"san antonio texas" a San Antonio Travel Page by doug48

the area around san antonio was first discovered by europeans in 1691. san antonio is named after the italian saint, saint anthony of padua. in 1716 the spanish government of mexico approved a site on the san antonio river for construction of a presidio in what is now downtown san antonio. in 1718 the mission san francisco de solano moved from the rio grande and merged with the mission san antonio de padua. this merger created the mission san antonio de valero. in 1724 the mission san antonio de valero moved to a location which is now known as the alamo.
the battle of the alamo made san antonio world famous. in 1836 the battle of the alamo was fought between 189 texans and the 4,000 man army of the mexican general santa ana. the battle lasted 13 days and all of the defenders of the alamo were killed. later that year santa ana's army was defeated at the battle of san jacinto near modern day houston. santa ana signed a treaty with the texans which paved the way for the republic of texas to become an indepentent country. today the alamo is one of the most famous and visited sites in texas.

san antonio is a great place to visit both for the tourist and business traveler. i personally have attended a number of conventions in san antonio and always enjoy visiting the city. almost all of the attractions of san antonio are within walking distance of the city center. the river walk area is a fun place to eat and drink and is a safe place to visit after dark. downtown san antonio offers the visitor a good selection of hotels, numerous restaurants and bars, a large shopping mall, and a number of historic landmarks.