Augsburg is a lovely city metropolitan 300,000 people and around 885,000 in the urban area in the German Bundesland (Federal State) of Bavaria (German: Bayern).

St. Peter and Rathaus(City Hall), the oldest secular Renaissance building north of the Alps

Understand

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.

Get in

By train

• 1 Augsburg Central Train Station (Hauptbahnhof). Augsburg 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 ^IATA). You will first need to take the S-Bahn  S1  or  S8  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 ^IATA) which is also connected by train, and Memmingen Airport (FMM ^IATA) connected by bus.

• 2NOT EXISTING LISTING IMAGE Augsburg Airport. A general aviation airfield  

By car

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

Get around

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, Jakoberstr. 70. 
• UNI - RAD, Salomon-Idler-Str. 26. 
• GEPE Sportgeräteverleih UG, Reisingerstr. 27. 

See

• 1 Bertolt Brecht Haus, Auf dem Rain 7. The birthplace of the writer. 
• 2 Fuggerei, 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.  
• 3 Fugger Stadtpalast, Maximilianstraße 36-38. This 16th-century renaissance building is the former residence of Jakob Fugger. 
• 4 Maximilianmuseum, Fuggerplatz 1. Displays various topics connected with Augsburg. 
• 5 Rathaus. City hall built in the 17th century by Elias Holl. 
• 6 Römisches Museum, Dominikanergasse 15. Tu-Su 10:00-17:00. Museum in the 16th-century church St. Magdalena, containing Roman artefacts found in and around Augsburg. Adult €5, concessions €3, children under 10 free. (updated Nov 2018)
• 7 Schaetzlerpalais, Maximilianstraße 46. Displays art from Baroque and Rococo eras. 
• 8 Augsburg Zoo (take bus 32 with the final station Zoo from the train station). Old zoo of medium size. 
• 9 Mozarthaus. Leopold 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. (updated Nov 2018)
• 10 Textilmuseum. Daily 09:00-18:00. Augsburg'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. Adults €4, concessions €3, Sunday €1, children under 18 are always free.  
• 11NOT EXISTING LISTING IMAGE Synagogue, Halderstraße 6-8 (Between the main train station and Königsplatz tram hub.), ☏ +49 821 513658, office@jkmas.de. Mo-Th 09:00-18:00; Fri 09:00-16:00; Su,PH 10:00-17:00. 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. Regular entrance 6€, Sundays free. (updated May 2019)

Do

• 1 Augsburger Puppenkiste. Modern 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. Going on a walk in the narrow alleys of Augsburg's historic district is highly recommended for visitors. You can find places with a very nice flair in here (especially away from lively areas like Maxstraße), that also are great spots for making photos of typical medieval European cities.The historic center is the 3rd largest in Germany behind only Hamburg and Cologne. Being in the city center, you won't have it hard to find a tram stop after you get out. Especially nice, also because of the small park nearby, are the alleys between Ulrichsplatz and Rotes Tor. 
• Christkindlmarkt. In Germany, Augsburg 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 come to Rathausplatz and the surrounding areas hosting this market, if you come to Augsburg in December (Tram stop: Rathausplatz). Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 18:00 there is the famous Engelesspiel where 24 people dressed as angels appear in front of the town hall (Rathaus). Augsburg Christmas Market is specifically known for this act. Make sure to taste Glühwein (spiced wine, boiled hot with fruits and cinnamon) on the Market, you might also take a bottle home as a souvenir. For food, there are many booths selling German fast food like Bratwurst - usually a bit expensive (concerning it is fast food and compared to their usual prices), but it tastes good. 
• Sports. If 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. (updated Jun 2017)
• Cycling in the nearby forests. For 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. 

Buy

Augsburg is a lively University town, a city for business and recreation. Enjoy the benefits like traditional pubs, theatre, 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), common brands, big stores, but at weekends it is very busy. For souvenirs, go to the Rathausplatz, find Augsburg-umbrellas and Brecht T-shirts. The local brewery Riegele sells giftboxes with 6 types of beer!

Eat

Augsburg is famous for its plum cake, called Zwetschgendatschi, and Bosna, a sausage coming in a bun with hot sauce and onions.

Budget

• Asia-Imbiß Ginseng, Karlstraße 5. Fresh Asian food for little money. Friendly stuff. 
• Arkadas Döner, 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. (updated Jun 2017)
• Aspendos, 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, 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 Hoa. Local 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, Moritzplatz (at the tram stop). 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. 
• Cosmos Heart Cafe, Traunerpassage (between Steingasse and Karolinenstraße, near Rathaus Platz). Small, bright and cozy 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 or vegetables as well as the Fleischhalle and Viktualienhalle, which have various budget options available, including typical Bavarian, Greek, Thai, sushi and more. A standard for the locals.
• As almost everywhere, bakeries are also a good choice for snacks. For budget travelers, the Augsburg chain Lechbäck is a tip: On some of their stores you can get coffee and a piece of cake for €1! Quite central is their store on Martin-Luther-Platz (behind the Karstadt shopping center). A bit more expensive, but from high quality is the Augsburg based Ihle. You can also try Zwetschgendatschi here.
• McDonald's, etc., are present everywhere in the city, as usual in Germany

Mid-range

• Joe Peña's, Müllerstraße 19 (near bus stop Stephingerberg). Mexican restaurant with really good food, beer garden and nice atmosphere. 
• Vapiano, Fuggerstr. 20 (near the theatre and the pedestrian precinct.). 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 Il Gabbiano, Predigerberg 20 (in the middle of the "Altstadt" (historic district)). Upper mid-range italian cafe & restaurant, good food for fair prices, great atmosphere 
• Thing, 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 
• 1 Riegele Wirtshaus, Frölichstraße 26 (go to the Central Train Station and turn Viktoriastraße left: the brewery is on the other side of Frölichstraße, in which Viktoriastraße ends). 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. 
• 2 Wirtshaus am Lech, Leipziger Straße 50, ☏ +49 821 707074, fax: +49 821 707084. Cooking F-W 11:00-14:00 & 18:00-21:30; cold platter menu after lunch and before supper. A great place to compare Swabian and Bavarian cuisines, this family owned and run restaurant has a spacious Biergarten too. €24.80 and less for mains. 

Splurge

• Maximilian's - Steigenberger Drei Mohren. Being 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, Kapuzinergasse 24, ☏ +49 821 38472. M-Sa 12:00-14:30; 18:00-22:30. One of the Italian restaurants in town, expensive but high quality. Reservation recommended. (updated Jun 2017)

Drink

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.

• Elfer (coming from Moritzplatz, you go down a Maxstraße and then turn left into Wintergasse; Elfer is on the right side (on the other side, there is the Römisches Museum)). Called "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). 
• Beim Weissen Lamm, Ludwigstr. 23 (near the theater). 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 is the disco & club Schwarzes Schaf. 
• Kantine (it's even further from the center than Rockfabrik, but you can get here with bus 35 direction "Pfersee Süd", get off at "Kulturpark West"; you can first go to "Oberhausen Bahnhof" with the suburban train or the tram and then get into bus 35, because bus 35 is some kind of a circle bus around the city center). Just like Rockfabrik, this club has a historical background: The whole area here is an old US casern from the occupation times. Here many concerts from different music genres take place, as well as parties every weekend. 
• 1 Kesselhaus (boiler house), Riedingerstraße 26 i, 86153 Augsburg, ☏ +49 8214 555550, info@kesselhaus.eu. Large dance music club in an impressive industrial location with international DJ lineups. 
• Rockfabrik (a bit outside of the center, take tram 4 (from Königsplatz/Moritzplatz) direction "Augsburg Nord", get off "Bärenwirt" and walk right over the bridge). Huge 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). 
• Touch (very central at Maxstraße, walk down from Moritzplatz - it is on the left side). This club is very popular amongst students. 
• Augsburg has a fairly good gay scene, gay bar in particular OKI's.

Sleep

Budget

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

• Übernacht Hostel, Karlstraße 4 (near the town hall), ☏ +49 821 45542828. 
• Jugendherberge. o

Mid-range

• 1 Holiday Inn Express, 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

• 2 Steigenberger, Maximilianstraße 40, ☏ +49 821 5036-0. 
• 3 Dorint An der Kongresshalle, Imhofstraße 12, ☏ +49 821 5974-0, info.augsburg@dorint.com. from €94.40 per room/night. (updated Sep 2017)

Stay safe

Augsburg is a very safe city, maybe nearly as safe as Munich. Virtually all crimes are domestic violence, drug abuse or drunk people getting in a fight at a bar, so no dangers for tourists, except if you get drunk and then get into a fight.

There is a drug scene in Augsburg, which has been a little more spread over the city after the police wiped them out of the Königsplatz. However, if you are not behaving very stupid (showing off as a tourist & having an easy pickable wallet or alike), you will not be bothered.

Augsburg also tends to be pretty safe at night. Don't be afraid of using the small and poorly lighted streets in the historic district, since this is one of the best areas in the city!

Go next

• Dachau
• Munich
• Ulm