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Altes Stadtbad
Even if you don't plan to get wet, it's worth a peek inside the Altes Stadtbad , a stunning Art Nouveau covered swimming pool with ornamental tiles and stained-glass windows. Check with the tourist office as opening hours vary; it's generally closed during summer.
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Augustusbrunnen
The Rathausplatz (town hall square) is anchored by the Augustusbrunnen, a fountain honouring the Roman emperor; its four figures represent the Lech River and the Wertach, Singold and Brunnenbach Brooks.
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Basilika of St Ulrich & Afra
Another onion-domed tower, belonging to the late-Gothic Basilika of St Ulrich and Afra, crowns the southern end of Maximilianstrasse.
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Dom Mariä Heimsuchung
Augsburg's cathedral, the Dom Mariä Heimsuchung , has its origins in the 10th century but was 'Gothicised' and enlarged in the 14th and 15th centuries. The star treasures here are the so-called 'Prophets' Windows'. Depicting David, Daniel, Jonah, Hosea and Moses, they are among the oldest figurative stained-glass windows in Germany, dating from the 12th century. Look out for four paintings by Hans Holbein the Elder, including one of Jesus' circumcision.
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Fugger Stadtpalast
In between the two fountains on the Maximilianstrasse, at No 36-38, is the restored Fugger Stadtpalast (1515), the palatial town house and 'corporate' headquarters of Jakob Fugger. It embraces the Damenhof (Ladies' Court), a gorgeous inner courtyard arcaded in Italian Renaissance style. Outside is the spot where Luther famously stood his ground in 1518.
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Fuggerei
The legacy of Jakob Fugger 'The Rich' lives on at Augsburg's Catholic welfare settlement, the Fuggerei , which is the oldest of its kind in existence. Around 200 people live here today and their rent remains frozen at 1 Rhenish guilder (now around €1.88) per year, plus utilities and three daily prayers. Bemused residents wave to you as you wander through the car-free lanes of this gated community flanked by its 52 pin-neat houses (containing 140 apartments) and little gardens.
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Maximilianstrasse
Rathausplatz marks the northern end of Maximilianstrasse, a grand boulevard named for Kaiser Maximilian (1459-1519), which is lined by patrician mansions and graced with two impressive fountains. The Merkurbrunnen (1599), at the intersection with Bürgermeister-Fischer-Strasse, is by Dutch artist Adriaen de Vries and features the god Mercury as a symbol of trade. Further south, near Hallstrasse, is the Herkulesbrunnen (1602), also by de Vries, which shows Hercules fighting the seven-headed Hydra, representing Augsburg's commercial importance.
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Perlachturm
For panoramic views over Rathausplatz and the city, climb to the top of the Perlachturm , a former guard tower, and also an Elias Holl creation.
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Rathaus
Rising above the Rathausplatz are the twin onion-domed spires of the Renaissance Rathaus , built by Elias Holl from 1615 to 1620 and crowned by a 4m-tall pinecone, the city's emblem (also an ancient fertility symbol). Upstairs is the Goldener Saal (Golden Hall), a huge banquet hall with an amazing gilded and frescoed coffered ceiling.
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Rathausplatz
The heart of Augsburg's Altstadt is the Rathausplatz , a large, pedestrianised square.
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