On the Romantic Road (a scenic driving route), Augsburg was founded by Roman legions: The town name comes from the Emperor Augustus. This city merits a one-day visit. Among the interesting sights are the unusual Dom (cathedral); St. Anne's Church, where Martin Luther took refuge; the Romisches Museum (housed in a baroque church); and the shining Renaissance Golden Room in the Rathaus (Town Hall). On clear sunny days climb the Perlachturm (256 ft/78 m) for a great view of the Alps. Be sure to see the Fuggerei, the world's first social housing project for the poor. (The rent is the same as it was when it was founded in 1516, approximately 1 euro per month.) If traveling with children, don't miss a performance of the Augsburger Puppenkiste, Germany's most popular puppet theater. It's located in the Heilig-Geist-Spital, built in 1631.
A bit to the west of Augsburg and worth a look is the city of
Ulm, which features a Gothic church with the tallest spire in the world (528 ft/161 m)—the view from the top is worth the exhausting climb. Some of the medieval city walls remain, and there's a nice town hall with an astronomical clock that dates from 1520. Take the time to walk through the Fisherman's Quarter to see half-timbered houses. Ulm is on the Danube and is a pleasant place to spend a few hours. A monument across the street from the main train station marks the location where Albert Einstein was born.
30 mi/50 km northwest of Munich.