New Braunfels is synonymous with German heritage and tubing (the “sport” of floating in an inner tube on the river). This town of 42,693 people just northeast of San Antonio [1] has been relying on its natural resources for more than 150 years, starting when German immigrants used the dependable, strong-flowing Comal Springs and Guadalupe River as a source for power and navigation.
By the mid-1800s, New Braunfels had emerged as a growing agricultural area and manufacturing center supplying wagons, farm equipment, clothing, and furniture for Central Texas pioneers. The subsequent population boom resulted in New Braunfels being the fourth-largest town in Texas in 1850. People continued to arrive after the Civil War, and the agriculture industry grew along with the population.
By the mid-1900s, the area became a recreational hot spot catering to San Antonio [1] residents who bought weekend or retirement homes on nearby Canyon Lake or the scenic Guadalupe River. Motels, resorts, and tubing companies soon followed, cementing New Braunfels’s reputation as a unique spot to relax on the water or spend time at the numerous antique shops and German restaurants.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/texas/san-antonio