City center route - The history of the Augsburg Water Management System

The city center route “Where the craftsmen lived” leads you to the featured sights. And of course, you can experience much more on your tour through Augsburg. For example, the last traditional tannery in Augsburg and many small boutiques.

The people of Augsburg were pioneers in water quality. They recognized the potential of the essential resource water very early. Already in the Middle Ages, they relied on a strict separation between industrial and drinking water and continuously developed their water management system over the centuries. In July 2019, the Augsburg Water Management System, consisting of 22 objects, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is considered a unique worldwide testimony of urban water management.

On the way between historical fountains and buildings: On your 3.5-kilometer exploration route through Augsburg's city center, you will pass some impressive structures that are part of this World Heritage. The beginning of the sophisticated Augsburg water management is the Hochablass at the Lech weir: Here, the Augsburgers diverted water from the Lech and guided it into a system of countless channels. The so-called Lech canals were created in the city and are still visible today in the Lech district.

In the past, various mills stood in the Lech district that supplied energy to local craft businesses and later factories. Furthermore, waste could be disposed of in the canals, significantly improving the hygiene conditions in the city. The Stadtmetzg building also contributed to this: constructed in 1609 near the town hall, the canal water was used there to cool meat.

Clean spring water was used as drinking water, which could be delivered to the higher city districts with the help of pumping systems. This was not only a technical masterpiece by the city’s fountain masters but also a revolutionary step for the health of Augsburg’s citizens. Even today, you can admire three of these architecturally impressive drinking water plants in the city center: the waterworks at the Red Gate, the fountain works at the Bird Gate, and the Lower Fountain Works.

More highlights of your tour. You should definitely visit the monumental fountain structures Merkur, Hercules, and Augustus on your stroll through Augsburg’s city center, as they are further impressive testimonies of how much the Augsburgers strove for modern water supply. The numerous drinking fountains distributed across the city still demonstrate this today.