If one is to enquire as to which is the most historically significant city of Germany along with also being popularly known to be the prettiest, the answer to this is surely: Augsburg. Sailing through the ancient streets of the city you will get to witness Mozart’s heritage along the very reasons which made it a prominent financial centre along with an internationally renowned trading hub and at the same time being the centre of the fine arts.
Augsburg is credited for shaping the history of Germany and Europe as a whole for the longest time. Back in the day the city held and provided its citizens the position of prominence and glamour. It was comparatively weather and more liberal than the other major cities of the time. The city almost as if it were to be proud because of the fountains which it adorned along with grand old guild-houses which beautified its appearance, right through its exquisite churches which almost could have put the Heaven itself feel slightly jealous. Then there was the Town Hall which is quite truly enough regarded for its beauty and being the most important Renaissance building north of the Alps. Together with all its classical and medieval structures – they form a cityscape which is none like the other and project a rare intensity.
One can quite skilfully and easily at times manage to distinguish between the many architectural styles such as the modern day baroque and Rococo from the art nouveau and the Classical and the influences of the Renaissance while travelling though the city. Augsburg is probably a rare city by design, where one can witness art and architecture of such variability at one spot. For the learned and the enthusiastic it is a matter of exuberance and an overwhelming feeling. Travellers who have been exploring the lands throughout the ages have, records have shown that they have particularly been fascinated by the grand, stately churches and the august cathedrals of Augsburg. These thousand year old buildings are laden with marvellous bronze portals and particularly the Basilica of St. Ulrich and St. Afra, they are unique because they carry the name derived out of the very city in which they are located.
Among the other marvels of the city has been the opulence and wealth of the Fugger dynasty. It emerged as powerhouse of capitalist countenance within a span of three generations. They generated their massive wealth out of mercantile and banking empire which stretched from the Adriatic reaching up to the North Sea and spanning from the Atlantic Ocean across to Eastern Europe.
Jakob Fugger along with his brothers is responsible for many of the earliest Renaissance buildings that have been on the soil of Augsburg. They also were the first to conceive a one of its kind social housing project, the Fruggerei along with the Fugger chapel in St. Anna. Jakob Fugger was reputed to be a man who possessed an unimaginable quantity of wealth which however is said to have been a mere morsel when compared with the fortune of his nephew, Anton Fugger. Researchers have mulled over this very information and concluded that Anton Fugger was the world’s richest individual in the mid-16th century. For this very reason Augsburg was fortified on sides, of which the continuous city walls were an integral part. Certain sections of these walls are still visible today.
Over the past few centuries it has been noted that many gold and silversmiths made Augsburg and its surrounding areas as their homes. Furthermore, their guild also in the due course established its name all throughout the region. Today, you can find the many of their works on display in the numerous museums and also exhibitions along with the commercial stores that are in existence.
Augsburg is also famous because the legendary composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born here. Annually, in the month of May the city conducts the festival titled as: Augsburg Mozart Festival. This festival has become an integral part of the cities tradition. It offers a great insight into Mozart’s life, music, philosophy along with details concerning his musican father, family and friends.
Another festival that Augsburg is famous for is the annually held Brecht Festival which is honoured by the most influential people of the city. It is a theatrical festival conducted in the honour of Bertolt Brecht who for the longest time had been a figure surrounded by controversy even in the eyes of the people of the city. His unpopularity and him being an eyesore was mainly because of his political background and affiliations along with the thematic concerns of his plays. Moreover, the city has now become rather appreciative of this accolade of theirs by the decree of the festival which they host in Brecht’s honour.
Schaezler Palais, a museum is another notable highlight of the city. It is among the many museums that can be found within the city which deal with the myriad time periods in history. Schaezler Palais is also a crucial architectural marvel as it is bestowed with rococo style which hails from the height of this tradition. It basically houses art collections. Museum of the Augsburger Puppenkiste is a unique museum which centres on the adorable string puppet theatre. The most fascinating feature of the city is that, at the time of dusk in the numerous bars of the old town you can find some or the other individuals who are always on their toes to discuss Augsburg’s puppet theatre, Brecht or Mozart at length. In addition to that, do not forget to enquire about the deal with 8th of August. It is in-fact the only state approved public holiday which is interestingly celebrated only in the city of Augsburg. This day marks Augsburg’s High Peace Festival.
Following is a list of the must visit sites in Augsburg
- Mozart House: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s father, Leopold Mozart was himself a musician of a staggering reputation. Apart from being Wolfgang’s first music teacher he was also the first who witnessed and in many ways discovered his son’s exceptional skills. Leopold was born in Augsburg in the year 1719 at the very same spot which is today famous as Mozart House. Since their births in-fact there must not have been a single building, sculpture, monument or even the very essence the city which would have been devoid of the music of the Mozart. Their house was refurbished in the year 2006 and it now houses exhibitions of paintings, engravings along with drawings which relate to the Mozart family and the original instruments such as the Andreas Stein fortepiano which was played by Leopold and Wolfgang Amadeus.
- The Fuggerei: By its very design it was one of a kind along with being the first welfare housing settlement. This project was undertaken by the wealthy merchant, Jakob Fugger in the year 1516. This settlement was particularly for all those citizens who were hardworking but financially incapable of purchasing a house of their own. Such people were given houses which were well furnished to the extent that even cutleries were provided. Furthermore, this settlement was supported by eight lanes and protected within the confines of three gated walls. It was also known as the town within a town. This settlement had two storied houses which numbered 67 and 147 apartment styled houses. It also had a church of its own along with fountains, town walls and gates which today also close by 10 pm in the night. Surprisingly, even today as well the rent of an apartment in this settlement is just one Rhenish guilder which converts to about 88 Euro cents.
- Industrial architecture and modern art: Augsburg apart from being the city of particular historic interest, there are significant number of contemporary attractions. Within this category you get to visit some of the most outstanding modern art forums such as: the State Gallery of Modern Art in the Glaspalast and the famous H2 centre for contemporary art. Both of these centres are hallmarks of modern industrial architecture along with in close physical proximity to each other. This is one of the advantages which is seen by the tourists as they get to visit both of these sites which house modern art in just about a days’ worth of time.
- Augsburger Puppenkiste: It is indeed truly regarded as a world stage in miniature. The Augsburg puppet theatre or Augsburger Puppenkiste is a centre which houses over 6000 marionettes along with 60 years’ worth of history. Its fame and fortune are regarded all-over the world. Thus it is considered to be the most famous puppet theatre in existence today which has been entertaining since the year 1953. The Augsburg Puppet Theatre has its very own TV show in which you can find some of its popular characters such as: Luke the Engine Driver and his friend Jim Button from Lummerland, Robber Hotzenplotz, Urmel the Dinosaur, Mikesch the Talking Tomcat, Aladdin and his magic lamp and Mother Hulda along with Punch and Judy. This theatre also caters to the needs of adults by showcasing performances which suit their mature taste. Performances for adults take place in the evening.
- Jewish Culture Museum and Synagogue: The Jewish Culture Museum provides with various kinds of exhibitions on the lines of the history of the Jewish community in Augsburg and the rural Bavarian Swabia region. It also contains many religious and cultural artefacts associated with the community. You can find the museum within the Augsburg Synagogue which dates back to the time between 1914 and 1917. The construction has been conducted by using the elements from art nouveau, Byzantian and modernist styles. This building suffered massive damages in the year 1938 during the night of Broken Glass but its restoration work was finished in 1985. The opening hours of the museum are as follows:
- Between Tuesday and Thursday: 9am to 6pm,
- On Friday: 9am to 4pm,
- On Sunday and other public holidays: 10am-5pm
- The Golden Hall: Encompassing the German Late Renaissance period is the Golden Hall of Augsburg. The site is laden with rich, gold adorned ceremonial rooms and is located within the Town Hall of Augsburg. The ceiling of the Golden Hall is about 14 metres high and is clad with gold foils. This hall was completely destroyed in the year 1944 and then reinstated in the year 1996. Since its restoration, this hall has been used a range of purposes such as for ceremonies, conducting meetings, et cetera.
- The Cathedral of Augsburg: This cathedral boasts of an imposing tower which is 62 metres in height and in its entirety presents its silhouette which has a gorgeous appearance during certain hours of the day. It is also among the most widely visited attractions of Augsburg. The Cathedral of Augsburg was consecrated in the year 807 and since then has been representing the spirituality of the city. In the due course of the past thousand years the cathedral has undergone several transformations. Within this construction you can find numerous kinds of treasures which have been stored here. Among them are the romantic windows of the Prophets from the oldest glass painting series in the world. These panels carry illustrations made by Hans Holbein the Elder. Along with this there is also the bronze portal which dates back to the 11th
Reaching Augsburg
The city can and most easily be reached by using the busses or any other private transportation from Munich Airport which is also the closest airport to Augsburg. Furthermore, as far as the busses go they are available in all sorts of budgets. Whereas, private transports are similar to the super-shuttles that are popular in the United States, these are good alternatives and cost around 25 Euros per person. The best part about private transportation is that they can function as per your whim and fancy.
Trains can be another means of convenient transportation. If you happen to get down at Munich airport, in that case you will have to take the S-Bahn S1 or the S8 which are destined towards Hauptbahnhof or the main train station. The total journey will not last more than 45 minutes also German trains run on time, always so you don’t have to worry about delays. From Hauptbahnhof you will have to change trains and board the one which is then bound to Augsburg. Also, it is advisable that you take the S8 which is bound towards Munich Passing station and then change to the German rail or Deutsche Bahn train going towards Augsburg. These regional Bahn trains usually leave at an interval of an hour so you can time your travel plans similarly. It is also important to note that the ride from Munich Central Station will take up about 50 minutes whereas there one that leave from Munich Passing will take up slightly lesser time. However, the only probable issue here is that reaching Munich Passing from the airport is a bit of a task; generally this journey will take up 20 to 25 minutes of your time. So, all in all one should at least put aside two hours’ worth of time while travelling from Munich Airport to Augsburg. In case you want a faster route then hiring a private transport is best advised. You can purchase a Bayern-Ticket or the Bavaria Ticket from any of the ticketing machines that are located on the train station. Through this ticket up to four people are allowed to travel anywhere within Bavaria but only by using the regional trains and not the intercity express along with other city transportations such as trams, busses, et cetera. These tickets are valid from the time of purchase to 3 am the following day.
As far as travelling within Augsburg is concerned, it is quite easy and reasonable. The city is equipped with a small but efficient public transport system. There are five main tram lines which are spread evenly across the urban landscape of the city. It is also important to note that these transport lines run between Monday and Saturday, beginning from 5 am right up to midnight. There are also busses which run specifically between Thursdays and Saturdays, from midnight until 3 am in the morning. If you have the Bayern Ticket or the Bavarian Ticket, then you can easily cover your stay in Augsburg.
There are also bike rental facilities available in the city. Augsburg’s topography can be slightly confiding but that gets compensated by the smaller spread of the city. So, everything is in quite a close proximity from the central parts of the city. Furthermore, tourists have often preferred using bikes over other transport facilities because they are easy to manage and travelling to other nearby places from Augsburg also thus becomes convenient. You can make short trips such as that to Augsburg’s Siebentischwald which is a huge forested region turned into a recreational haven. This region is equipped with many trails which pass right through it and reach inside the inner parts of the city. The city zoo can also be reached while travelling through these routes. You can rent these bikes from several bus stations along with some bike stores such as: Zweirad Bäuml, Jakoberstr, UNI – RAD, Salomon-Idler-Str, GEPE Sportgeräteverleih UG, Reisingerstr, et cetera.