5 Fun Things to do in Castroville Texas in less than 2-hour
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With a size less than 3 mi², it’s not a surprised if you can experience all the fun things to do in Castroville Texas in less than 2 hour.
Last Thanksgiving Break, we made a quick visit to town for the very first time. In a short time, we got to visit 5 major attractions around downtown Castroville, The Little Alsace of Texas.
Castroville is located in the south side of Texas Hill Country. A visit to Castroville is a good day trip from San Antonio (+/- 30 min drive to the west), Fredericksburg (+/- 1 hr 20 min drive to the south), and even from Austin (+/- 1 hr 30 min drive to the southwest.)
We were visiting from Kerville, driving south past Bandera to Hondo, then turned onto US-90 E towards San Antonio. Castroville is located right on US-90 E. It took us around 1 hour 15 min drive from Kerville.
Awesome things to do in Castroville Texas
1. Alsatian Steinbach Haus (Visitor Center)
Definitely the most attractive Alsatian architecture in town. The Steinbach House was a gift to the City of Castroville from the citizens of Alsace, France. It was originally built in Walbach, France, between 1618 and 1648.
The Steinbach House serves as a Visitor Center and there’s a small museum on the second floor. It is full with period furniture, dishware, and other items donated by the people of Alsace. You can visit them on Monday – Friday 9am-4pm; Saturday 10am-4pm; and Sunday 11am-3pm. Call ahead of time for viewing or group tours, especially during pandemic.
Address: 203 US-90. Ph.: (830) 538-9838.
2. Haby’s Alsatian Bakery
Established in 1974, this bakery is known for its fresh, large selection of pastries and sweet goods. They also make all kinds of breads, like wheat, rye, sandwich, pumpernickel, and even tortillas and dinner rolls.
When we were there it was the day before Thanksgiving Day. Customers were lining up to pick up their pies order. We grabbed a bag of sweet pastry that looked like a croissant. They were so good that after we ate them all, I realized I forgot to take a picture of it. Oh well.
Open on Monday to Saturday from 5am to 7pm. Closed on Sundays, New Years, Christmas, and Easter.
Don’t forget to check the Alsatian mural at Haby’s Bakery, painted by the Alsatian artist Patrice Hoff.
Address: 207 US Highway 90 East. Ph.: (830) 538-2118.
3. Historic Tours
Another fun thing to do in Castroville Texas is a historic walking tour. There are over 50 historic homes and commercial structures originally built in the mid to late 1800s in Castroville. One of the best ways to see it is by following the Castroville Historic Walking Tour map. Since we were tight on schedules, we did it by driving. I would think biking will be a fun thing to do it besides walking. Pick up the map at the Chamber office. If you want to have a guided tour, contact Castro Garden Club at (830) 931-2262, at least two weeks in advance.
Most of the structures are located around downtown, right across the Landmark Inn. Pay attention to the notice put outside by the residents. Make sure you don’t trespass the boundaries.
4. Landmark Inn State Historic Site and Bed & Breakfast
Started as a one-story private residence, it turned to a tavern stand and store, then became a roadside inn and larger mercantile. Today it serves as a Bed & Breakfast with 8 historic rooms to choose from.
Visitors can tour the Landmark Inn exhibit area and/or take a self-guided walk of the historic grounds. We only got to visit the grounds since they closed the exhibit when we were there. You need to call for a group tour.
Address: 402 Florence Street. Ph.: (830) 931-2133.
5. St. Louis Catholic Church
Named after French King, St. Louis, the church you see today is the third one built between 1868 and 1870. The first St. Louis church still stands on the grounds of the historic Moye Retreat Center.
Every year on the Sunday nearest August 25, the parishioner observes the feast of St. Louis. An all day celebration that you might want to watch. When visiting, please respect the parishioner who’s there for praying.
Address: 610 Madrid Street. Ph.: (830) 931-2826.
Castroville is also the Poppy Capital of Texas. In the spring they pop on every street. Come between March and late April where they are at their brightest and most colorful. Don’t forget to check Castroville Poppy House.
Add these if you have a whole day in Castroville Texas
Paradise Canyon
Fish, swim, picnic, camp out under the stars, bird watch, there are so many things to do in Medina River. Even people get baptized in this river.
Address: 2222 Country Road 2615, Rio Medina, TX 78066. Ph.: (830) 751-9911.
Castroville Regional Park & Cross Hill
Enjoy outdoor activities like swimming, camping, hiking, tennis, basketball, and sand volleyball in this park. You can tour the Garden of Roots, a flower garden that was shaped like the Alsace in France. Or hike to Cross Hill to enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of Castroville and surrounding area. It is also a premier destination for birding and butterfly watching, and the park also features 40 complete pull-thru RV sites.
Address: 816 Alsace St. Ph.: (830) 931-0033.
Notes from visiting Castroville
- With all the small boutiques, stores, cafes, and unique Bed & Breakfast or Airbnbs around downtown, I would say Castroville is one of the best places for girls weekend getaway.
- If you are visiting San Antonio for the 4th, 7th or 11th times, you must make a drive here. Seriously!
- For husbands who don’t like shopping, they can enjoy their coffee at Magnolia Gasoline Cafe when you do shopping. The cafe offers free WiFi.
A brief history about Castroville
- Castroville was founded in 1844 by Henri Castro.
- In February 1842, he successfully obtained a land grant from Texas president Sam Houston and the Texas government with a contract to colonize vacant Texas land.
- Castro actively recruited colonists from all over France, especially from the Alsace.
- On September 3rd, Castro and the first European immigrant settlers set up camp in this area. They built a communal shelter to hold supplies and house the settlers until their homes could be built.
- On September 12th the town site was named Castro-Ville, and public officials were elected.
If you haven’t visited Castroville Texas yet, I suggest you plan a trip here soon. Either with your family, girlfriends, or even by yourself, you will enjoy the town like we did. You won’t believe your eyes how a small town like Castroville offers fun things to do to its visitors.
How fun to find a spot where you can see everything in 2 hours. A great day trip idea. It might take us longer if we sampled our way through Haby’s Alsation Bakery. I think I would love to visit when the poppies are in bloom.
Definitely you can make the trip longer.
Castroville took my heart away, though I heard about it for the first time. The historic tour and the tudor building look breathtakingly beautiful. I am bookmarking this article for the future reference.
It’s easy to fall in love with Castroville with all the historic buildings around town.
You always write about these really great off the beaten path destinations. I never had much inclination to visit Texas, but I now have added numerous towns to my bucket list that I never knew existed before. I will have to make a road trip in the next few years.
You will enjoy your visit. We all know that most Americans are going to known places in the country and never thought about stopping at small towns. Which I think is a big mistake. I hope it will change though.
What a cute little house and interesting on top of it. Small towns or villages like this is my favourite.
Small town like Castroville is always a great place to visit.
Love this mini guide on Castroville! It’s always fun to find things to do in little towns like this while on roadtrips!
Definitely!
The Landmark Inn BnB looks so cute! I’d probably travel to this area just to stay there.
I wish we could stay there.
I add Castroville to my Texas road trip itinerary. Alsatian Steinbach Haus has beautiful architecture. I want to visit it. And for sure would love to eat some sweets from Haby’s Alsatian Bakery.
It’s a quaint town to visit in the Texas Hill Country.
I’m not familiar with Castroville but I love the quaint feel of the town. The bakery looks delicious… I always find the greatest little food spots in smaller, less-known towns. Small towns definitely have the best hidden gems.
I always like the feel of small less-known towns like Castroville. Not too many people around, so I can enjoy the visit as long as I want without having to worry about not be able to visit the main things during the visit.
Nice little town Castroville with history and culture which I like. The Germanic Tudor building does look a bit out of place there but sometimes, its nice to have something different to look at. Would defo do the walking tour here as long as I had some information on me. I could just be standing outside the building and not knowing what it’s role was in the past. 😀 But I like cute little towns in the middle of nowhere and would love to check Castroville out if I ever get to Texas.
Yup! The Steinbach House looks a bit out of place because it’s surrounded by today’s structures. 🙂 And yes, do stop here when you get to Texas. Just 30 minutes away from the famous San Antonio.
Never heard of this place before it looks so adorable. I’d definitely incorporate Castroville into my itinerary so thank you for sharing it.
what a cool little town! i love to still be able to see places like this in the u.s., as many towns no longer look this rustic, charming and authentic anymore. i hope to visit castorville one day.
You must visit small towns. That’s the key. Don’t just travel between big cities. I hope you find your way to Castroville in the future.
I have never heard of Castroville before, but I’m adding it to my list! I love when towns have interesting history and culture, so Castroville definitely looks like it’s up my alley with its connection to Alsace. And it looks so pretty!
That’s understandable. Texas is huge and I myself haven’t been to a lot of cities here.