Augsburg: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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In 1367 a weaver called Hans Fugger moved into Augsburg from a nearby village. Within a century and a half his descendants were the richest family in Europe, lending money to popes and emperors, and Jakob Fugger, known as the Rich, could remind Charles V that he owed his crown to Fugger loans. This walk follows the family through the old town, from the weavers' guild house to the housing estate Jakob built for the poor. About two hours on foot.

A short history of Augsburg

Augsburg was founded in 15 BC as a Roman military camp called Augusta Vindelicorum, and it is one of the oldest cities in Germany. In the 16th century it was the banking centre of Europe, and its Fugger family financed emperors and popes. In 1516 Jakob Fugger founded the Fuggerei, a housing estate for the poor, where the rent is still less than one euro a year. In 1530 the "Augsburg Confession", the founding document of the Lutheran Church, was presented in the city, and in 1555 the Peace of Augsburg was signed here, establishing that each prince would decide the religion of his subjects. The playwright Bertolt Brecht was born in the city in 1898.

The ten best sights in Augsburg

1
Fuggerei
The world's oldest social housing still in use, founded in 1516; the rent is still under one euro a year
2
Town Hall and Golden Hall
Elias Holl's Renaissance town hall; upstairs, the gilded Golden Hall rebuilt after the war
3
Perlach Tower
The 70 m tower beside the town hall; climb it for the best view of the old town and the Alps on clear days
4
Augsburg Synagogue and Jewish Museum Swabia
A domed synagogue completed in 1917, one of the most beautiful in Europe; check opening times before you go
5
Kriegshaber Synagogue
A village synagogue on the western edge of the city, now a branch of the Jewish Museum
6
Augsburger Puppenkiste
The marionette theatre every German child knows from television; book shows ahead
7
Maximilian Museum
City museum in a merchant's palace; the original bronze figures of the great fountains stand under its glass roof
8
Schaezlerpalais
A rococo palace with a mirrored ballroom, and the old German masters next door
9
Fugger Houses
The Fugger family's palace on Maximilianstraße; step into the Renaissance Damenhof courtyard
10
Augsburg Cathedral
Home of some of the oldest stained-glass windows still in place anywhere

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Augsburg →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Augsburg:

Free walking tours in Augsburg

From weavers to bankers

Weavers' House · The guild house of the weavers, whose painted façade shows the trade's history, stands on Moritzplatz. Weaving fustian, a cloth of linen and cotton, made medieval Augsburg rich, and it was the trade the first Fugger brought to town.
Fugger Houses · Jakob Fugger built this palace on the main street in the early 16th century, and in 1518 Martin Luther was questioned here by Cardinal Cajetan, who demanded that he recant. Luther refused and slipped out of the city by night.
Fugger Chapel, St. Anna · The chapel, finished around 1512 as the family's burial place, is one of the first buildings of the Italian Renaissance in Germany. It stands inside a church that later became Protestant, while the Fuggers stayed Catholic.
Golden Hall · Elias Holl built the town hall between 1615 and 1620, at the height of the city's wealth, and its Golden Hall is covered in gilded ceilings and paintings. It burned in 1944 and was restored in time for the city's 2,000th anniversary in 1985.
Fuggerei · Jakob Fugger founded the Fuggerei in 1516 for needy Catholic citizens of Augsburg, and it is the oldest social housing estate in the world still in use. The annual rent is still the equivalent of one Rhenish guilder, 0.88 euros, plus three daily prayers for the founder's family.
Fuggerei Museum · The museum flat shows how residents lived in the early days, with the old furniture and stove. Mozart's great-grandfather, the mason Franz Mozart, lived in the Fuggerei in the late 17th century.

The city of water

Augsburg sits between two Alpine rivers, the Lech and the Wertach, and for more than 800 years it has used their water to drink, to power mills and to cool. In 2019 UNESCO listed its water-management system, with canals, water towers and fountains. This walk follows the water from the three great Renaissance fountains on the main street down through the canal quarter to the water towers, then out along the river to the weir where it all begins. About three hours, the last part best by bike or tram.

Augustus Fountain · The fountain in front of the town hall honours the emperor Augustus, after whom the Romans named their town Augusta Vindelicorum in 15 BC. Its bronzes, cast in the 1590s by Hubert Gerhard, include figures of the city's four rivers.
Mercury Fountain · Adriaen de Vries, a Dutch pupil of Giambologna, made the bronze Mercury in 1599, the god of trade fitting a city of merchants. Like the other fountains, it was fed by water pumped up the water towers.
Hercules Fountain · The largest of the three, also by de Vries and finished in 1602, shows Hercules fighting the many-headed Hydra. The figures in the street are copies; the originals are kept indoors at the Maximilian Museum.
Lech quarter · Below the main street, canals branched off the Lech run fast between the houses. For centuries they drove the waterwheels of millers, tanners, dyers and goldsmiths, and the quarter is still full of small workshops.
Water towers at the Red Gate · Water was first pumped up here in the early 15th century, and from the towers it flowed by gravity to the fountains and to the houses of those who paid. They are among the oldest surviving waterworks in Central Europe.
Hochablass · At this weir on the Lech water is diverted into the canals that run through the city. Next to it is the Eiskanal, the whitewater course where canoe slalom made its Olympic debut in 1972.

The city of peace

Augsburg stood at the centre of Europe's religious wars. Here Luther defied the cardinal in 1518, the Protestant princes presented their confession of faith to the emperor in 1530, and in 1555 the Peace of Augsburg let each ruler choose his territory's faith. To this day 8 August, the Peace Festival, is a public holiday in Augsburg alone. Jews were part of the city's story too: expelled in the 15th century, they returned in the 19th and built one of the finest synagogues in Germany. Half a day, on foot and by tram.

Kriegshaber Synagogue · After Jews were expelled from Augsburg in 1440, many settled in villages just outside it, such as Kriegshaber, where this synagogue stands. Today it is a branch of the Jewish Museum Swabia and tells the story of rural Jewish life in the region.
Augsburg Synagogue · The synagogue was completed in 1917, a domed building that mixes Art Nouveau with Byzantine forms. It was damaged on Kristallnacht in 1938 but not destroyed, was restored after the war and is again the home of the city's Jewish community, with the Jewish Museum Swabia in the same building.
St. Moritz Church · Badly damaged in the war, the church was given a new interior by the British architect John Pawson, reopened in 2013. It is almost entirely white and lit by soft daylight, a calm contrast to the baroque churches nearby.
Lutherstiege, St. Anna · In 1518 Luther stayed at the Carmelite monastery of St. Anna while he was being questioned in the city. The small museum on the stairs where he is said to have lodged tells the story of the Reformation in Augsburg.
Augsburg Cathedral · The five prophet windows in the south wall of the nave date from around 1100 and are among the oldest figurative stained glass still in its original place. Next door, in the bishop's palace, the Augsburg Confession of the Lutheran princes was read to the emperor Charles V in 1530.
St. Ulrich and Afra · At the top of Maximilianstraße a large Catholic basilica and a smaller Protestant church stand wall to wall, both named after St. Ulrich. The pair became the symbol of the city's hard-won parity between the two faiths.

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Getting to Augsburg and getting around

Augsburg Hauptbahnhof · About 30-45 minutes to Munich; from the station a tram tunnel and a short walk lead to the old town
Königsplatz · The hub where almost every tram and bus line meets, on the edge of the old town

Cheap eats in Augsburg

Augsburg eats Swabian: Maultaschen, big pasta squares filled with meat and spinach, Kässpatzen with cheese and fried onions, and in late summer Zwetschgendatschi, a flat plum cake. The Stadtmarkt is the place for a cheap lunch standing up, with sausages, cheese and bread under one roof. Bakeries are everywhere and open early; a pretzel costs about a euro.

Stadtmarkt · Market halls for a standing lunch, about €5-12; closed on Sundays
Café im Alten Stadtbad · Coffee and cake beside the old baths, about €5-9
Café Dichtl · Old-style café and cake shop on Maximilianstraße; coffee and cake about €6-9
Konditorei Euringer · Pastry café by the Perlach tower; a slice of cake about €4-6
Cumpanum · Bakery on Maximilianstraße; bread, pretzels and sandwiches about €2-6
Markt-Gaststätte · Simple restaurant at the market for a hot Swabian lunch, about €10-16

Museums in Augsburg

Maximilian Museum · City history and the original fountain bronzes; give it 1.5 hours
Schaezlerpalais · Rococo ballroom and German masters; give it two hours
State Textile and Industry Museum · Working looms and fashion in an old mill, east of the centre
Brecht House · Bertolt Brecht's birthplace by a canal in the old town
Leopold Mozart House · The house where Mozart's father was born in 1719
Fuggerei Museum · A furnished flat showing life in the Fuggerei, included in the entry ticket

Holy places in Augsburg

Augsburg Synagogue and Jewish Museum Swabia · Synagogue and museum near the station; check opening times, bring ID
Kriegshaber Synagogue · Branch of the Jewish Museum, a short tram ride west; limited opening days
Augsburg Cathedral · Prophet windows from around 1100 and a Romanesque crypt
Basilica of St. Ulrich and Afra · Catholic basilica and Protestant church side by side
St. Anna's Church · The Fugger Chapel and the Luther museum on the stairs
St. Moritz Church · A white, minimalist interior by John Pawson on Maximilianstraße

Things to do in Augsburg with kids

Augsburger Puppenkiste · Marionette shows in German; book ahead, tickets about €10-15
Die Kiste puppet museum · The Puppenkiste's museum upstairs, with the famous TV puppets
Augsburg Eiskanal · Watch the kayakers from the banks, free; near the Hochablass weir
Augsburg Zoo · A large zoo south-east of the centre; half a day, tram and bus
Botanical Garden · Gardens and glasshouses beside the zoo, with a Japanese garden
Legoland Germany · The Lego theme park at Günzburg, about 45 minutes' drive west; a full day

Where to eat in Augsburg

Ratskeller · Swabian dinner under the town hall, mains about €15-25
Riegele Wirtshaus · Brewery tavern near the station, mains about €14-22
Bauerntanz · Old-town inn in a lane off Maximilianstraße, Swabian mains about €13-22
Zeughaus Stuben · Restaurant and beer garden at Elias Holl's old arsenal, mains about €13-22
König von Flandern · Brewpub in a cellar on Maximilianstraße, mains about €12-20
Die Ecke · A long-established restaurant behind the town hall; finer dining, mains about €25-40

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Frequently asked questions about Augsburg

What is there to see in Augsburg?

The top sights in Augsburg are Fuggerei, Town Hall and Golden Hall and Perlach Tower. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Augsburg?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Augsburg without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Augsburg?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Augsburg, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: From weavers to bankers.

How do you get to Augsburg and get around?

The main ways are Augsburg Hauptbahnhof and Königsplatz. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Augsburg, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Augsburg that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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