Picture Perfect Austin: "The City Has Grown Up."

Austin was the best-kept secret in Texas for a long time. In the 1970s, my parents studied at the University of Texas – back then, the city was still in its slumber. Rents were low and, in addition to students, it was mainly musicians and artists who met there. Austin was a haven for free spirits. By the time I came to Austin to study, this attitude to life was slowly disappearing from the cityscape.

Austin's Skyline: The City's Dazzling Smile

An outward sign of the change: Austin's skyline used to have only a few buildings – scattered like the first milk teeth in a child's smile. Today, Austin is one of the fastest growing cities in the USA. The horizon is thick with gleaming skyscrapers like a salesman's immaculate dentures – the city has grown up. And yet the things that make Austin so fascinating remain to this day: fantastic live music, beautiful nature, and a cuisine that you won't forget.

Hamilton Pool – Natural Wonder and Excursion Destination

Just a few minutes outside the city is Hamilton Pool, a natural wonder that was created thousands of years ago when an underground river collapsed and formed a semi-circular pool with a 15-meter-high waterfall. When I photographed the pool on a fall day, the place was deserted. But in the height of summer, Austin's residents seek refuge from the heat here. Visitors should remember that reservations are required between May and September.

Old Treasures and Designer Fashion at Austin's Vintage Markets

Austin's style is as colorful as its people. Cowboy hats meet tie-dyed shirts, vintage treasures meet street fashion. I've been rummaging through the city's many secondhand stores since I was a child. My latest find was a butter-soft black leather jacket at Buffalo Exchange – a stroke of luck.

As Diverse as the City: South Congress Avenue

South Congress Avenue is one of the liveliest streets in Austin – and one of the most diverse. The close ties to Mexico, which Austin has always cultivated in art, fashion, architecture, and, above all, food, are visible on South Congress. At the same time, this is where the city as a whole comes together: still a good dose of cowboy mentality, a seriously practiced faith, and cultural openness. In Texas, Austin is a liberal island where the Democrats have been winning by a wide margin for years. In many ways, the city is as blue as the sky above it.

Art by Women for Women at Women and Their Work

An exhibition by Rehab El Sadek is being hosted at Women and Their Work, an institution for visual and performing arts that has been gaining momentum since 1978. With bold exhibitions, performances, and workshops, it promotes female artists and encourages them to experiment and develop. In 2026, talents such as Texan Tamara Johnson will have their own solo exhibitions there.

Experience Cuisine: Artfully Prepared Dishes at Uchiko

Art that you can eat: a dessert from chef Ariane Quant at Uchiko – a restaurant not to be missed on a trip to Austin.

All a Bit Crazy: Musicians Under the Roof of the Treehouse

One day at the Treehouse in Pease Park, I discovered musicians playing in the organically shaped, seed pod-like structure. It seemed like a symbol of the city itself: Austin, the "Live Music Capital of the World," has always been an inspiring place for creatives. In the same park, Eeyore's Birthday Party is celebrated every year – a festival that has been a fixture since the 1960s. If you happen to be in Austin at the end of April, you will not only find colorful costumes and music here, but also experience the city in its purest form: wild, free, unpredictable – true to the motto "Keep Austin Weird."

About

Haley Austin grew up in Texas. She studied Fine Arts at the University of Texas in Austin and holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Applied Sciences in Bielefeld. Today, Austin works as a freelance editorial photographer in Hamburg and Berlin for publications such as "FAZ", "Die Zeit", "Der Spiegel" and "Stern." She also pursues her own projects on ecological and social issues. Her work has been exhibited internationally.