Augsburg – What You Should Know Before You Arrive
Augsburg was founded in 15 B.C.—it is the oldest city in Bavaria and the second-oldest in Germany after Trier. A Roman military camp and a medieval imperial city, it has a population of 300,000 today.
And all of this just 45 minutes from Munich—completely overlooked by most visitors.
A mistake worth correcting.
Water—a World Heritage Site You Can Touch
Augsburg has 530 bridges—more than Venice. That figure includes every footbridge leading to a house entrance—but still. The city lies on three rivers and is crisscrossed by canals that have been in use since the Middle Ages.
Since 2019, Augsburg’s water management system has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site: canals, water towers, magnificent fountains, and power plants that still generate electricity today. What Augsburg did right from the very beginning was to separate drinking water from industrial water—a first for its time and a model for all of Europe. No marble temple, no royal castle—but rather engineering excellence recognized as a World Heritage Site. That says a lot about this city.
The Fuggers—When Augsburg Ruled Europe
In the 15th and 16th centuries, Augsburg was not just any trading city. Around 1500, Jakob Fugger was considered the most important merchant and banker in all of Europe—his family literally financed the German emperors. Power, money, influence—everything flowed through this city.
And then Jakob Fugger did something unexpected. In 1521, he founded the Fuggerei—the world’s oldest existing social housing complex. To this day, 150 people live there for an annual rent of 88 cents. No rent increase in 500 years. In return, the residents pray for the founding family three times a day. The richest man in Europe invented the social housing model—and the deal is still going strong.
The People—Those Who Grew Up Here
Leopold Mozart was born in Augsburg in 1719, the son of a humble bookbinder. Without Augsburg, there would be no Leopold; without Leopold, there would likely be no *Magic Flute*. Around 1900, Rudolf Diesel developed the diesel engine in Augsburg—every time a truck starts up anywhere in the world, it traces its origins back to this city. And Bertolt Brecht, whose plays are still performed on stages around the world today, also grew up in these streets.
What Sets Augsburg Apart Today
A 2,000-year-old city that is currently building its digital future. In 2026, Augsburg will use Future Week to position itself as an active driver of digital transformation—AI in public administration, smart city initiatives, and data-driven urban development.
Right next door is the medieval canal system, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A city that managed water like no other 800 years ago and manages data like few others today.
Some things change. The drive behind them doesn't.