When in a Hill Country Bed

One of the reasons why places for bed and breakfast in Fredericksburg, Texas and its surrounding areas are so popular for weekend getaways is the quaint, authentic German influence that pervades this small city.

In fact, Fredericksburg was named after Prince Frederick of Prussia, a nephew of King Frederick William III. The county seat of Gillespie County, Fredericksburg was founded in 1846 by Baron Otfried Hans von Meusebach, then the Commissioner General of the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas. The area was settled largely by educated Germans escaping from the Revolutions of 1848, and has a strong German cultural influence even today.

Seemingly to prove this point, this jewel of the Texas Hill Country is also famous as the home of Texas German. This curious dialect is a variation of German spoken by the first generations of settlers who initially refused to learn English. It is best described as a sort of German slang, since anyone with a good understanding of continental German can understand it but may not be able to speak it.

For vacationers staying in a Hill Country bed and breakfast, Fredericksburg is an interesting and beautiful place to visit. The city's main street and its surrounding neighborhoods are rife with old German styling cues, and its bakeries, restaurants, stores and museums are definitely a sight to behold. The best part is, if bed and breakfast in Fredericksburg is a bit too pricey for visitors, there are equally, if not even more, beautiful and competitively priced places in its vicinity. After all, one need not be staying in Fredericksburg itself to know that this place is a must-see when in the Hill Country.