I’ve always visited New Braunfels for Wurstfest – it turns out summer’s even more fun

The Faust Hotel in New Braunfels reopened in May after a multi-year renovation project. Pam LeBlanc photo

For decades, my memories of New Braunfels centered around sausage, beer and dirndls, because I only visited during the ten-day German celebration known as Wurstfest.

That changed last week, when I made an overnight trip to experience the city in summer. Turns out it’s heaven for a water-loving swimmer like me.

Here are my suggestions for what to do if you plan a trip…

1. Stay at the historic Faust Hotel, which opened as the Traveler’s Hotel two weeks before the stock market crashed in 1929. It reopened in May after a $10 million renovation, and staying there feels like sliding back into the Roaring Twenties. A pocket bar off the lobby occupies what was once the hotel barbershop, a speakeasy will open soon downstairs, and the hotel’s original cash register is on display next to the front desk. Pro tip: Instead of paying for valet parking, park for free in the city lot on South Castell Avenue, a block away.
2. Eat dinner at Wilhelm & Werner. I’m no foodie, but dinner here ranked as one of the best meals of my life. The menu is Texas-themed (think Texas sweet onion soup, Gulf oysters, Hill Country rabbit pie and a dessert called the Cenizo Pot made of smoked Texas sage custard that brought me to my knees.) Just bring a fat wallet, because it’s expensive.
3. Take a flying leap into the spring-fed pool at Landa Park I might have been the oldest person to launch myself off the rope swing the day I visited, and I loved hanging out on the floating platform at the center of the pool. If you don’t like the feel of aquatic grass under your toes (who doesn’t!), you can opt for the cement pond and splash pad just up the hill.

Stacy Thigpen paddles along the Guadalupe River with his dog Joey. Pam LeBlanc photo

4. The park was nice, but the highlight of the trip for me came when we hopped on inflatable standup paddleboards and rode them down the Guadalupe River upstream of the city. The half-day trip took us past huge cypress trees, along limestone bluffs, and through a rocky, natural chute in the riverbed. If you book with Stacy Thigpen at PaddleTX, like I did, the trip includes lunch at the Lonestar Float House. (Order the burger and sit on a half-submerged picnic table in the river for best results.)

5. Back in town, drop by Red Stag to shop for clothing, jewelry and furniture, all arranged in a sprawling restored historic building. I felt like I was on a treasure hunt.

Naegelin’s Bakery in New Braunfels opened in 1868. Pam LeBlanc photo

6. My mom used to bake anise-flavored cookies called springerle, and I was thrilled to find them at Naegelin’s Bakery, which opened in 1868.

7. I didn’t make it to the city tube chute this time, but for $7 you can hang out on the riverbank downtown and make as many trips down the cement-lined channel around the dam as you want. (When I was a kid, we called this area Stinky Falls.) You can rent a tube on site for $15.

8. I also skipped Schlitterbahn Water Park & Resort, but if you’re into man-made pools, waterslides and a lazy river, it’s mecca.

9. If you’re feeling fancy, head to Old City Hall, a high-end eatery located in what was once the New Braunfels City Hall building. We went for lunch on a weekday, and the joint was packed.

10. Krause’s Café & Biergarten once only served a noon meal, but it evolved into a place where people went to drink beer and play dominos and card games. Now it’s known for live music and German specialties like schnitzel, bratwurst and pretzels. I swear it’s home to the longest row of beer taps I’ve ever seen. Oddly, it also serves breakfast, and the peach French toast made me swoon.