Muenster -- Think of it as a trip to the Hill Country, minus the trip and, well, there really aren't any hills, either, come to think about it. What you will find in Muenster, Texas is a little bit of Bavaria just south of Red River. Think of it as North Texas' answer, albeit on a smaller scale, to Fredericksburg.
Ask almost any shop owner in Muenster how they manage to keep Main Street so tidy and you are likely to get the same answer.
"That's just our heritage," they reply with a shrug and a hint of a smile.
Muenster was founded by German Catholic settlers Carl and Emil Flusche in 1889 and the town, still predominately German Catholic, continues to embrace German culture and customs.
Take Fischer's Meat Market, for example. For more than 80 years, Fischer's has built a regional reputation for combining Texas hospitality with German heritage, resulting in a meat market famous for its meats, cheeses and processing with spice recipes handed down in the Fischer family since 1927. http://fischersmeatmarket.com/
In addition to well-managed, one-of-a-kind boutiques and the steady draw of Fischer's Meat Market, local restaurants, including Rohmer's Restaurant in Muenster and favorite eateries in nearby Lindsay -- Dieter Brothers and Smokehouse -- have also developed a fan base.
Any visit to Lindsay should also include a quick side-trip to appreciate the magnificent architecture of St. Peter Catholic Church. Almost a century old (the church was rebuilt following a devastating tornado in May 1917), St. Peter's symbolically looks over Lindsay the way a priest would watch over his parish.
photos by Allen Rich