Fredericksburg Named Among Southern Living's Best Small Towns

Attendees sit together during the 45th Oktoberfest festival on Oct. 4, 2025 in Fredericksburg, Texas. The festival celebrates traditional German lore and heritage while hosting a variety of activities and pleasantries such as dancing, food tasting, and crafts celebrating Bavarian culture. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

A small town in Central Texas is getting its flowers — and not just because spring has arrived.

Each year, Southern Living magazine publishes “The South’s Best,” a compilation of surveys voted on by the magazine’s readers. The South’s Best 2026 features all the reader’s new favorites, spanning culture, food, shopping and more.

Fredericksburg stood out among Southern Living’s rankings, making an appearance on not one but two lists. Here’s why the town of fewer than 12,000 got so much attention.

Fredericksburg sits around 80 miles west of Austin and is known for its deep German heritage, vibrant wine country and charming Main Street shopping district. It’s also the site of the National Museum of the Pacific War, the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area and annual Oktoberfest celebrations.

Southern Living had this to say about Fredericksburg:

“With the opening of its first full-service hotel, The Albert Hotel, in 2025, this historic hamlet in the heart of the Texas Hill Country continues to emerge as an up-and-coming destination. Fredericksburg still wears its German heritage on its sleeve, evident throughout Main Street architecture and a lively cluster of biergartens and long-running seasonal festivals. Wine lovers will feel particularly at home thanks to more than 100 wineries and tasting rooms scattered throughout town and the surrounding countryside.”

Attendees walk through the 45th Oktoberfest festival on Oct. 4, 2025 in Fredericksburg, Texas. The festival celebrates traditional German lore and heritage while hosting a variety of activities and pleasantries such as dancing, food tasting, and crafts celebrating Bavarian culture. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Speaking of The Albert Hotel, it also ranked among Southern Living’s favorite hotels in the South.

“The city’s premier full-service luxury hotel revives a cluster of 19th-century landmarks, from a historic saloon to a former pharmacy that is now a cafe, deli, and artisan market. Alongside the 105 minimalist guest rooms, a holistic spa and a limestone pool provide moments of quiet relaxation.”

While the front of the hotel is located amid Fredericksburg’s historic shopping and entertainment district, the bulk of the two-acre complex is set back from Main Street and mostly out of sight. Richard A Marini/San Antonio Express-News

Southern Living: 20 best small towns in the South for 2026

1. St. Augustine, Fla.
2. St. Simons Island/Golden Isles, Ga.
3. Fredericksburg, Texas
4. Fairhope, Ala.
5. Gatlinburg, Tenn.
6. Hilton Head Island, S.C.
7. Destin, Fla.
8. Beaufort, S.C.
9. Blowing Rock, N.C.
10. Tybee Island, Ga.
11. Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
12. Bardstown, Ky.
13. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Ala.
14. Oxford, Miss.
15. Blue Ridge, Ga.
16. Anna Maria Island, Fla.
17. Southport, N.C.
18. Williamsburg, Va.
19. Sanibel Island, Fla.
20. Fernandina Beach, Fla.

Southern Living: 10 favorite hotels in the South, 2026

1. The Flat Iron Hotel in Asheville, N.C.
2. The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort in Longboat Key, Fla.
3. The Gilmore, an AvantStay Hotel in Nashville, Tenn.
4. The Embers Hotel in Blowing Rock, N.C.
5. Hotel Richemont in Charleston, S.C.
6. Embassy Suites Gulf Shores in Gulf Shores, Ala.
7. The Ann Savannah in Savannah, Ga.
8. The Nickel Hotel in Charleston, S.C.
9. Hotel Bardo in Savannah, Ga.
10. Albert Hotel in Fredericksburg, Texas