Augsburg's tourism history: From Goethe to Gorbachev!

Augsburg's tourism history: From Goethe to Gorbachev!

History comes alive in Augsburg! On the occasion of the presentation of a new chronicle on the history of travel in the city, numerous interested parties met on June 29, 2025 to explore the many facets of tourism in Augsburg. This chronicle, written by Martin Kluger, also provides an exciting overview of the famous guests who have visited the city over the centuries. Famous names such as Goethe, Mozart, Mikhail Gorbachev and Bill Clinton have met here, underlining the city's cultural heritage. As the Augsburger Allgemeine reports, curious and informative facts about the development of tourism were presented at a ceremony.

From the founding of the tourist association in 1925 to the current Regio Augsburg Tourismus GmbH, which has been in business since 1997, the tourism sector has played a central role in the city's development. Economics consultant Wolfgang Hübschle emphasizes the importance of tourism as cultural work, which not only brings in sales but also strengthens the city's identity.

UNESCO World Heritage: Water rich in history

Augsburg has the unique selling point of having the “Augsburg Water Management System” recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This was only confirmed by UNESCO in 2019 and shows the impressive engineering and social importance of water management in the city over more than 800 years. Thanks to the committed support of tourism director Götz Beck and former cultural officer Peter Grab, Augsburg was able to push through its application. The city now offers, in addition to its famous attractions such as the Fuggerei and impressive Renaissance buildings, the fascinating aspects of water management that include both technical innovation and works of art.

As part of the nationwide UNESCO World Heritage Day, there was an exciting program in Augsburg where visitors had the opportunity to experience the world heritage canal system up close. Children were able to learn how water gets into the city through special hands-on activities. Tours of the Great Water Tower and the waterworks at Hochablass were also on the program, while exciting information about water management was provided in the World Heritage Information Center.

Tourism for everyone

Tourism in Augsburg is attracting more and more people. In 2023, there were over a million overnight stays in the city - clear evidence that the region is very popular with tourists. New tourist products such as the “Sisi Street” and the “Sisi Castle” in Unterwittelsbach contribute to the city's attractiveness. Regio Augsburg Tourismus GmbH and its partners recently won several Bavarian innovation awards for creative marketing, which shows that they have a good knack for designing offers.

If you would like to find out more about the remarkable stories and the development of tourism in Augsburg, you can pick up the chronicle free of charge at the tourist information center on Rathausplatz. This collection will not only delight those interested in history, but will also attract many guests to the city in the future.