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Combining one of the coolest live music scenes in the U.S. with a brash Texas pride that makes some visitors roll their eyes, Austin is a colourful city of contrasts. But while the Lone Star flags and war-cry bumper stickers are ubiquitous, a peek behind the bravado uncovers a large helping of Southern charm, a clutch of unlikely attractions, and a sly sense of humour.

What's coming up

If you're here for New Year's, First Night Austin (512-476-5577; http://www.firstnightaustin.org) is a family-friendly cavalcade of street performers, public art and processions. It's worth coming back in March for the Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival (512-249-6300; http://www.texaswineandfood.org), which serves up everything from melt-in-your-mouth barbecue treats to some surprisingly good vineyard tipples -- try a light, rhubarby Texas viognier.

The same month sees Austin's leading annual event, South by Southwest (512-467-7979; http://www.sxsw.com). For 10 days, dozens of stages showcase hundreds of live music acts, while an independent film festival keeps cinema fans happy, and a multimedia symposium apprises everyone of the latest in Web, gaming and techno innovations. It's a valuable meeting place for industry gurus and those trying to break into the business.

Diversions

Occupying a spectacular faux Renaissance palace, the multi-columned Texas State Capitol (512-305-8400; http://www.capitol.state.tx.us) dominates downtown Austin. Stroll freely along the marble-lined corridors of power -- eerily almost completely devoid of life on my visit -- and drink in the 19th-century architecture at your own pace. Make sure you hit the domed rotunda, where a series of anonymous Texas governor portraits is enlivened by a painting of G. W. Bush, looking surprisingly harmless.

The nearby Texas State History Museum (512-936-8746; http://www.thestoryoftexas.com) displays key regional artifacts, including a large replica of the Alamo and a stirring movie presentation that celebrates great Texans of the past. The movie reveals that everyone has their own Texas streak -- it's apparently the "Hero part in all of us." Armed with this knowledge, I headed to Cypress Valley Canopy Tours (512-264-8880; http://www.cypressvalleycanopytours.com) for some outdoor action. Trussed up in a body harness, you can zip along six cables mounted in the trees, and travel above the bobcats and alligator snapping turtles sometimes spotted in the cactus-covered woodland below.

With "Keep Austin weird" as the city's unofficial slogan, zip-lining is not the region's only unexpected attraction. The small and kitschy South Austin Museum of Popular Culture (512-440-8318; http://www.samopc.com) is lined with movie posters, record sleeves and T-shirts celebrating unconventional art from the 1960s onward. In addition, the magnificent Cathedral of Junk (512-299-7413) is an eye-popping, ever-growing art installation. Started as a backyard fort by Austin resident Vince Hannemann, it's now a sprawling sci-fi complex of rooms made from 60 tonnes of consumer cast-offs, including cables, lawnmowers and circuit boards.

As for souvenirs, once you've snapped up your armadillo fridge magnets and nuclear-hot barbecue sauce, head to Austin's South Congress Avenue. Lined with one-of-a-kind shops, the indie emporiums here hawk everything from snakeskin cowboy boots to a plethora of anti-Dubya memorabilia ("Dumbass on a string" car fresheners were my favourite.)

Where to stay

A popular convention destination, many of the city's sleepovers are of the stolid, business-hotel variety. Among the best, the giant Hilton Austin (500 East 4th St.; 512-482-8000; http://www.hilton.com) has all the required amenities, a good breakfast buffet and a central location.

In contrast, the historic Driskill Hotel (604 Brazos St.; 512-474-5911; http://www.driskillhotel.com) is dripping with old-school Southern chic.

Pull up a bristly, cow-hide armchair in the lobby bar and recall the Texas lawmen who once met here to plan their capture of Bonnie and Clyde.

Where to eat and drink

The laid-back Guero's Taco Bar (1412 South Congress Ave.; 512-447-7688; http://www.guerostacobar.com) is deservedly one of Austin's favourite dine-outs -- its grilled shrimp tacos are recommended. Alternatively, Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill (303 Red River St.; 512-236-9599; http://www.moonshinegrill.com) is more upscale and serves regional comfort dishes such as blackened catfish and buffalo meat loaf, accompanied by oven-warm cornbread and fried green tomatoes.

But for a real Texan blowout, The Salt Lick (Driftwood; 512-858-4959; http://www.saltlickbbq.com), a short drive from the city, is the kind of place where carnivores rule -- a staff T-shirt reads, "I didn't get to the top of the food chain to become a vegetarian." Amid an atmosphere fuelled by ice cold Shiner Bock beer, your inside picnic table is loaded with bowls of mashed potato, baked beans and white bread before platters of barbecued German sausage, succulent pork ribs and butter-soft beef brisket arrive. Expect to lose all sense of self-control.

After dark

Having registered "Live music capital of the world" as a trademark, Austin more than lives up to its billing with downtown's neon-lit 6th Street acting as the city's core after sunset. Closed to traffic on Friday and Saturday evenings, it becomes a de facto nighttime promenade as locals and visitors weave between dozens of laid-back bars.

Among the pub-style watering holes lining the street's east end -- many offering no-cover live music every night -- Nuno's (422 E. 6th St.; 512-833-5133; http://www.nunosonsixth.com) was hopping on my visit, with a smoking harmonica-led blues band that had everyone in a good mood. In contrast, West 6th offers a plethora of more eclectic, venues that appeal to a younger crowd. Heading upstairs to Momo's (618 W. 6th St.; 512-479-8848; http://www.momosclub.com), I stumbled on local fiddle-playing prodigy Warren Hood performing some stomping bluegrass swing with a band whose average age was well under 30.

While it would be easy to bar-hop on 6th Street without walking more than 50 metres, the area is also home to a clutch of enticing tattoo parlours. If you have a really good night out, don't be surprised to wake up hung-over in your hotel room the next day with "I love Austin" proudly inscribed on your chest.