Augsburg is older than almost everything else on the Romantic Road, and it knows it. The Romans founded a camp here in 15 BC and named it after Emperor Augustus, and for much of the Middle Ages it was one of the richest cities in Europe, thanks to the Fugger and Welser banking families, who lent money to emperors and popes. The Fuggerei, a walled quarter of small yellow houses built by Jakob Fugger in 1521, is the world's oldest social housing complex still in use, and the annual rent is famously less than a euro.
The city lies where the rivers Lech and Wertach meet in the Bavarian plain, with about two hundred and sixty thousand people, which makes it the largest place on this road by far. That means everything a rider needs, from fuel and bike dealers to hotels at every price. The old town is a pleasure to walk, with the Renaissance town hall, a golden hall that rises above the square, and the tall Perlach tower beside it. The Peace of Augsburg in 1555 gave Lutherans and Catholics in the empire a measure of religious toleration, and the city is still known for it.
Several famous people came from here. Leopold Mozart, the father of Wolfgang Amadeus, was born in Augsburg, and Bertolt Brecht was born here in 1898. Rudolf Diesel developed his engine in the city, working with the machine works that became MAN, and anyone who rides a diesel-powered motorcycle owes a small nod to the place. The canals and water towers of the old water system were recognised by UNESCO in 2019.
The ride in from the south, down the Lech valley, is relaxed, with gentle bends, orchards and Bavarian villages, but the last stretch is suburban. Traffic is heavy at rush hour, so aim to arrive in the late morning or evening, and leave the bike somewhere secure, as in any big city. A coffee and a slice of cake in a cafe near the Rathaus platz is a fine way to end the road.