One of the most challenging parts of travel is saying goodbye to a place you’ve grown to love, without knowing when you’ll return.
Short-term travel can be bittersweet. A brief trip offers just a glimpse of a destination, and it’s easy to feel a touch of remorse when you consider what you might have missed.
Then there’s the classic traveler’s dilemma: when your next great adventure rolls around, do you revisit a beloved location or explore someplace new? Although I nearly always decide to visit a new destination, Augsburg, Germany, has been the exception, time and time again.
Why Visit Augsburg, Germany?
Tucked away in Germany’s foothills, Augsburg (pronounced with an OW sound at the beginning) is as rich with beauty as it is with history. There’s plenty to marvel at as a tourist, but I have a personal connection to the city, too. I grew up in a German-American household, and a good portion of my extended family lives in the Augsburg area today.
Although I didn’t get a chance to visit Germany as a child, much of who I am was shaped by my German heritage. From my love of sauerkraut to my mild obsession with cleanliness and order, it’s no surprise that I’ve felt right at home in Augsburg each time I’ve visited. In fact, I’m already planning ways to get over to Augsburg again — and there are plenty of reasons why.
People
While Augsburg is beautiful, it’s the people that always keep me coming back. Germans are often stereotyped as being aloof and stern, but the fun-loving family and friends in Augsburg certainly don’t fit that description.
When I first visited Augsburg with my family, I wasn’t sure what to make of the people I met. Interacting with distant relatives can feel forced at times, and when you throw in a language barrier, things can get downright awkward.
My command of the German language doesn’t extend beyond basic phrases like “pass the butter,” and my cousins’ English had been largely forgotten. But there were two things we could all get behind: good food and good beer. When we sat down to dinner together, my German aunts heaped wurstsalat and potatoes onto my plate, egging me on to eat more and more. We end our nights laughing uproariously over pints of beer.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve grown to cherish the relationship I have with my German family, especially my younger cousins. Finding a group of peers is a great strategy to make any foreign city feel like home, and my cousins create something of a built-in friend group when I’m in town.
While they are sure to accompany me to all of Augsburg’s tourist hubs, my cousins also go out of their way to ensure that we have fun, too. We spent one afternoon racing go-karts (and if you’ve never go-karted with a group of Autobahn-seasoned Germans, you’re missing out on a major adrenaline rush).
Another night, we sat around at a bar and talked politics for hours on end. We even spent a rainy afternoon binge-watching Sons of Anarchy, for some inexplicable reason.
Although I have only met my German cousins a handful of times, our easy friendship is always the highlight of my trip. And I know that no matter where my travels take me, I’ll always have people to see and a place to stay in Augsburg.
Place
And then there’s the city itself. For me, Augsburg is a place that feels at once incredibly familiar, yet distinctly German.
As the largest city on the Romantic Road, Augsburg is also one of Germany’s oldest destinations. Its cobblestone streets, centuries-old buildings, and wealth of outdoor cafes give it an undeniable charm.
Despite its historical prominence, Augsburg isn’t as tourist-dense as destinations like Munich or Berlin. As a mid-sized city, it’s fairly easy to navigate — even for a directionally-challenged person like me. What’s more, Augsburg’s electric tram system makes transportation a breeze.
Yet despite these factors that make Augsburg unique, there are plenty of elements that remind me of home. Like many of my favorite U.S. cities, Augsburg is teeming with hip coffee shops and proud local breweries.
And if you think Americans have a thing for meat and potatoes, the Germans will give you a run for your money. The traditional food in Augsburg — and throughout Bavaria — is hearty, starchy, and calorie-dense. But that’s not to say that Augsburg doesn’t offer diversity. Because of a recent uptick in immigration, new African, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern restaurants have begun emerging along city streets.
While the U.S. likes to call itself the world’s melting pot, there’s plenty of multiculturalism in Augsburg, too.
The Thing About Augsburg …
Beyond any of its attractions or people, what I love most about Augsburg is its familiarity. I’ve visited the city several times now, and while there’s something new to discover each time I return, the city’s key characteristics and unmistakable charm remain unchanged.
As a traveler, there’s something comforting about revisiting a favorite place. Sometimes a bit of familiarity is the perfect cure for homesickness — even when I’m still thousands of miles away from home.
You can’t return to a beloved city if you don’t make a first visit (something about the laws of time and physics). So here’s what you need to know about traveling to Augsburg, Germany.
Where is Augsburg?
Augsburg is in Bavaria, in southern Germany. It’s about an hour’s drive from Munich.
Although taking the train from Munich is quicker, you really can’t go wrong with a drive, either. Augsburg is one of several cities on Germany’s Romantic Road, a 220-mile route that winds through medieval villages and past castles pulled from a storybook.
Is Germany Safe to Travel?
As of June 2024, the U.S. State Department had issued a Level 2 travel advisory for Germany. They recommend exercising increased caution due to terrorism.
It may be worth noting that much of Europe has a similar Level 2 travel advisory, including The Netherlands, Belgium, and France, with whom Germany shares a border, as well the United Kingdom.
Do You Need a Visa to Visit Germany?
Most American tourists do not need a visa to visit Germany, but a passport with at least six months remaining before it expires is required. Non-U.S. residents should check to see if they need a Schengen Visa before traveling to Germany.
Things to Do in Augsburg, Germany
Fuggerei
Today, the Fuggerei features museums and a World War bunker, but in the 1500s, it was a social housing complex — a place for impoverished citizens to live. Explore the museums to learn about Fuggerei history going back some 500 years, everyday life from more modern times, and the reconstruction of the city after World War II.
Augsburg Old Town
Augsburg is one of Germany’s oldest cities, so its Old Town is, well, quite old. It was founded by the Romans—it gets its name from Emperor Augustus — in 15 BC, was eventually raided by the Huns, was the site of witch hunts in the 16th century, earned the distinction of a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to the engineering of medieval canals and historic water towers, and the list of historical milestones goes on and on.
The Old Town is where you’ll find the Fuggerei as well as the Brecht Museum, or Brechthaus, and Schaezler Palace. The Brechthaus is the birthplace of Bert Brecht, a local renowned poet and playwright. Exhibits show what his early life in Augsburg was like before he eventually fled Germany during wartime.
Schaezler Palace is an example of some of the grandiose rococo architecture you’ll see in Augsburg. Built in the late 1700s, it was visited by royals and dignitaries such as Marie-Antoinette. If you visit today, you’ll see artwork by European masters.
Mozartfest
Mozart the composer was born in Austria, but his father, Leopold, was from Augsburg, Germany, and residents of this Bavarian town would like you to know that. For three nights every summer, Augsburg hosts Mozartfest. Be prepared for concert after concert of world-class classical music, just the way we imagine Mozart the younger would have wanted.
Even if you aren’t in town for the festival, you can still appreciate Augsburg’s musical pride at the Leopold-Mozart-Haus museum.
Augsburg, Germany Christmas Market
If you’re visiting Augsburg in late November or December, don’t miss the Christkindlmarkt. It started in the 15th century, and today brings more than a million visitors to enjoy festivities.
Like most European Christmas markets, you’ll find booths full of food and holiday crafts. You also have a chance to see the Engelsspiel, an angel presentation performed on the facade of City Hall. It involves 24 girls dressed as angels, representing an Advent calendar.
Is Travel in Your DNA?
Traveling can be a great way to learn about your roots, where your family came from, why you are who you are. Read more tales of genealogical travel on the Seven Corners blog.
