San Antonio River Walk.
The San Antonio River Walk also known as Paseo del Río is a network of walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River. Lined by bars, shops and restaurants, the River Walk is an important part of the city’s tourist attraction.
It is the largest urban ecosystem in the nation. Tucked quietly below street level and only steps from the Alamo, it provides a serene and pleasant way to navigate the city. With 15 miles of sidewalks and paths, the River Walk provides access to museums, the King William Historic District, 300-year-old Spanish missions, hotels, shops…
Hundreds of years ago, the San Antonio River was a gathering place for Native Americans. The first civilian Spanish settlers built their homes here in the 1700s. In the late 1920s, the San Antonio Conservation Society, local government officials and business leaders realized what an asset the river could be to the growing city. Architect Robert H. H. Hugman developed River Walk plans that eventually led to construction of a 21-block section from Nueva to Lexington, completed in March of 1941. The project transformed downtown through beautification, preservation and flood control.
Further revitalization took place in advance of Hemisfair ‘68, the world’s fair held in San Antonio to celebrate the city’s 250thanniversary. New hotels were built and older buildings were renovated. The River Walk was extended from South Alamo Street to the convention center and passenger river barges began operating for sightseeing tours and dining.
Things to see:
Most of the caliche block and stucco structures in La Villita Historic Arts Village, a collection of boutiques, art galleries and restaurants, date to the mid-1800s when European immigrants lived and worked there.
The city’s Carnegie Library, built along the river on Market Street in 1930, became the Hertzberg Circus Museum in 1968. Today, it’s being renovated for the Dolph and Janey Briscoe Western Art Museum.
The Drury Plaza Hotel on South St. Mary’s Street is in the former Alamo National Bank Building, an art-deco skyscraper built in 1929. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, as is the nearby San Antonio Drug Company office building, which dates to 1919 and is now the Homewood Suites by Hilton.
Overlooking the San Antonio River in the King William Historic District, the private residence of Carl H. Guenther, founder of the Pioneer Flour Mill, was built in 1860 and remodeled in 1917.
Omni La Mansión del Rio Hotel on College Street is a transformation of St. Mary’s School, designed in 1857 by architect Francois P. Giraud.
In the 1860s, Giraud also designed many of the buildings for the Ursuline Academy and Convent on Augusta Street, which now houses the Southwest School of Art.
