Long a crossroads of history and a meeting place of cultures, San Antonio is a rich blend of deeply rooted traditions and cosmopolitan flair, a place where America’s past and present merge to create a unique vibrancy. One of the nation’s largest cities, San Antonio is a collection of the flavors and sounds of Native Americans, Old Mexico, the Republic of Texas, Germans, the Wild West, African-Americans, and the Deep South.

The Missions
For visitors with an interest in days gone by, San Antonio is history. Native Americans first lived along the San Antonio River, calling the area "Yanaguana," which means refreshing waters or clear waters. A band of Spanish explorers and missionaries came upon the river in 1691, and because it was the feast day of St. Anthony, they named the river San Antonio. The actual founding of the city came in 1718 when Father Antonio Olivares established Mission San Antonio de Valero. In 1836, this was the site where 189 defenders held the old mission against some 4,000 Mexican troops for 13 days. The cry "Remember the Alamo" became the rallying point of the Texas revolution against Mexico. Located in the heart of downtown, today The Alamo is a shrine and museum. Nearby, the San Antonio IMAX Theatre Rivercenter presents "Alamo…The Price of Freedom" on a six-story screen.

Four other Spanish missions founded in the early 1700s form the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, a great place to explore the city’s roots and Spain’s influence on the southwestern part of the United States. The visitor center at Mission San Jose is an excellent starting point.

The Original Settlement
A tour of downtown San Antonio will uncover literally centuries of history. Developed in the mid to late 18th century, La Villita (or the little village) was one of city’s original settlements and later in 1835 and 1836 became a hub of Texas revolutionary activities. Today, La Villita is a National Historic District and a haven for artists and craftsmen, selling blown glass, jewelry, stained glass and other handcrafts, as well as fashions from Mexico and Guatemala.

The Spanish Governor’s Palace, the seat of government when San Antonio was the capital of the Spanish Province of Texas, sits downtown near City Hall. Nearby find San Fernando Cathedral, which the area’s founders from the Canary Islands began constructing in 1731; and the Jose Antonio Navarro State Historical Park, home of a central figure in the formation of Texas.

A Mexican Marketplace
Dating to 1840, Market Square (or El Mercado), the largest Mexican marketplace outside of Mexico, is a festive combination of Tex-Mex cuisine, music and entertainment, and products ranging from pearls to piñatas. Meanwhile, the Steves Homestead, a mansion open to the public in the King William Historic District, reflects San Antonio’s German heritage in a gracious residential area settled in the late 1800s.

Ties to the Military
Northeast of downtown lies Fort Sam Houston, another must-see for history buffs. A National Historic Landmark, the oldest building on the post dates to 1876. Military greats like Pershing, Stilwell, Krueger, and Eisenhower all served at Fort Sam Houston. San Antonio was also a training site for the Buffalo Soldiers, famed African-American cavalry troops who helped bring peace to the Western frontier a century ago. Today, Fort Sam Houston is headquarters for the Fifth U.S. Army, the Fort Sam Houston Museum and the U.S. Army Medical Department Museum.

Texas Cultures
The University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures at San Antonio, located downtown in HemisFair Park, chronicles more than 25 ethnic groups that made the Lone Star State what it is today. Their stories are told through words, photos and fascinating displays that include such eclectic items as a Native American teepee, an old-time barbershop, a frontier dentist’s office, a town square band gazebo, an African-American sharecropper’s house and even a working post office.

River Walk
For many visitors, San Antonio is the Paseo del Rio, an urban masterpiece. Better known as the River Walk, these cobblestone and flagstone paths border both sides of the San Antonio River, 20-feet below street level, as it winds its way through the middle of the business district. Stretching for approximately two-and-a-half miles from the Municipal Auditorium and Conference Center on the north end to the King William Historic District on the south, the River Walk designs were mainly the work of the late Robert H. H. Hugman, a landscape architect.