Austin is the capital of Texas and the state's cultural rebel. The city's unofficial motto, "Keep Austin Weird," captures a fierce streak of independence that sets it apart from every other Texas city. This is where live music spills out of bars on 6th Street every night of the week, where Barton Springs Pool offers a constant 68-degree escape from the summer heat, and where a colony of 1.5 million bats puts on a nightly show from under the Congress Avenue Bridge.
The city has a rich history beneath its hip exterior. Originally a Tonkawa hunting ground called Waterloo, Austin is home to the Texas State Cemetery, stately 19th-century mansions on Bremond Block, and the antebellum Governor's Mansion. The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum chronicles the full sweep of Texas history, and the Harry Ransom Center at UT houses one of the world's greatest humanities collections.
Austin is also remarkably green. Lady Bird Lake bisects downtown with 10 miles of hike-and-bike trails, the Barton Creek Greenbelt provides a limestone canyon wilderness within city limits, and Lake Travis draws boaters and swimmers upstream. The surrounding Hill Country provides a backdrop of rolling limestone hills and wildflower-covered meadows in spring.
The food and music scenes are what draw most visitors. South by Southwest in March takes over the entire city, and the Austin City Limits Music Festival in October fills Zilker Park. Between festivals, the Tex-Mex, barbecue, and food truck culture of East Austin and South Congress keep things interesting year-round. The Texas State Capitol anchors Congress Avenue and remains the city's most impressive single building.