Austin Travel Guide

Capital of Texas, the city of Austin lies almost in the centre of the state, a big city with a small-town feel, young population, casual lifestyle and a big reputation for live music shows. Home of the University of Texas campus, Austin life is closely entwined with the energy and enthusiasm of its students.

Young people are drawn here by the array of concerts that are held frequently around the shores of Town Lake. Most famous of these events is the annual South by Southwest music festival-conference held every March. Visitors wanting to tune in to Austin's live musical repertoire, which spans everything from blues to country to reggae, simply have to drift down the famous Sixth Street strip of pubs and clubs any night of the week.

Austin's laidback attitude lends itself to the great outdoors, and the city has miles of hiking and biking trails linking parks, preserves and greenbelts adding to the ambience of its leafy streets. On top of this, the city has been a state capital since 1838 and makes sure not to ignore its history, such as that captured in the grand Texas State Capitol, the Bullock Museum and the Austin History Center.