Hotel at a Glance: Guadalupe River Houses

The Guadalupe River flows just outside the naturalistic lodgings of Guadalupe River Houses, a cluster of private homes, log-cabin-style Tree Hauses, and stylish suites near some of New Braunfels’ most popular family attractions. You can spend your days fishing for bass and sunfish on Lake Dunlap, dining on authentic German cuisine in downtown New Braunfels, or exploring nearby Texas Hill Country.

• Sleep in a Tree Haus made of warm woods. Each one is unique; the Cloud Nine Tree Haus has a covered deck, and the Redwood Tree Haus has a fully equipped, galleria-style kitchen.
• Wunder-Cove cottages have private decks with seating and access to 1,000 feet of natural waterfront.
• Go boating and fishing on Lake Dunlap or the Guadalupe River.
• Downtown New Braunfels is a full of historic buildings, just a few minutes’ drive away.

Texas Hill Country: Pastoral Landscape of Ranches, Rivers, and German-American Towns

A picturesque region of rolling hills and valleys covered in bluebonnets, the area of central Texas known as Texas Hill Country has been compared to the landscape of Tuscany by the New York Times. Texas Hill Country is a backyard playground for nearby cities, as it lies just west of Austin and northwest of San Antonio. Urbanites often escape here for the weekend to enjoy the slower pace and beat the heat—the region’s slightly higher elevation means it’s often less humid. With many state parks and spring-fed rivers, the Hill Country is also a haven for outdoorsy types; activities range from fishing and tubing to rock climbing. The Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is popular thanks to its main attraction: a gigantic pink-granite dome in the middle of the park.

Among the Hill Country’s major towns, Bandera best captures its cowboy spirit. It’s not uncommon to catch an open rodeo in the summer or to see a ranch hand riding to the store on horseback. The town is also surrounded by dude ranches where you can get a taste of the local lifestyle. Just north of Bandera, the town of Fredericksburg is also worth exploring. Along with New Braunfels, it was one of the main settlements of local German immigrants in the 1840s—a heritage that visitors can still see today in the “Willkommen” signs hung on shop doors.

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