Holiday in Augsburg

About Augsburg

Augsburg is one of the oldest cities in Germany, founded in 15 BC as the Roman military camp Augusta Vindelicorum. The third-largest city in Bavaria experienced its heyday during the Renaissance as a trading and financial metropolis of the Fugger and Welser — families that were more powerful than kings and controlled global trade. The Fuggerei is the oldest existing social housing complex in the world: Founded in 1521 by Jakob Fugger the Rich, needy Augsburg citizens still live here today for an annual rent of €0.88 — the historical price of a Rhenish gulden. The 67 houses with 142 apartments, a church, and its own wall form a city within a city. The Augsburg water management system was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019: Since the 15th century, the Augsburgers developed an innovative system of canals, water towers, and wells that provided drinking water and driving energy. Three monumental fountains (Augustus Fountain, Mercury Fountain, Hercules Fountain) from the Renaissance adorn Maximilianstraße. The Augsburg Puppet Theater is Germany's most famous marionette theater: Since 1948, Jim Knopf, Urmel, and the Sams have delighted children and adults alike. The museum in the historic Heilig-Geist-Spital showcases the original puppets. The Town Hall with its Golden Hall (1620) is considered the most significant Renaissance building north of the Alps: 14-meter high ceilings with gilded frescoes and portals — a testament to the wealth and self-confidence of the free imperial city.