San Antonio is one of the largest cities in the US state of Texas. Founded by the Spanish in 1718 as a mission, the place formally became a city in 1731, making it one of the oldest cities in Texas. San Antonio developed into the largest city in the Spanish and later Mexican province of Tejas. Texas became an independent republic in 1836, but the United States’ annexation of Texas in 1845 and the resulting Mexican American War turned the tide, and after the war only 800 lived in San Antonio.

However, growth returned quickly in the United States, and approximately 15,000 people lived in the city in 1860. In 1877 the railroad came to San Antonio, connecting it to ports and large markets. At the beginning of the 20th century, many old buildings were demolished to make way for wider streets with increased traffic and trams. Since then, San Antonio has developed into a city of millions.

Today you can walk San Antonio’s streets and sights, where there are interesting things to see from the city’s old and recent history. The Alamo Plaza is a good place to start. Here is the Alamo Mission, which was founded as a Spanish mission in 1718 to Christianize the local Indians. The current building was constructed as a mission and fort later in the 18th century and was the setting for the Battle of the Alamo in 1836 during the Texas Revolution.

The Alamo Mission, along with four other missions, is on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites. You can also see the other missions on a tour of the city: Mission Espada, Mission San Juan, Mission San José and Mission Concepción are all south of the city center.

In the area around Alamo Plaza, you can walk in the Alamo Plaza Historic District with several interesting buildings from the 1800s and 1900s. Two examples of this are the Post Office and Federal Building from 1937 and the Old Medical Arts Building from 1926, both of which are just north of the Alamo Mission. Here you can also see the Alamo Cenotaph, which was erected in 1940 to commemorate the Battle of the Alamo in 1836.

You can also go down to the banks of the San Antonio River, where you can make some lovely walks along the San Antonio River Walk. The River Walk is a system of paths along the meandering course of the river through San Antonio, and along the way you can enjoy many beautiful green areas, cafes and restaurants. You can also enjoy the surroundings on one of the pleasant boat trips that sail on the canals. You can choose to go along the river that leads to the Spanish missions in the south of the city as well.

If you want to see San Antonio from above, it is possible at a visit to the Tower of the Americas, a 229-meter-high observation tower with a restaurant. The tower was built in conjunction with the HemisFair ’68 World Exposition, which was held in San Antonio. The tower stands in the middle of the old exhibition area, and from here there is an excellent view of e.g. Alamodome and downtown San Antonio with many modern high-rises.

Most of the skyscrapers are of recent date, but you can see some from the first half of the 20th century too. These are, for example, the 123-metre-high Tower Life Building, which was built 1927-1929, the 103-metre-high Drury Plaza Hotel, which was built in 1929, and the Milam Building from 1928.

In addition to the high-rises, you can also see other buildings on a stroll downtown, e.g. the Cathedral of San Fernando from the 1800s-1800s on the Main Plaza, which was the center of the old Spanish and Mexican city. Behind the church is the San Antonio City Hall and the historic residence of the Spanish governor, which was completed in 1749. The residence stands as a beautiful design from a bygone era in the modern metropolis.