It's fairly hard to imagine that an extremely wealthy and influential family decided to dedicate a…read morecluster of housing, meant to mimic a small city, to those living in poverty in early 16th century Europe. Well, the Fugger family did just that and its 'experiment' in social housing has lasted for almost five hundred years. Visitors are able to view a 'model dwelling' decorated as it would have been during the genesis of this project. In an adjacent room a film (auf Deutsch) about the Fugger family and how it came to create the Fuggerei runs on a loop. Pamphlets at the entrance are offered in a multiplicity of languages (including Chinese and Japanese), so non-German speakers are also able to gain a solid understanding of what's what. The on-site WW II bunker is quite worth a visit. One sees how the Fuggerei was severely damaged during the war and how quickly and determinedly those in charge decided to rebuild. While I very much enjoyed visiting the Fuggerei, I was constantly aware of walking around a complex in which people live. One is cautioned to be respectful and to not 'take pictures'. It's hard not to look at the facades of all the buildings when one walks by them. Well, it's hard for me, at least. Being a fan of architecture, I walked the streets of Augsburg en route to the Fuggerei pretty much doing the same thing. I happened to walk past a small boy kicking a soccer ball around, presumably, the front of his Fugger flat. He scowled at me when I passed him. That's when I decided it was time for me to go. There is information regarding who is eligible to live at the Fuggerei (adherents to the Catholic faith) and how much one pays (0,88 euro annually & three prayers daily, apparently). What I wasn't able to find out was how one is picked to live on premises. Not that I'd qualify...

This is a must-see for any visitor to Augsburg. I learned so much about Augsburger history, German…read morehistory, European history, social history...HISTORY. The story of the Fuggerei - a "social settlement" started during the late Middle Ages/early Renaissance by Jakob Fugger to help the poor and disenfranchised get their feet back under them and become self-sufficient citizens during a time where social Darwinism and caste-like class stratification were ravaging Europe - is one that will touch your heart and provide leagues of depth to your big picture understanding of life. It doesn't take long to come here, but the impact will stay with you for life. Added benefit: Almost everything that's written down is also translated into English.

Most people go to Dachau to visit the concentration camp. Of course, that was on our list for our…read moretrip. But most do not seem to realize that Dachau is a premedieval city with plenty to explore that has nothing to do with the Third Reich. Take the Schloss Dachau and the BEAUTIFUL gardens. It was only a euro or two to get in to the palace - though they let us in for free with our Mehrtagesticket (best investment ever in our trip!). Now, a majority of the palace was closed that morning...I'm not sure if other parts are normally open. We were able to see the main entrance and two rooms on the upper floor...one a normal palace-y room at the top of the stairs, and then a breathtaking room with a gorgeous carved wood ceiling. It was mesmerizing...and then add the view out into the gardens...just spectacular! We went back downstairs and went around the backside of the palace to see the gardens (no entrance fee required). I think we spent more time exploring the gardens than we did the palace itself. A few mornings a week, you can get fresh flowers (I saw the sign) to bring home. If we would have had more time, I would have brought a picnic to enjoy along the paths. There is a pay parking lot right up front of the castle - it was a euro or two to park. More expensive than in the old town, but still very reasonable. Do yourself a favor and explore everything that Dachau has to offer!

My favorite place to visit when I am there (almost every year when we are there for the Dachau…read moreVolks Festival in Aug ). The gardens and views of the city are beautiful and there is a nice path to walk down to the city. There is also a restaurant where you can sit outside and a little beer garden at the wall. Wish they would publish the menu and what music and band they have playing.

The city wall of Dinkelsbühl is one of three well-preserved medieval city fortification walls in…read morethe area that encircle the entire old towns; incidentally, other two towns are Nördlingen and Rothenburg o. d. Tauber. It's always so much fun to walk around these medieval towns imagining how the life might have been lived within these walls. A circular hiking trail (about 2.6 km) leads around the entire medieval city wall of Dinkelsbühl, mostly right along the wall. The western part of the fortification is particularly impressive. Due to the hillside location, the double wall built on the deep moat has a staggered height. We have King Ludwig I of Bavaria to thank for our pleasures of walking on the entire city wall around this fantastic medieval town since he placed the wall under his protection and prohibited for demolition in 1826. It's a must stop when you are visiting this area. There is a free parking lot available outside the city wall at every town gate for your convenience. To this day, all road traffic in and out of the city only goes through the four medieval city gates. Of course, you always have to watch out for oncoming traffic. This is probably one of the reasons why large parking lots were built for visitors and tourists in front of each gate. This is very practical, especially since you can park right in front of the first attractions you see as you enter the old town. The Segringertor already existed in 1384. During renovations in the 17th century, the gate tower was given its current baroque dome. There is a small, at first glance somewhat inconspicuous, Chapel of the Three Kings built in 1378 near the gate tower. Today the church houses a memorial for the victims of the Nazi regime. The Rothenburgertor was built around 1390 and has its original appearance to this day, which is why this gate can only be passed in one direction by car. The Wörnitztor with humpback blocks from the Staufer period is the oldest of the four city gates. The tower was raised at the end of the 14th century. The renaissance gable with bell tower dates from the 16th century. On the outside, as on all four city gates, there is the coat of arms of the imperial city of Dinkelsbühl - three golden ears of dinkel (wheat) on three hills. In addition, the imperial eagle is shown as a symbol of imperial involvement. The Nördlingertor (around 1400) is adorned with a stepped gable with half-shells (16th century). This town appears to be a lot less commercialized (it almost seems the town keeps it that way to discourage herd of tourists pouring in to this town) especially compared to Rothenburg. You will enjoy quietness of this town as you wander in and out of the city wall. If you had one to one and half hour of your time, you can enjoy a very leisurely stroll around this town.