May 16, 2025 - Local Brief

San Antonio's European postcard

Madalyn Mendoza

View of San Antonio's River Walk at dusk, with a footbridge crossing over the river, surrounded by colorful historic and modern buildings, palm trees, and clear blue skies. — A view from the banks of the River Walk near Houston Street. Photo: Madalyn Mendoza/Axios

San Antonio is sometimes nicknamed the "Little Venice" of Texas for the way the River Walk winds through downtown, and this photo really captures that feeling.

Zoom in: As a local, it's in those slower moments — when you're not weaving through tourists to make a dinner reservation in time or get to a show — that you really notice things.

The vibe: The way the sun hits the Hotel Valencia feels cinematic.

The ochre and terracotta tones glow and the tiled roof and rounded features feel almost like a canal corner in Venice (even if the architecture is Spanish-inspired).

The bottom line: Amid all the fun, take time to really soak in the downtown scenes that make San Antonio unique.

Local Brief

San Antonio's European postcard

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