Austin

Completed in 1888 and built from pinkish "sunset red" granite quarried in the Hill Country, the Texas Capitol is famously a little taller than the US Capitol in Washington, a fact Texans rarely let slip. Inside, the rotunda rises to a star-studded dome lined with portraits of past governors, and the terrazzo floor beneath shows the seals of the six nations whose flags have flown over Texas. The grounds are a pleasant shady park dotted with monuments, and a modern underground extension lies hidden behind the original building.

TipFree guided tours run throughout the day, and entry is free; expect airport-style security at the entrances. Visit during a legislative session (odd-numbered years, from January) to watch the chambers in action.

A few blocks north of the Capitol, three floors of galleries tell the story of Texas from its first peoples and Spanish missions through the Alamo, the Republic years, cattle drives, oil booms and space exploration. The prize exhibit is the hull of La Belle, a French ship from La Salle's ill-fated 1680s colony that sank in Matagorda Bay and was excavated in the 1990s. The museum also has a giant IMAX screen.

TipThe museum opens daily from 10am to 5pm; adult admission is around $22, and entry is free on the first Sunday of each month.

Across the street on the University of Texas campus, the Blanton is one of the largest university art museums in the country, with Renaissance and Baroque paintings, a strong Latin American collection and modern American art. Its best-loved work is outside: Austin, a small chapel-like stone building designed by the artist Ellsworth Kelly, whose coloured-glass windows throw shifting patterns of light across the white interior. The museum grounds were relandscaped in 2023 with shaded gardens and tall petal-shaped sculptures.

TipGeneral admission is free every Tuesday. The museum is closed on Mondays.

On the eastern edge of the campus, a massive travertine slab houses the library and museum of Lyndon B. Johnson, the Hill Country native who became the 36th president. The exhibits deal frankly with the civil rights acts, the Great Society programmes and the Vietnam War, and the highlights include a replica of the Oval Office as it looked in his time and recordings of Johnson's famously persuasive phone calls. The great hall's wall of red archive boxes, rising four storeys behind glass, is striking.

Aaron Franklin's restaurant on East 11th Street is probably the most famous barbecue joint in the country, and its slow-smoked brisket, with a peppery black crust and meat that pulls apart under its own weight, has a cult following. The catch is the queue, which often forms hours before the doors open at 11am; when the meat is gone, usually by early afternoon, service ends. Many people treat the wait as a social event, with folding chairs and coolers.

TipFranklin opens Tuesday to Sunday and is closed on Mondays. To skip the line, order brisket in advance through the restaurant's preorder site, which requires a minimum quantity and books up weeks ahead.

East of Interstate 35, the neighbourhoods that were once home to much of the city's Black and Mexican American communities have become a hub for galleries, cafés, breweries, food trucks and street art. Wander along East Sixth, East Cesar Chavez and East 11th streets for murals and bars, and look for the historic churches and landmarks of the old African American district around East 11th and 12th streets. Rapid change here has displaced many long-time residents, so the area is worth exploring with an eye to its history as well as its nightlife.

Between Congress Avenue and the interstate, the old Victorian commercial buildings of East Sixth Street hold one of the densest concentrations of bars and live music venues in the US. On weekend nights the central blocks are closed to traffic and fill with students, bachelor parties and music fans, a scene that locals call "Dirty Sixth". The western end of the street, west of Congress, and the Red River Cultural District just to the east have more grown-up bars and some of the best small venues for original bands.

TipMany venues charge a small cover; check listings for the night's line-up rather than just following the noise. Bring ID, as doors are strict about over-21 rules.

A few blocks south, Rainey Street was a row of modest early-20th-century bungalows that have been turned into bars with porches, fairy lights and big backyards with food trucks. High-rise towers now loom over the surviving houses, but the strip remains one of the friendliest places in town for an evening drink, especially on warm nights.

When the bridge was rebuilt in 1980, the narrow crevices beneath its deck turned out to be a perfect roost for Mexican free-tailed bats. Today it hosts what is often described as the largest urban bat colony in the world, with up to 1.5 million bats in late summer. At dusk they pour out from under the bridge in a long dark ribbon that curls east along the river as they head off to hunt insects over the farmland, a spectacle that draws crowds every evening in season.

TipThe bats are in residence from about March to October, with the biggest flights in August when the year's pups join the colony. Arrive 30 to 60 minutes before sunset; the bat observation area on the south-east bank and the riverbank paths below give the best views, or watch from a tour boat or kayak on the lake.

This dammed stretch of the Colorado River, named after the former first lady who campaigned to beautify its shores, is the city's playground. The Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail makes a loop of about 10 miles (16 km) around it, using a boardwalk over the water on the south-east side, and is busy with runners, cyclists and dog walkers from dawn. Motorboats are banned, so the lake is ideal for renting a kayak, canoe or paddleboard. At Auditorium Shores, on the south bank, a bronze statue of the blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan looks out over the water to the skyline.

TipSwimming in the lake itself is prohibited; save the dip for Barton Springs.

South of the river, Congress Avenue runs straight towards the Capitol dome, and its southern blocks have become Austin's most famous shopping street. Expect vintage clothing and cowboy boot shops, quirky gift stores, taco joints, food trucks and the much-photographed "I love you so much" mural. After dark, the Continental Club, open since 1955, hosts some of the city's best roots, country and rockabilly bands in a small, sweaty room.

Spread over some 350 acres (140 ha) south-west of downtown, Zilker is Austin's great green space, with a huge lawn framing a skyline view, sports fields, a miniature railway and the Zilker Botanical Garden. In October it hosts the Austin City Limits Music Festival over two weekends, and in December a giant "tree" of lights rises above the lawn. Next door, the Umlauf Sculpture Garden displays bronze figures by Charles Umlauf among trees and ponds, and the free Barton Creek Greenbelt trail heads off into wooded canyons.

Fed by underground springs, this three-acre natural pool in Zilker Park stays at around 20°C (68 to 70°F) all year, which feels icy in August and almost warm in January. Swimmers, sunbathers and families crowd its grassy banks on summer weekends, and dedicated locals swim laps here every morning of the year. The springs are also home to the Barton Springs salamander, an endangered species found nowhere else.

TipThe pool opens daily from 5am to 10pm except on Thursdays, when it closes for cleaning from 9am to 7pm. Non-resident adults pay $9; buy tickets online or at the gate.

A short climb of about a hundred steps leads up to one of the highest points in the city, about 775 feet (236 m) above sea level, where a limestone ridge overlooks the Colorado River, here dammed as Lake Austin. The view takes in the blue curve of the river, the green hills of the west side and the Pennybacker Bridge in the distance. It has been a lookout since the 1850s and is a favourite at sunset.

TipParking is limited, and the climb is steep. Bring water in summer.

Just inside the city limits to the south-east, Onion Creek tumbles over wide limestone ledges into pools at two sets of falls. Trails pass the ruins of an 1850s homestead and a rock shelter used by native peoples for thousands of years. It is an easy escape from the city, with camping and swimming in the creek.

TipDay entry costs $6 for adults. The park often fills on warm weekends, so reserve a day pass through Texas State Parks. The creek can flood after heavy rain; check conditions before swimming.

Founded by Lady Bird Johnson and now part of the University of Texas, this botanical garden on the city's south-western edge is devoted to native Texan plants. In spring, usually from late March to April, the meadows bloom with bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush and other wildflowers. Stone buildings, an aqueduct and an observation tower blend into the landscape, and the arboretum shelters a collection of Texan oaks.

About 30 miles (50 km) west of the city, a waterfall plunges about 50 feet (15 m) over a curved limestone overhang into a jade-green pool. The pool formed when the dome of an underground river collapsed thousands of years ago, and ferns and moss drip from the rocks. A steep, uneven trail of about a quarter of a mile leads down to the water.

TipReservations are required every day and must be booked online with Travis County, with a timed morning or afternoon slot. Entrance fees are paid in cash at the gate. Swimming is often allowed but not guaranteed, as it is closed after heavy rain when bacteria levels rise or when rocks fall, and the path behind the waterfall is currently closed.

About 80 miles (130 km) west, Fredericksburg was founded by German settlers in 1846, and German names, bakeries and beer halls still line its long Main Street. The town has become the hub of Texas wine country, with dozens of wineries along Highway 290, and peach orchards that sell fruit at roadside stands in early summer. The National Museum of the Pacific War honours Fredericksburg native Admiral Chester Nimitz. On the way, stop at the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, where the president's ranch is preserved beside the Pedernales River.

North of Fredericksburg, a vast pink granite dome rises about 425 feet (130 m) above the surrounding scrub. The Tonkawa and Comanche peoples told of spirit fires on its summit, and the rock really does creak and groan at night as it cools. The steep but short summit trail rewards hikers with wide views across the Hill Country, and the park is also a designated dark sky park, ideal for stargazing.

TipReserve a day pass up to 30 days ahead on the Texas State Parks site. Without one you risk being turned away at busy times, especially on weekends and holidays. Adult entry is $8.