Credit: Tori Kelley
A winter evening strolling hand in hand with your significant other under the twinkling lights around the historic district of New Braunfels, TX is a magical start to the perfect weekend getaway in Texas. My husband and I just took a trip to this little Texas town and loved every minute of it! The festive atmosphere combined with the quaint allure of antique shops, boutique treasures, and exquisitely decorated corners made for a fabulous trip.
During the Christmas season, you’ll find that every street corner is the perfect backdrop for your romantic holiday adventure. So let’s get planning! This is your guide to the perfect holiday getaway with your boo complete with all of the festive things to do, places to eat and drink, and where to stay in New Braunfels, TX.
Must-Do Holiday Activities in New Braunfels
When my husband and I decided to book a weekend in New Braunfels, I’d read about the boutiques and antiques, but I was blown away by how many things there are to do there! During the holiday season every store, restaurant, and sidewalk corner is decorated in garlands, bows, and glistening lights. Below are a few activities that my husband and I enjoyed on our recent trip that I think you’ll love.
See a Holiday Show at Brauntex Theatre
The Brauntex Theatre has been a centerpiece of downtown New Braunfels since it opened in January 1942 as a movie theater. The gem of downtown New Braunfels offers an array of shows including music, comedy, and musicals. During the holiday season, they have a variety of Christmas-themed performances, so check the event schedule to get tickets when you visit New Braunfels!
Plus, the theatre has a full bar with cocktails, wines, and beers. For the holidays, you can try one of the seasonal cocktails like Winter Sangria, a rum cocktail called Santa’s Hat, or Cranberry Mimosas! Shop Brauntex tickets here.
Shop Local Boutiques, Antiques, and More!
Shopping is always a good idea, but it’s truly an essential activity during the holidays. My husband and I shopped all over the New Braunfels historic district and Gruene. We loved popping into the various local stores to get our Christmas shopping done.
Stroll through town and discover a variety of treasures. We couldn’t believe how many offer a range of Christmas ornaments, gift ideas for food and drink connoisseurs, and quality clothes.
We bought a couple of ornaments at Heritage Supply and The Local. I also got the cutest Christmas sweatshirt at Local. (I’ll be wearing it for the rest of the season, sorry!) The Local and Lot 59 had so many Christmas pillows I wanted to take home for myself, but I couldn’t buy it all. Heritage Supply had beautiful candles, leather goods, and stunning glassware and more. Dan got himself a great button down that he wore to brunch the next day. Also, they offer customers walking around the store a glass of bubbly on the weekends! Henne Hardware, the oldest running hardware store in Texas had amazing items from teak wood furniture to well crafted candles.
Here are a few other stores in New Braunfels that we loved: Got Toys, River Rose, Downtown Antique Mall, Staunch Traditional Outfitters, and Dancing Pony Staunch.
Drive to Historic Gruene, TX
Gruene, TX is a 10-minute drive from Sophie’s Gasthaus where you will enjoy shopping, dining and music for the evening. We easily found free parking right across from Gruene Hall, and there’s plenty of street parking. Once parked, everything is walkable, and you’ll fall in love. The National Historic District of Gruene has been resisting change since 1872. It’s incredible to walk through the general stores and enjoy drinks and dancing in the iconic Gruene Dance Hall.
While we were in Gruene, we walked around and finished shopping for everyone on our Christmas gift list. Gruene has 30 one-of-kind shops! They have a store for everything from holiday decorations and knick knacks to high end art shops and boutiques.
When you’re done shopping, discover more holiday magic in Gruene by getting a photo with Cowboy Kringle, catch a holiday-themed show at Gruene Hall, find the largest selection of Texas wine at The Grapevine, or cozy up to one of the fireplaces in the historic Gristmill for a savory meal and marvel at the gorgeous upside down Christmas tree in the original dining area!
Where to Eat & Drink in New Braunfels
In my opinion, indulging in food and drinks is the best part of a weekend getaway, and it’s even better when you can share the experience with someone you love. During our weekend in New Braunfels, we enjoyed a variety of delicious meals and tantalizing cocktails. Below are our favorites!
Alpine Haus
Before we moved to Texas, I had no idea how influential German culture was in Texas. Many of the first settlers in Texas were German, so you’ll find strong German influences in several Texas Towns. New Braunfels is no exception, so we had to try dinner at the Alpine Haus. It reminded my husband and I so much of our travels in France along the German and Swiss borders, like Colmar and Annecy. The food at Alpine Haus specializes in Bavarian-style cooking with influences from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. We enjoyed German beer, black forest ham and brie, and a delicious schnitzel while listening to a dynamic accordion player!
Downtown Social
If you’re looking for a Sunday Funday brunch, Downtown Social is the place to go. It’s a unique dining establishment complete with bowling alleys, shuffleboard, an arcade room, and more. We had so much fun playing games, sipping mimosas, and enjoying the fried pickles. (Make sure you try their jalapeno ranch. It’s like crack dip. So good!)
In the evenings, Downtown Social turns into an even livelier party! Check out their schedule for upcoming events and DJs. It’s perfect spot to have a drink, watch sunday football, and play games.
McAdoo’s Seafood & Oyster Bar
Located in the historic post office in Downtown New Braunfels, McAdoo’s Seafood Company offers a beautiful backdrop for dinner or brunch. The tall ceilings, stunning bar, and botanical garden on the outdoor patio were breathtaking. The details pay homage to the historical elements of the post office.
The menu is full of Texas Creole favorites, authentic Cajun specialties and fresh seafood. My husband and I went for brunch, have been telling everyone we meet how delicious it was! We enjoyed fresh oysters from Prince Edward Island, a bottle of French champagne, seafood fondue, salmon, and crab cake benedict. Yes, we went all out, but everything we tried was phenomenal. When you visit, the seafood fondue is a must-order dish. It’s a blend of seafood, white wine, and cheese served on fresh garlic bread. I wasn’t convinced until the first bite, but I think it changed my life.
Also, the bloody mary bar at McAdoo’s brunch has everything a bloody mary fan would want–8 kinds of tomato juices, a tree of garnishes, and pickles, mixings, and more.
Sidecar
Located in the heart of New Braunfels (next door to Muck & Fuss), this dimly-lit, underground sanctuary is a place where the casual and the professional cocktail connoisseur come to unwind. When you walk down the steps and walk into Sidecar, you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Pictures of old hollywood celebrities adorn the walls while jazz musicians fill the room with sultry music. In the back room pipes and cigars are displayed along the walls, and even the bathroom has bits of history.
On top of the intimate ambiance, the libations are remarkable. Every drink is mixed with fresh seasonal ingredients and classic spirits. My husband and I enjoyed multiple cocktails while we listened to the musicians mixing Christmas songs and other classic tunes. I’d recommend booking a reservation – the weekends get busy! Book reservations here.
Where to Stay in New Braunfels
When it comes to a romantic getaway, where you stay sets the tone for the trip. We stayed at the enchanting Sophie’s Gasthaus, a luxury boutique hotel that’s walking distance to all of the activities we enjoyed in New Braunfels and just a short drive to Gruene and the Comal & Guadalupe rivers.
The property is newly renovated with moody, art gallery inspired designs. The hotel has several rooms and suites, each uniquely decorated. We stayed in the Seele Suite which has two queen beds and a twin size trundle. View the individual rooms and suites at Sophie’s Gasthaus here.
Not only is the decor of this hotel fabulous, we loved all the touching little details. Sophie’s Gasthaus really thought of everything! In our bathroom, they had every toiletry you would want or need: face masks, under eye masks, makeup remover, razors, toothbrushes with toothpaste, and more. The room had wine glasses and a corkscrew if you want to enjoy a night in the room. And the coffee nook had several flavored syrups; oat, almond, and regular milks, biscotti, snack bars, and more. I was so impressed!
We wished we knew about this gorgeous hotel when we were planning our Hill Country wedding. The photo ops would be fabulous! If you’re interested in booking the entire property for an event or wedding, you can! Just ask them.
Romantic Holiday Weekend Itinerary: New Braunfels, TX
Friday
Check in to your Airbnb, hotel, or cabin.
After you check in, enjoy a delicious Bavarian-style dinner at Alpine Haus. It’s just a short walk from Sophie’s Gasthouse
Enjoy after dinner libations at a dimly-lit speakeasy and enjoy a night of sultry jazz music and specialty cocktails at Sidecar. The speakeasy is right next to Muck & Fuss. As you walk from dinner, enjoy the glistening lights in the town square and take a photo in the bandstand. All of the Christmas lights are magical!
Saturday
Start the day with a fun brunch at @downtownsocial – they have arcade games, shuffleboard, bowling and more!
Shop fabulous antiques, boutiques, and decor. (We found so many great Christmas gifts and ornaments)
Catch a show at the historic @brauntex theatre
Sunday
Brunch at @mcadoos. It is magical. The restaurant is in the former post office and elevates the history through the decor. Plus they have a Bloody Mary bar with everything you could think to add to a Bloody Mary, delicious fresh oysters, champagne, and don’t skip the seafood fondue.
Drive 10 minutes away to the historic @gruenedistrict for Christmas shopping at the 30+ shops or 60+ artisan markets on Greene market days. While you’re there, enjoy live music at the iconic @gruenehall ❤️
Article and photo credit: Tori Kelley