New Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state ofTexas. Braunfels means “brown rock” in German. The city is named for Braunfels, inGermany. The city’s population was 60,761 as of the 2012 U.S. Census estimate, up 66% from the 2000 census population of 36,494.
It is the seat of Comal County[3] and is a principal city of the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area. New Braunfels has a sizeableGerman Texan community.
The town holds a German-style festival, Wurstfest (“sausage festival”) every November, drawing on the city’s strong German heritage. Every December the town celebrates Wassailfest in the historic downtown.
New Braunfels draws a large number of tourists, particularly in the summer because of the cold-spring rivers that run through the city. Many generations of families and college students return every summer to tube for miles down theGuadalupe River and Comal River. New Braunfels is the site of the originalwater park, the Schlitterbahn WaterPark Resort. The Ernest Eikel Skate Park attracts many skate board enthusiasts.