Ingolstadt

Although it counts over 130,000 citizens today, some people still call it a village, since it can't keep up with the big city charm of Munich or Nuremberg. Historically Ingolstadt is mainly known for the Reinheitsgebot (the arguably first law for the purity of beer), hosting the first Bavarian university and having large military fortress facilities. The latter is the reason, why many citizens of Ingolstadt still call themselves Schanzer (from verschanzen: to fortify). It is also the city, where Adam Weishaupt founded the Illuminati, and the popular novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley takes place in. It is also the home of the headquarters of the car manufacturer Audi.

By plane

Munich Airport (MUC) is 70 km (45 mi) south of the city and the closest international airport. By train Munich Central Station (München Hauptbahnhof) is about 35 min by ICE high-speed train or 60 min by local train away from Ingolstadt and the journey costs approximately €17. Since one has to go there first by suburban train (S-Bahn) line S1, which takes approx. 50 min, and then change there to get on a train to Ingolstadt, it is a lot quicker and more convenient to take the bus. If you are a party of up to 5 people and travel on a tight budget, though, you may consider taking the train, as there exists a cheap ticket (Bayernticket) for €25 (+€4 for every extra person up to a party of 5), which is valid for the S-Bahn, the train and also some buses. However you can not take an ICE or IC train with that ticket!
From Munich Airport there is a bus called "Airport Express X109". A one-way ticket is €19 and a return ticket €31. The bus takes about an hour to the center of Ingolstadt, stopping there at the central bus station (ZOB). It leaves every 90 min between 5:15 and 0:15 at Terminal 2, level E03, passing by Terminal 1, area A/B three minutes later and at Munich Airport Center (MAC) another four minutes later. More information can be obtained here.
Nuremberg Airport (NUE) is north of Ingolstadt, so also rather close by and can be reached easily by train and subway. From the airport you take the subway U-Bahn U2 to Nürnberg Hbf (U-Bahn) (Central Station). The ride takes some 13 min. There you change to a train (another 40 min ride to Ingolstadt).

• Ingolstadt Manching AirportMostly a military airport, it does have a civilian section and is used for general aviation as well as flights by VW and Audi between Ingolstadt and Wolfsburg

By train

• Ingolstadt Hauptbahnhof (HBF)As the name implies, this is by far the most important station in town and it sees ICE service among others

• Ingolstadt NordThis is a secondary station with mostly regional service. It is slightly closer to the historical old town than the main station

By car

Ingolstadt is located on autobahn A 9 about halfway between Munich and Nuremberg with the exits Ingolstadt Nord (61) and Ingolstadt Süd (62).

By bus

Flixbus serves Ingolstadt mostly stopping close to the Nordbahnhof.

By bus

Ingolstadt has a decent bus network, which is operated by the INVG (Ingolstädter Verkehrsgesellschaft). All parts of the town and most of the surrounding villages are reachable. During the day (05:00-21:00) you can catch a bus every 15-60 min. During the night, the service is reduced and special night lines, recognizable by the letter N proceeding their number, are employed.

By taxi

Most taxis are organized by the Ingolstadt Taxi Central Office, where you can order a car by phone (+49 841 19410). Most of the drivers speak at least fragments of English and should know most of the hotels, clubs and other points of interest in the city by name. However, during the weekend night party rush hours, you will have a hard time getting a taxi by phone or on a taxi stand, especially when you try to get out of the city. In the latter case, try to move to the outskirts of the city in the direction of your destination. Most of the taxis will try to go back into the city and you have a bigger chance to intercept these on the outskirts than in the center. And even if you don't get one, you're better off making pace in your direction than standing in the city center and waiting. You can get to most places in town for about €10-15. The drivers are usually able to estimate the price quite well, but are legally required to charge exactly according to the price meter, calibrated by local authorities. When you leave the so-called Pflichtfahrgebiet (area where the driver is obligated to accept passengers), which covers the town an some of the surrounding villages, you can negotiate a price with the driver.

By bike

A very good way to get around in Ingolstadt is to use a bike. Most of the main streets have bicycle lanes and you are able to get through parks and other areas you would have to go around by car. Remember to set up your bike for traffic safety, though, (especially with working front and back lights) and strictly follow traffic regulations. Bavarian police officers are very fussy about that. Getting a €100 fine for driving on red lights with your bike in the middle of nowhere without anyone around except for the police man 500 m (550 yd) behind you is common.

Historical Buildings

All the historic buildings are found in or near the historical city center and are within walking distance of one another.

• Herzogskasten

  address: Hallstraße 2
  Literally translated "The Duke's Box" this old castle built in 1255 is the oldest profane building in the city. Today it hosts the city library.

• Kreuztor

  address: Kreuzstraße & Oberer Graben
  Built in 1385 it is the best preserved part of the old city wall and is one of the city's landmarks. Most of the time it is closed and can only be seen from the outside, but was opened for a short period of time recently, since a group of locals is collecting donations for a renovation of the inside.

• Liebfrauenmünster

  phone: +49 841 934150
  address: Kreuzstraße & Konviktstraße
  Built 1425-1525 by Louis IX, Duke of Bavaria (aka Louis the Rich), this is the biggest church of Ingolstadt. Late gothic architecture, the tomb of famous Ingolstadt scholars and the artistic interior make it a renowned place for visiting.

• Maria de Victoria Church

  address: Neubaustraße 1
  Hidden in the narrow streets of the historic city center, this is a jewel of baroque art, especially the fresco on the ceiling.

• Old City Hall

  address: Rathausplatz 2
  Dating back to the 14th century, this building was created by fusing different buildings into one in 1882. It is the seat of the mayor and - what might be of interest to a traveller even more - the city's tourist information.

• Reduit Tilly and Klenzepark

  address: Brückenkopf 2
  South of the inner city, on the right side of the river Danube, lies the Reduit Tilly, the core building of the classical Brückenkopf (Bridge Head) fortress. You can either visit the WWI exhibition of the Bavarian Army Museum inside or take a walk around the surrounding park area (Klenzepark).

• St. Moritz Church

  phone: +49 821 3479860
  address: Moritzstraße 4
  Dating back to 1234 this church is the oldest building of Ingolstadt.

Museums

• Audi Forum and Museum Mobile

  phone: +49 841 8937575
  address: Ettinger Straße 62
  Ingolstadt is known for the famous car manufacturer Audi and a museum dedicated to the history of the company can be found here. The museum is also the starting point for guided tours through the factory, which should be booked well in advance.

• Bavarian Army Museum

  phone: +49 841 93770
  address: Paradeplatz 4
  The museum is separated into two locations. The Neues Schloss, a former duke's residence and part of the city wall, hosts a collection of military artifacts from different eras as well as a bunch of replicas. The Reduit Tilly, a part of the former state fortress in Klenzepark hosts a WWI exhibition. The latter is a very interesting and well structured museum, with exhibits and documents from the era and some short films which summarize the regarded history. The Army Museum is renovated bit by bit at the moment (2019), so some parts may be closed. Many of the captions are in German and they have something of a pro-Bavarian and politically conservative slant but the original exhibits are interesting even if you don't subscribe to their view of history.

• German Medical History Museum

  phone: +49 841 3052860
  address: Anatomiestraße 18-20
  The former building of the medical department of the old university hosts Germany's first museum for medical history. It shows an outline of medical science from the Antique until today. A special highlight is the garden of medicinal plants, which has special features for blind and handicapped people. Photographing is prohibited within the facilities (excluding the gardens).

Family friendly

There's a playground next to Police Museum at Klenzepark. Free and open year round.

• Frankenstein tour

  address: Griesmühlstraße & Poppenstraße in the courtyard of Hohe Schule
  Ingolstadt's old university is the setting for the experiments of Mary Shelley's notorious doctoro. Starting from there, an actor in the role of Dr. Frankenstein takes groups of tourists and locals on a tour of the dark history of Ingolstadt. Actors in monster costumes, who scare the crowd, and witch burnings are mixed in with historical facts. Tours are between March, 21st and December, 21st and take approx 90 min. The Frankenstein Tour has to be booked in advance. Tickets are available at the tourist office in the Old City Hall.

• Guided city tours

  phone: +49 841 3053035
  address: Rathausplatz 2
  Take a guided tour through the historical inner city. The city tourist office offers different guided tours: a historic tour (by a actor impersonating a famous historic figure of Ingolstadt), a tour of the fortifications, and guided cycling tours. Starting point of any of these tours is the tourist information office in the Old City Hall.

Seasonal Events

• Beer festivals

  address: Volksfestplatz, Dreizehnerstraße
  Ingolstadt has two traditional Bavarian beer festivals (think Oktoberfest in small) lasting ten days each. The first and bigger one starts the Friday before Pentecost and is therefore known as the Pfingstfest. Herbstfest (autumn festival), the second one, starts on the Friday before the last Sunday in September, running in parallel to the second week of Oktoberfest. You can find beer tents, food, rides, games and stalls. It is a bit more traditional than Oktoberfest and not as bustling, but in the evenings (especially on Friday and Saturday) the beer tents become full blown party areas.

• Barthelmarkt

  address: Barthelmarktstraße 8, 85077 Manching
  Even bigger than Ingolstadt's own beer festivals is the Barthelmarkt (St. Bartholomew market) in the village of Oberstimm, just South of Ingolstadt. Originally a horse market, it is now the biggest beer festival in the region, with its four beer tents being jam packed from early morning to late night. It happens on the last weekend in August, including Friday and Monday. Monday morning's horse market is the traditional highlight of the event.

• AdventszauberOn Christmas, the historic inner city transforms into a seasonal event. The heart is traditional Christkindlmarkt (Christmas Market), with wooden stalls selling food, Christmas gimmicks, Glühwein (lit. "glowing wine", warm seasoned wine) and other things, a merry-go-round and a story-teller. Another highlight is the outdoor ice skating rink in front at Paradeplatz.

• Classical music open air

  address: Klenzepark
  Each summer Audi sponsors a series of classic music concerts, with the classical music open air being the arguable highlight. For a weekend in July, a stage is built onto the large lawn in the Klenzepark. The Georgian Chamber Orchestra and the Audi Wind Orchestra each play one evening. Bring a picnic set, sit down and listening to the music sounding around the old classical fortress walls. There is also a fireworks show.

Sports

• Soccer game at Audi Sportpark

  phone: +49 841 9374000
  address: Am Sportpark 1
  If you think the German Ice Hockey can't hold a candle to US or Canadian Ice Hockey, and you want to see a sport, which Germany is supposed to be really good at, why don't you try association football, Germany's national sport. Ingolstadt has a young professional club – Die Schanzer – which oscillates between second (right now) and first league.

• Ice hockey game at Saturn Arena

  phone: +49 841 8818800
  address: Südliche Ringstraße 64
  Visit a ice hockey game of the ERC Ingolstadt, Ingolstadt's Premier League Ice Hockey Club and the German champion of 2013/14. During the season there is normally at least one home game per week.

• Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI)

  phone: +49 841 93480
  address: Esplanade 10
  Previously known as University of applied sciences, this is Ingolstadt's very own university offering a broad spectrum of courses.

• Ingolstadt School of Management (WFI)

  address: Auf der Schanz 49
  The department for business administration of the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. Next to normal international studying programs, this institution offers a two weeks Summer School program each year, which can be easily incorporated into your traveling.

• Ingolstadt Village

  phone: +49 841 8863100
  address: Otto-Hahn-Straße 1
  Big outlet center for famous brands, including Bogner, Boss, Calvin Klein, Jimmy Choo, Lacoste, and Versace.

• WestPark Shopping Center

  phone: +49 841 4932128
  address: Am Westpark 6
  Big two story shopping arcade with a vast variety of shops, restaurants and cafés. Free parking is available. An attached entertaiment center contains the biggest cinema of the city.

Budget

• Viktualienmarkt

  address: Am Viktualienmarkt
  Get a cheap meal in a relaxed venue. The market is much smaller than its famous pendant in Munich, but you will see more locals drinking their wheat beer and hardly any tourists. There are many stalls, which offer typical Bavarian dishes, but you find also Turkish, Italian and Hungarian offers, among others. Recommendation: Get shashlik with french fries and a wheat beer at Daufratshofer (German: Schaschlik mit Pommes und Weizen) .

• Wochemarkt

  address: Theaterplatz
  If you want to make your own dishes and like fresh ingredients, there is a traditional market where you can buy from local shops and farmers.

• Würstelstube

  address: Ludwigstraße 27
  Get the (arguably) best sausages in Bavaria, served by the lovely Marianne. Eat inside and have a look at the epic picture of a monkey in traditional Bavarian costume eating Schweinebraten. Recommendation: Get the standard Wiener with strong mustard (scharfer Senf) and Brezen.

Mid-range

• Schanzer Rutschn

  phone: +49 841 3791733
  address: Kanalstraße 1A
  This place serves traditional Bavarian cuisine. The restaurant is in the basement of the building. To go there you can take stairs or a wooden slide (hence the name "Rutschn" which means slide in the Bavarian dialect).

Splurge

• AVUS

  phone: +49 841 8941071
  address: Ettinger Straße 62
  In the visitors area (Forum) of the car manufacturer Audi, the biggest employer in the city, is the AVUS restaurant. It offers very exquisite cuisine at corresponding prices.

Ingolstadt has a long tradition of beer culture. The Bavarian Reinheitsgebot, which became the German purity law for beer later, has its origin in Ingolstadt in the year 1516. Also the Hallertau region, the worlds biggest hops growing area, is just south-east of the city. Next to its big traditional breweries Herrnbräu and Nordbräu, Ingolstadt has seen a surge of micro breweries over the last decade. You can also get several other regional brands.
Around Pentecost and in autumn the beer festival takes place. It's similar to the Munich Oktoberfest but smaller and more traditional. During Lent you can get Starkbier (strong beer) like in most parts of Bavaria.

Beer gardens

• Antonius-Schwaige

  phone: +49 841 32680
  address: Antoniusschwaige 47
  One of Ingolstadt's oldest beer gardens. It has a traditional self service area, where you can bring your own food and only have to buy the drinks. You can get fresh grilled food.

• Das Mo

  phone: +49 841 33960
  address: Bergbräustraße 7
  A beer garden and pub in the inner city, often used as a meeting place for local students and other young folks. You can get traditional beer garden dishes in summer and a decent mix of cuisine in winter. People also gather to watch sport events on the screens allocated over the area.

• Kastaniengarten

  phone: +49 841 55541
  address: Gutsstraße 4
  The traditional beer garden on the outskirts of town is popular among locals in the beer garden season. A remarkable feature is, that you get a free tiny beer (0.1L) in the beer garden.

Bars

• Havana Bar

  phone: +49 841-9312512
  address: Kupferstraße 24
  Latin-American music and cocktails. During Happy Hour from 19:00-21:00 all cocktails cost €5.00.

• Sausalitos

  phone: +49 841 33660
  address: Theresienstraße 31
  Local branch of a Mexican themed cocktail bar chain. Popular among local university students and younger people. Broad selection of drinks and snacks.

• Swept Away

  phone: +49 841 9311679
  address: Donaustraße 14
  Caribbean themed cocktail bar and vegetarian restaurant, with a great choice of beverages and dishes and sometimes live music (a varying entrance fee might be charged in that case). It has a chillout zone, where you can relax on the floor on some cushions and a beer garden in front of the building for days with good weather.

• Rosengasse

  address: Kleine Rosengasse, 85049 Ingolstadt
  It doesn't get more hipster for a middle-sized Bavarian town

Clubs

• Amadeus

  address: Am Stein 9
  A club on two floors, with the upper floor being a chill out area with an outside smoking passage and the lower floor a rock club.

• Suxul

  phone: +49 841 3707231
  address: Theresienstraße 31
  Two floor dance club right next to resp. under Sausalitos. If you are into electronic music and meeting local party crowd, this club might be your best shot.

Budget

• Youth Hostel Ingolstadt

  phone: +49 841 3051280
  address: Friedhofstraße 4 1/2
  Old former fortress building with old military "charme". If you can live with long empty hallways that carry some noise, it's a cheap night of sleep. Membership in a Youth Hostel Association maybe required. Check ahead!

Mid-range

• Hotel Hecht

  phone: +49 841 58507
  address: Regensburger Straße 77
  A short walk east of the inner city in a more calm area. A bus stop is directly in front of the house.

• NH Ambassador Ingolstadt

  phone: +49 841 5030
  address: Goethestraße 153
  Just a short distance from the city centre, tourist attractions are easily accessible: Altmühl Nature Reserve, Ingolstadt Village, and the Audi Forum and World of Discovery.

Splurge

• Altstadthotel

  phone: +49 841 88690
  address: Gymnasiumsstraße 9
  Hotel with modern interior in the inner city.

• ARA-Hotel Comfort

  phone: +49 841 95550
  address: Theodor-Heuss-Straße 30
  Only a few meters away from KULT-Hotel and not less luxurious.

• Hotel Rappensbeger

  phone: +49 841 3140
  address: Harderstraße 3
  Very good hotel in the inner city. For the traveler who does not like to use his feet, there is a bus stop where most lines stop directly in front of the building.

• KULT-Hotel

  phone: +49 841 95100
  address: Theodor-Heuss-Straße 25
  Very classy hotel, located in the middle between the inner city, Audi and the autobahn.

Like most of Bavaria, Ingolstadt is very safe. Even in the more deprived areas in the north you are unlikely to run into any trouble. Use your common sense to avoid risky situations, though.
Additional to the (free) general German emergency lines (112 - General emergency/fire, 110 - Police) there's a direct (and also free) line to get an ambulance .

• LandshutThe capital of Lower Bavaria's main attractions are the quadrennial Landshut Wedding, which takes place in the well preserved medieval city center, and St. Martin's Church, the highest church in Bavaria.

• MunichThe capital of Bavaria, its biggest city and the place to go for culture and arts aficionados, is only 35 min away by train

• NurembergThe nearby biggest city of Franconia offers a wide range of interesting traveling destination, including the Nazi party rally grounds.

• RegensburgBeautiful medieval city at the shores of the river Danube, which is listed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its entirety.