Augsburg

Augsburg is the administrative capital and local center of Bavarian Swabia. From 1276 until nearly the end of the Holy Roman Empire, Augsburg was a "free imperial city", nominally subject to nobody but the Emperor but de facto self-governing as a city state.

By train

• Augsburg Central Train StationAugsburg is connected to Germany's efficient train system, however the fact that the line via Ingolstadt is faster means that only a fraction of the ICEs departing Munich stop here. Still there are options to pretty much the rest of Germany or you can double back via Munich if it better aligns with your departure times or you get a cheap ticket.
  At least once per hour a Regionalbahn train leaves from Munich's Hauptbahnhof (Main Train Station) towards Augsburg. The ride last about 50 min. Regional trains between Augsburg and Munich always have "Fugger Express" written on them, this is important for finding the right ones. They usually continue in the direction of Ulm or Donauwörth after Augsburg Central Station. So make sure to get out as soon as you see "Augsburg Hauptbahnhof" as the next station. These regional trains usually run twice every hour.
  For fans of scenic trains going to Augsburg from Munich, it is recommended to take Munich's S4 to the end station - Geltendorf. From here, you can get the BRB to Augsburg Central Station, with very nice landscapes between Geltendorf and Mering. But note, that this train (Geltendorf-Augsburg) usually only runs once per hour and this takes longer than directly going from Munich. So you might have to spend time in Geltendorf, which is really a small village with not much to do. At least, there is an Ihle bakery next to the train station and you can for a walk to the Sankt Ottilien monastery. Here, you get a feeling how Bavaria is very far away from usual tourist routes. On a nice day though, it's absolutely worth doing this trip. Of course, both trains here can also be used with Bayernticket. Parts of the S-train between Buchenau and Geltendorf go right through the forest, so they can be scenic too.

By plane

Augsburg is most easily reached via train from Munich Airport (MUC). You will first need to take the S-Bahn or to München Hauptbahnhof (Munich main train station), a 45-min ride, before you can catch a train to Augsburg. Plan at least 2 hr in total from Munich Airport to Augsburg (as you can see taking a bus or private transfer will be much faster). It is best to purchase a Bayern-Ticket (Bavaria Ticket) from one of the ticket machines located in the train station. A Bayern-Ticket allows one (along with up to four other friends) to travel within Bavaria using all regional trains (no InterCity Express) and city transportation (trams, buses, etc.) It is valid from 09:00 (on weekdays) or from 00:00 (on weekends) to 03:00 the following day. The Bayern-Ticket costs €25 for one person, and €6 for each additional person (maximum of 4 additional people). You can also use a Bayern-Ticket Nacht (Bavaria Night Ticket), which is valid Sunday to Thursday from 18:00 to 06:00 the next day, and Friday to Saturday, from 18:00 until 07:00 the next day. It costs €23-35 if you book online or at the ticket machine.
Other airports are in Stuttgart (STR) which is also connected by train, and Memmingen Airport (FMM) connected by bus.

• Augsburg AirportA general aviation airfield

By car

About 80 km from Munich and 160 km from Stuttgart just south of the A8.

By public transportation

Augsburg has efficient transportation system with seven main tram (German: Straßenbahn) lines and several bus lines which cover the whole urban and suburban areas. These lines run daily from around 04:30 to 00:30. The buses from Thursday to Sunday travel all night (24 hr).
See a plan of the AVV lines.
With AVV tickets, you can also use every regional train within the Augsburg region (but you can't go to Munich or Ulm with AVV). The BRB rail network operated from Augsburg Hbf is a suburban train connecting suburbs and even more villages to Augsburg`s center. A suburban train system (S-Bahn, just like in many other German cities) is planned to follow the BRB and regional routes.
You can buy a 24-hr ticket, a single ticket for €5.80, or a family ticket for €7.40. You must purchase a ticket and stamp it each time you enter a streetcar or bus. Riding without a ticket (German: schwarzfahren, literally "black riding") will get you a €60 fee and a visit with the police.
The Bayern-Ticket (Bavaria Ticket) is valid in Augsburg and you will not be required to purchase additional tickets for using the Augsburg transportation system.

By bike

Augsburg it is a great idea to explore this city by bike.
Bikes can be rented on several bus stations from the "Stadtwerke", and at some bike stores in Augsburg:

• Zweirad Bäuml

  address: Jakoberstr. 70

• UNI - RAD

  address: Salomon-Idler-Str. 26

• GEPE Sportgeräteverleih UG

  address: Reisingerstr. 27

• Bertolt Brecht Haus

  address: Auf dem Rain 7
  The birthplace of the writer.

• Fuggerei

  address: Fuggerei 56
  The Fuggerei is the world's oldest social housing complex and dates back to 1516. 160 people still live in this complex. The rent of an apartment today is only €1.

• Fugger Stadtpalast

  address: Maximilianstraße 36-38
  This 16th-century renaissance building is the former residence of Jakob Fugger.

• Maximilianmuseum

  address: Fuggerplatz 1
  Displays various topics connected with Augsburg.

• RathausCity hall built in the 17th century by Elias Holl.

  In the 2nd story the Goldener Saal (Golden Hall) is located which has a small entrance fee.

• Römisches Museum

  address: Dominikanergasse 15
  Museum in the 16th-century church St. Magdalena, containing Roman artefacts found in and around Augsburg.

• Schaetzlerpalais

  address: Maximilianstraße 46
  Displays art from Baroque and Rococo eras.The Rokoko hall is at least as striking as Goldener Saal.

• Augsburg ZooOld zoo of medium size.

• MozarthausLeopold Mozart's birthplace. Now this house hosts an interesting museum which is dedicated to Leopold Mozart and his son Wolfgang A. Mozart. The Mozarthaus is closed until mid-2019 due to the renovation of the exhibition space.

• TextilmuseumAugsburg's newest museum broaches the issue of the city`s drapery industry. If you are interested in history, this is very interesting as it shows the economical history of Germany on the example of the drapery in Augsburg - also very interesting for anyone who is interested in technical functions of clothing production. Every 2 hours (10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00) retired clothing engineers show the functions of old machines featured in the drapery production. This costs an extra €1. It`s very crowded on Sundays. There is also a restaurant/café inside the restaurant, called Nino. It's good, though a bit expensive. To get here from the city center, take tram 6 in the direction Friedberg until Textilmuseum. Then cross the street and go left through a area full of unused old factories, it reflects the presence of drapery industry in Augsburg. The museum is in an old factory hall.

• Synagogue

  phone: +49 821 513658
  address: Halderstraße 6-8
  Augsburg's beautiful synagogue was built between 1914 and 1917 in an "Art Nouveau" style with oriental elements. It is one of the very few synagogue buildings in Germany that survived the Nazi regime mostly intact. Today, it's still in use by the local Jewish congregation, and also houses the Jewish Museum Augsburg Swabia. Guided tours in English are available by appointment.

• Water management system of AugsburgIn the 14th century a system of canals and watertowers were constructed in the city to provide hydraulic power among other things. This system was very innovative for its time and as such it has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

• Augsburger PuppenkisteModern and classic fairy tales are played at the Augsburger Puppenkiste . The stars on strings are so endearing and the sets so elaborate that even non-German speakers (and non-kids) will enjoy a show. It's often sold out; make advance reservations or check with the tourist office for remaining tickets.

• Altstadt (Old Town)Going on a walk in the narrow alleys of Augsburg's historic district is highly recommended. You can find places with a very nice flair. Great for taking pictures of typical medieval European cities. No street is straight, everything is slightly bend and the alleys are small. The historic center is the 3rd largest in Germany after Hamburg's and Cologne's. Stroll around or walk along the historic water ways.

• ChristkindlmarktAugsburg is known for having one of the biggest and most beautiful Christmas markets. It usually starts the last weekend in November and closes on 24 December. Make sure to go to Rathausplatz and the surrounding areas hosting this market if you are in Augsburg in December. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 18:00 the Engelesspiel takes place where 24 people dressed as angels appear in front of the town hall (Rathaus). Make sure to try the Glühwein (mulled wine). You can also get a bottle as a souvenir. For food, there are many stalls selling German fast food like Bratwurst or Schupfnudeln.

• SportsIf sports is your thing, you might want to go to a ice hockey match of Augsburger Panther or to a football (soccer) match of FC Augsburg. Both are in the first German league of their sport and the locals are very enthusiastic about their teams,This means, it is not easy to get tickets. Also, as they are not present on international level (like for example Bayern Munich) the online sales are only in German. The best way to get tickets might be just asking in the ticket store next to the town hall (here you can also get tickets for theater and concerts in town) or (football only) in FCA-Café in Bahnhofsstraße. FCA-Café also serves coffee for €1 (very cheap!) and merchandising. The ice hockey stadium can be reached by tram 4 in the direction Augsburg Nord, get off at Bruntal. The soccer stadium, which is very far away from the center,also gets an own tram line on match days running from Königsplatz. Look out for a tram that has a football on the screen that usually indicates the final station. You also get back after the game with those. If you don`t get a ticket, you might watch the game with locals in a sports bar like Elfer (under the section Drink), which has a similar atmosphere.

• Cycling in the nearby forestsFor information about bike rental, look in the "Get around" section above. In the summer it's a nice idea to go on a cycling tour in the nearby Stadtwald city forest. Therefore, you should follow national road 300 direction Friedberg until the Lech river and then turn right. You will find yourself on a great cycling track next to the river with a forest on the right side. If you want to make it a longer tour, you can cycle all the way down to Mandichosee (approximately 7 km from the city center), a barrier lake of Lech River. In the summer, many people come here to relax and swim. If you are too lazy to ride back to Augsburg, you might just follow the street signs to "Bahnhof Mering Sankt Afra" and take a train (the Munich-Augsburg regional route stops here each 30 minutes as well as the Augsburg-Geltendorf and Augsburg-Mering BRB trains; so in total you won't have to wait too long for a train to Augsburg here), the one-way fare for Augsburg main station is €3.70 for adults and €2.50 for children. Eating possibilities include Waldgaststätte Jagdhaus about midway between Mandichosee and Augsburg and Waldgaststätte Friedenau close to the Mandichosee. To find them, it's best to look up for signs or ask locals. It is also recommended to take a lunch bag and have a break at some nice place along the Lech river.

Augsburg is a lively university town, a city for business and recreation. Enjoy the benefits like traditional pubs, theater, museums and lots of shopping facilities. You find many retail shops in the pedestrian zone, but don't miss to go downhill (e.g. via Judenberg) to the "Altstadt" with its unique shops! There is also a larger mall (City Galerie) with common brands and big stores, busy on weekends. For souvenirs, go to the Rathausplatz, find Augsburg-umbrellas and Brecht T-shirts. The local brewery Riegele sells giftboxes with 6 types of beer!

Augsburg is famous for its plum cake, called Zwetschgendatschi, and Bosna, a sausage coming in a bun with hot sauce and onions. Also, try Kässpatzen (cheese sparrows) a popular hand made pasta dish topped with melted mountain cheese and served with caramelized onions.

Budget

• Asia-Imbiß Ginseng

  address: Karlstraße 5
  Fresh Asian food for little money. Friendly stuff.
• Koh Samui, Königsplatz. Fresh and good Thai food, friendly service.

• Arkadas Döner

  address: Maximilianstraße 64
  Most popular doner kebab & other Turkish food in the middle of the city. Good for a snack at night when visiting the bars in Maximilianstraße.

• Aspendos

  address: Bahnhofstraße
  Very good doner kebab as well, also has many other Turkish dishes. You should taste the cheese Börek here. Quite full for lunch because many people come in their work breaks. Very central, close to the train station (if you use it to leave or to come to Augsburg).

• Fastwok

  address: Hermann-Köhl-Str. 28
  Very cheap, clean and friendly chinese fastfood - looks like a McDonald's but offers Chinese food instead of burgers. It's in the middle of the university district.

• Nam HoaLocal chain of Asian fast food, very cheap and really yummy! (€2.50 for a noodle dish that makes you full.) Has 3 central restaurants, one in Bahnhofsstraße close to the train station, one in the middle of the Königsplatz tram stop and one on Moritzplatz, close to the tram stop. Lots of students come here to eat.

• Razz Fazz Finger food

  address: Moritzplatz
  Falafel and samosas lovingly made from fresh ingredients. The food is take-away. Healthiest (and filling) vegetarian fast food in all the city for a cheap price.
• Bab-L, Oberer Graben (next to City Galerie and Vogeltor). Best Falafel in town. The owner is very friendly and makes sure you feel at home.
• Kichererbse, on Judenberg, another great small Falafel shop. Cool owner as well.

• Cosmos Heart Cafe

  address: Traunerpassage
  Small, bright and cozy hippie cafe with teas, coffee, and light vegetarian food like sandwiches, bagels and homemade cake. At midday lunch is served. The staff are very friendly and bilingual. Quiet and intimate.
• The Stadtmarkt or city market, enter from Fuggerstraße or Annastraße, has fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and cheese as well as the Fleischhalle and Viktualienhalle, which have various budget options available, including typical Bavarian, Greek, Thai, sushi and more. The stalls are only open during lunch time and are popular among locals. Closed on Sundays.
• As almost everywhere, bakeries are also a good choice for snacks. A bit more expensive, but of highest quality is Cumpanum (located at the northern end of Annastraße) and Augsburg based Laxgang is worth a visit as well (their shop at the end of Milchberg, close to Puppenkiste) is worth a visit.
• McDonald's, etc., are present everywhere in the city, as usual in Germany

Mid-range

• Joe Peña's

  address: Müllerstraße 19
  Mexican restaurant with really good food, beer garden and nice atmosphere.

• Vapiano

  address: Fuggerstr. 20
  Fast food Italian restaurant, a franchise which is opening shops all around Germany. Nice but not really cheap. The food is basically different kinds of salads, pasta and pizza.
• Cafe Dichtl, at Moritzplatz, traditional Cafe house with an exquisit selection of cakes and sweet pastries as well as pralines and chocolates. On sunday there is a all you can eat buffet for about 10€, don't worry, the slices are small so you can try many different things.

• Cafe Il Gabbiano

  address: Predigerberg 20
  Upper mid-range italian cafe & restaurant, good food for fair prices, great atmosphere

• Thing

  address: Vorderer Lech 45
  Bavarian "Biergarten" (although not a real one, since in a real Biergarten it's usual to bring your own food and only buy the beverages there) - good german food, nice atmosphere, in the middle of the "Altstadt" (historic district) and also 5 minutes by foot away from the City Galerie. Best for Kässpatzen.

• Riegele Wirtshaus

  address: Frölichstraße 26
  Next to Augsburg's Riegele brewery, this is a good place for fresh beer and typical Swabian cuisine, of course with a beer garden for summer. Apart from the beer, you should also try Riegele`s ,,Chabeso", a citron lemonade that is rated amongst the best existing. You can get them in the Wirtshaus or buy them in supermarkets, though they are only sold in Augsburg and suburbs. Sometimes there are guided tours of the brewery, you can ask at the restaurant. They cost €14.50 but include food and of course tasting the beers.

• Wirtshaus am Lech

  phone: +49 821 707074
  address: Leipziger Straße 50
  A great place to compare Swabian and Bavarian cuisines, this family owned and run restaurant has a spacious Biergarten too.

• Kappeneck

  phone: +49 821 512660
  address: Kappeneck 30
  High quality and regional but modern cuisine. Great pizza and constantly changing seasonal menue. Outside seating.

Splurge

• Maximilian's - Steigenberger Drei MohrenBeing part of the luxury hotel Steigenberger Drei Mohren, the Restaurant Maximilian's offers all kinds of expensive (but not excessively expensive) food.

• Der Katzlmacher im Milano

  phone: +49 821 38472
  address: Kapuzinergasse 24
  One of the Italian restaurants in town, expensive but high quality. Reservation recommended.

In Augsburg there are several beer gardens, don't not all have facili children's playground, what is written in the Munich travel guide about beer gardens also applies to Augsburg's beer gardens (Link to Beer gardens and beer halls in Munich travelguide). The Riegele beer garden is a good place to go to in Augsburg: it is located close to the central train station and right next to the Riegele brewery.

Clubs and bars

A good part of Augsburg's night life takes place in Maximilianstraße and the historic district right beneath the Maximilianstraße. There is great diversity in the type of clubs and bars, ranging from disco to student bars. It is a great idea to go see more than one place and find out which is the most comforting to you. Luckily, in generally, Augsburg's night life is a lot cheaper than in Munich or other big cities.

• ElferCalled "Eleven", if there is a football (soccer) game going on in Germany and you want to see it with locals in a typical German sports bar, this is the place in Augsburg to go. It can get very crowded here so if you like sitting you better show up early (at least 30 minutes before the game).

• City Club

  address: Konrad-Adenauer-Allee 9, 86150 Augsburg
  Alternative, berlin like techno club and cafe. Occasional theater performances.]

• Beim Weissen Lamm

  address: Ludwigstr. 23
  Cafe by day, pub and sometimes even a club by night. Living-room atmosphere with retro mismatched chairs and sofas salvaged from somewhere. Red walls and wallpaper. Nice music, good drinks. On the opposite side of the street are Panda Club and Soho Stage.

• Kantineelectronic music and concert venue

• Kesselhaus

  phone: +49 8214 555550
  address: Riedingerstraße 26 i, 86153 Augsburg
  Large dance music club in an impressive industrial location with international DJ lineups.

• RockfabrikHuge club, very popular amongst the youth. Many of them even come from Munich or Ulm just to go to this club. Unfortunately this also means they already drank a lot a beer in the regional trains, so there are many drunk people here that might cause some trouble. But the club itself is nice: It plays rock music and has several dancefloors and bars. A very funny fact is that this once was a Rockfabrik (English: skirt factory), and now it is a Rockfabrik (meaning: rock music factory).

• TouchThis club is very popular amongst students.

• Augsburg has a fairly good gay scene, one gay bar in particular is OKI's.

Budget

Augsburg has some cheap places to stay. One is the Jugendherberge the other is a private hostel

• Übernacht Hostel

  phone: +49 821 45542828
  address: Karlstraße 4

• Jugendherberge

Mid-range

• Holiday Inn Express

  address: Nagahama-Allee 77
  Modern furnished, but some style casualties. Free internet (if you ask). Basic but good and adequate breakfast. Limited parking. 3 min to shopping mall, 15-min walk to city hall.

Splurge

• Steigenberger

  phone: +49 821 5036-0
  address: Maximilianstraße 40

• Dorint An der Kongresshalle

  phone: +49 821 5974-0
  address: Imhofstraße 12

Augsburg is very safe. Virtually all crimes are domestic violence, drug abuse or drunk people getting in a fight at a bar.
Augsburg also tends to be pretty safe at night. Don't be afraid to use the small and poorly lit alleys in the historic district, since these are beautiful especially after dark!

• Dachau
• Munich
• Ulm