Austin

Completed in 1888 in red granite and a few metres taller than the Capitol in Washington, with a rotunda of Texas presidents and governors, carved legislative chambers and free guided tours.

💡 Take the free 40-minute guided tour, which leaves every 15 to 30 minutes from the south foyer, Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4.15 p.m., and on Sunday from noon. Look at the floor of the rotunda, then up at the star in the dome. Price: free.

Daniel Mayer / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

A few blocks of music venues behind Austin's live music reputation, from Stubb's open-air amphitheatre to the tiered terraces of the Mohawk, with local and touring bands every night.

💡 Check the venues' line-ups in the afternoon and buy tickets online for big names; small clubs often take entry at the door, in cash or by card. Go on foot or by ride-hailing, as parking is scarce. Price: free street, concerts $10-50, about €9-43.

Larry D. Moore / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

North America's largest urban bat colony, up to a million and a half Mexican free-tailed bats, streams out from under the bridge at sunset from March to October, at its most impressive in August.

💡 Settle in 30 minutes before sunset on the lawn of the viewing area at the foot of the bridge, on the south-east side, or on the bridge itself, or book a boat or kayak trip on the lake. The emergence does not happen at a fixed time every evening, so be patient. Price: free.

This illustration was made by Peter Potrowl . Please credit this with : © Peter / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

The showcase of quirky Austin, with vintage shops, cowboy boot stores, food trucks and the neon of the 1938 Austin Motel, the Continental Club's nightly music and the best view of the Capitol.

💡 Walk up the avenue in the late afternoon, from Elizabeth Street to the bridge, then carry on to the bats at the Congress Avenue bridge at sunset, 15 minutes' walk away. Come back in the evening for a concert at the Continental Club. Price: free, paid concerts.

LoneStarMike / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

A limestone hill above Lake Austin, climbed by around a hundred stone steps, with a lookout over the Colorado River winding between wooded hills, a sunset tradition since the 19th century.

💡 Go up an hour before sunset on a weekday, as the small car park fills quickly at weekends. Take water in summer, as the steps are in full sun. Price: free.

Baytownbert / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)