Augsburg – Why You Must See THIS Bavarian City

Can you imagine a place in Germany where tenants pay less than 1 euro a year? That’s just what you’ll find in Augsburg! And there is more to discover, like the charming Town Hall Square and the stunning Schaetzlerpalais. Last but not least, savor the delicious Käsespätzle. Yummy!

00:00 Intro
00:38 Where Augsburg lies
00:48 Town Hall Square, Town Hall, Old Town, Mercury fountain
01:22 Augsburg’s water management system
02:29 Schaezlerpalais
04:18 Rococo garden of Schaezlerpalais
04:31 Trying Käsespätzle
04:47 Fuggerei

CREDITS:
Report: Anja Koch
Camera: Madmo Springer
Editing: Kirsten Jungclaus
Supervising Editor: Christina Deicke
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This Bavarian city has
housing for less than €1 – a year! It also has some impressive history
that will take you far back in time without sacrificing today’s
luxuries and possibilities. Welcome to an absolute
gem of a town, Augsburg. Today I will be visiting a Rococo
palace and it’s magnificent ballroom, a water management system
that is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I’ll also be enjoying some local cuisine. Very good. And show you one
of the world’s oldest public housing projects. Augsburg lies in southern Germany, about 80 kilometers from Munich. It’s about a half hour train ride from
there, so perfect for a day trip. I’m starting my day at Augsburg’s Town
Hall Square, the city’s main square. From here you can obviously
see the Town Hall building. It’s a major Augsburg landmark and one of Germany’s
most stunning town halls. It was built in the 17th century but
severely damaged during World War II. From here you can begin
exploring Augsburg’s Old Town – its tiny alleys, beautiful
squares and the Mercury fountain, one of three monumental
fountains in the city. The fountain is part of Augsburg’s
Water Management System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Let’s find out what’s so special about it. The citiy’s water management system
comprises fountains, canals, historic hydroelectric power plants
and over 500 bridges. It was set up in the 13th century and
progressively updated and refined over time, says Kristen Gast. This is a very popular place for
tourists to come and take a look at the fast rushing water
in Augsburg, in the canals. This is where the
canals all come together. The people of Augsburg were pioneers
in the field of water management. This 15th century water tower, for
example, helped provide city dwellers with drinking water. She has a key, so we
can actually sneak inside. Augsburg started separating
fresh and wastewater early on, even before people really knew
about the ins and outs of hygiene. It was very innovative
and very sophisticated. And it was the point that UNESCO said Augsburg is unique in the
world that they separated these two kinds of water. My next stop is in
nearby Schaezlerpalais. It might look unspectacular from the outside, but wait until we get inside. Augsburg used to be a very
wealthy town, mainly because of banking families doing business here. One of them had this palace built
as their home in the 18th century. Let’s go check it out. The palace is just 19 metres
wide, but almost 100 metres long. It houses important art collections
and boasts a magnificent rococo ballroom. Can you imagine
having a party in here? This is what this room was used for. But only rich people were allowed in. The Royals used to dance here
and even Austrian Princess Marie Antoinette paid a visit in 1770. Most of the decorations and
the painted ceiling are original. They date back over 250 years. The owner of Schaetzlerpalais donated
the palace to Augsburg in the 1950s on one condition:
That the city never sells it. I’m a bit exhausted
after all the splendour. Luckily, Schaetzlerpalais also
has a rococo garden, which is ideal for relaxing, and open to all – free of charge. I don’t know about you, but I’m
hungry now and I really want to try a regional specialty, Käsespätzle. The dish consists of noodles combined
with cheese, baked in the oven and served with a generous
helping of fried onions. Very good. Now let’s head to our
last stop, the famous Fuggerei. It’s the oldest social housing
complex in the world, founded by another rich banker, Jakob Fugger. There are 142 flats in this housing complex. And you probably won’t believe it: The tenants only pay 88 ct per year. Yes, you heard that right. So what do you have to do to live here? You have to lay open all
your financial statements, like everything
from your income, from your savings
and everything. And you need to have like an
interview where you describe yourself, what kind of person
you are, how you’ve lived before, where you’re living now. Then there’s a very important fact: You have to live in Augsburg 2 years
before you apply for a flat here. Noel has lived here for several
years and is very happy about it. He has not yet been able
to afford an apartment on the regular rental market. Anyone who wants to live
at the Fuggerei must be catholic and pray three times a day. But is Noel really that pious? I have kind of invented
my own way of praying. I’m taking the time thanking everyone
who was involved in the process of making my life better. Not even just a little bit better,
but in many, many ways better. A wealthy town with a long
tradition of social awareness. Would you consider visiting Augsburg? Let us know in the comments.