Augsburg

Augsburg is a historic city in Bavaria, southern Germany, located about 60 km northwest of Munich. Founded by the Romans in 15 BCE as Augusta Vindelicorum, it is one of Germany’s oldest cities and has a rich heritage linked to the powerful Fugger and Welser merchant families of the Renaissance. The city’s old town features notable landmarks such as Augsburg Cathedral, the Renaissance-style Town Hall (Rathaus) with the Golden Hall, and the Fuggerei, often described as the world’s oldest social housing complex still in use. Augsburg is also known for its extensive network of canals and waterworks, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today it is a lively regional center combining industry, culture, and green spaces.

• Founded by the Romans in 15 BCE as Augusta Vindelicorum, making it one of Germany’s oldest cities.
• Home to the Fuggerei (est. 1521), widely considered the world’s oldest continuously operating social housing complex.
• Its historic water-management system, the Augsburg Water Management System, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed in 2019).