San Antonio Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), San Antonio

San Antonio, one of Texas' major cities, boasts rich colonial heritage. The city was named by a 1691 Spanish expedition for Saint Anthony of Padua, whose feast day is June 13. At the time of European encounter, the area near the San Antonio River Valley was inhabited by Payaya Indians who called it Yanaguana, the "refreshing waters".

In 1709, Spanish Father Antonio de Olivares visited the site, and was determined to found a mission and civilian settlement there. Eventually, this paved the way for the Spanish-Mexican settlement of Southwestern lands. At some point, San Antonio grew to become the largest Spanish settlement in Texas, and was designated as the capital of the Spanish, later Mexican, province of Tejas. Mexico allowed European-American settlers from the United States into the territory, who then mostly occupied the land in the eastern part. Following the unilateral abolition of the Mexican Constitution of 1824, violence ensued in many states of Mexico.

In a series of battles, the Texian Army succeeded in forcing Mexican soldiers out of the settlement areas east of San Antonio, which were dominated by Americans. In December 1835, Texian forces captured San Antonio. In 1845, the United States finally decided to annex Texas and include it as a state in the Union. This led to the Mexican–American War, which the U.S. ultimately won, but it proved devastating to San Antonio – its population reduced by almost two-thirds, towards just 800 people.

Following the Civil War, San Antonio prospered as a center of the cattle industry, and remained a frontier city, with a mixture of cultures different from other U.S. cities. One profound impact on the city came from the German immigrants. In 1877, following the Reconstruction Era, developers constructed the first railroad to San Antonio, connecting it to major markets and port cities. At the beginning of the 20th century, the streets of the city's downtown were widened to accommodate street cars and modern traffic.

Today's San Antonio is a home to numerous attractions visited annually by almost 32 million tourists. Among them, most notably, are the Alamo, an 18th-century Spanish mission, currently a museum dedicated to 1836 battle for Texan independence from Mexico, and San Antonio's River Walk – a miles-long pedestrian promenade lined with cafes and shops. To explore these and other prominent sights of San Antonio, follow this self-guided introduction walk.