do what Waylon tells you and go to Luckenbach, Texas. More a state-of-mind than a town, its dance hall hosts local and national acts and town festivals that will have you doing the two-step with locals.

For a town its size, Fredericksburg’s wining and dining scene is legendary. So, plan on a wine tour and make your reservations to taste the local finest.

Luckenbach, Texas, the town music composed.

Hungry for more? Have a visit to Fredericksburg Pie Company.

A Day of Dining in Hill Country

Start with a breakfast base at Fredericksburg Herb Farm before your wine foray. Go ahead and splurge: Share one of the Frisbee-sized cinnamon rolls among you in the historic farmhouse, along with your hill country omelet or Farm Haus quiche. Plan ahead and hit the garden-surrounded spa for an organic facial or Custom Me Thyme massage afterward.

At this point you may want to hire a limo for your sip-and-celebrate day along Highway 290. Some wineries you won’t want to miss (call ahead for reservations): Kuhlman Cellars (the tasting here is excellent and uber-informative about food pairing), Becker Vineyards, and Pedernales Cellars.

In the summer months, intersperse your sipping with snacking on fresh fruit products. You’ll find the best fresh peaches and blackberries at the Studebaker Farm stand. Don’t miss the ice cream with peach sauce at Burgs’ Corner or the peach cobbler at Vogel Orchard. At the latter two, you are able to taste products from blackberry jam to amaretto pecan peach preserves.

Fredericksburg turns peachy come summer.

Das Peach Haus, Fredericksburg’s oldest retail operation, boasts its award-winning roasted raspberry chipotle sauce. You can also take a cooking class, arrange a lakeside open-air lunch, or reserve a wine-charcuterie tasting in its historic German cabin.

Come dinner, fine dining ranges from the contemporary German stylings of Otto’s German Bistro to restaurants serious about their wine pairings, such as Cabernet Grill Texas Wine Country Restaurant and Stout’s Signature at Grape Creek. At the latter, you overlook the vineyards from whence came the grapes you’re sipping. Both restaurants are sophisticated, connoisseur experiences that have restrictions about group dining, so be sure to call ahead.

For more information: visit the Fredericksburg tourism web site. The Wine Road 290 site has more information on local wineries.

Editor’s note: We can vouch for Das Peach Haus’ Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce. After sampling it after our visit to Fredericksburg, we were hooked and keep a stock in the pantry. *

— Story and photos, except where noted, by Chelle Koster Walton

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