Today old Augsburg is also infused with youth and vitality - thanks in particular to its 20,000 university students.

Maximilian Street in central Augsburg is an elegant boulevard of handsome old mansions that were once home to wealthy merchants and powerful bankers. It is also home to the 17th century Town Hall and the Perlach Tower - together the two most recognizable symbols of Augsburg. Another key sight is the Fuggerei - known as a "city within a city". Founded in 1521 by Jakob Fugger, it is the oldest social settlement in the world - built for local people who had fallen into hardship. To this day, the 67 houses are only rented out to people with very little money, who pay an annual rent of just 88 cents.

Augsburg is also famous for its puppet theatre - or "Puppenkiste". Its characters, such as Urmel, Jim Knopf and the cat Mikesch, are famous throughout Germany, and have been loved by generations of children. Bertolt Brecht is one of Augsburg's most famous sons. The poet and playwright was born in the city in 1898 and today his childhood home has been turned into a literary museum.

From Visit Germany
Editor: Sue Cox