Introduction
Augsburg is the second oldest city in Germany with renaissance-era extravagance to prove it. The incredibly lavish Golden Hall is a prime example of this, with its ceiling covered in gold leaf. The Fuggerei Museum tells the story of the Fugger family, the banking dynasty who controlled much of the European economy in the 16th century. They commendably built the world’s first social housing inAugsburg, consisting of 140 apartments that were completed in 1523.The homes still exist and are inhabited; one is open to the public.
Nature is never far away as one fifth of the city is green space, whether it’s forest or parkland. For exotic flora visit the botanical gardens, otherwise the western forests have cycling and hiking trails that run for more than 2,500 kilometres.
