Ingolstadt, a vibrant university city situated on the Danube River in the heart of Bavaria, serves as the headquarters for the renowned automobile manufacturer Audi. Visitors can delve into the brand’s history at the Museum Mobile and learn about the advanced production processes through organized factory tours.
Summary
To the south of the factory lies an old town characterized by well-preserved, gabled merchant houses, encircled by a Neoclassical fortification system from the 19th century. Historical structures such as the old redoubt, tower, and cavalier now function as museums. The city boasts a rich architectural heritage, featuring Gothic and Medieval churches and civic buildings that date back to the 13th and 14th centuries.
Below is a look at the top attractions in Ingolstadt:
1. Audi Forum
Adjacent to its factory, Audi operates a significant visitor complex in Ingolstadt.
This location offers an opportunity to participate in factory tours and explore the narrative of the Audi brand at the Museum Mobile.
Additionally, the Audi Forum features “Audi Young and Fun,” a multimedia exploration designed for children, complete with play areas and driving simulators.
This facility provides an engaging atmosphere for children while adults finalize their Audi purchases at the delivery center.
Moreover, visitors can enjoy two themed restaurants, a bar, a lounge, and a wine gallery, as well as conference and performance venues that regularly host jazz events.
2. Museum Mobile
This modern steel and glass structure, completed in 2000, houses an exhibition chronicling the history of Audi, as well as its predecessor companies such as Wanderer, DKW, and Horch.
An elevator transports visitors to the third floor, where the journey begins in 1899, progressively showcasing the brand’s evolution across two levels.
The museum hosts over 100 cars and motorcycles that represent various stages of Audi’s history, complemented by interactive multimedia displays to enhance the experience.
A standout feature of the museum is a paternoster elevator, continuously moving with vehicles and exhibits transitioning between the upper and lower floors.
3. Audi Factory Tour
With prior registration, individuals can gain insight into the meticulous production processes involved in crafting each Audi vehicle.
Various tour options are available to suit different schedules.
For those with limited time, a “Compact Factory Tour” provides a glimpse of advanced welding robots in action and the moment the engine assembly is connected to the car chassis.
Conversely, for an in-depth experience, a full-day tour covers everything from the delivery of steel sheets to chassis construction, painting, and logistics at the delivery center.
Additionally, there is a specialized tour focusing on the high-tech machinery and innovative production methods employed within the factory.
4. Asamkirche
This exquisite church was designed in the 1730s by the renowned Late Baroque architects, the Asam brothers.
While the exterior features Baroque-style mouldings and pediments, the interior showcases an impressive Rococo design.
A notable highlight is the grand painting of the Incarnation of the Lord spanning nearly 490 square meters across the ceiling.
The altar, dating back to 1760, includes a painting of the Annunciation, crafted in 1675, predating the church itself.
Moreover, the sacristy contains a remarkable treasure: the Lepanto Monstrance, created in 1708 by Augsburg goldsmith Johannes Zeckl, vividly depicting the 1571 Battle of Lepanto.
5. Liebfrauenmünster
What sets the Church of Our Lady apart is its asymmetrical twin towers, which were left unfinished.
The southern tower rises to 69 meters, while the northern tower reaches 62 meters, both topped with Baroque domes added later.
This architectural feature reflects the challenging history of the church’s construction, which faced numerous interruptions due to wars in the 15th century.
Inside, visitors can marvel at the high altar, crafted in 1572, adorned with intricate iconography by woodcarver Hans Muelich, reflecting counter-reformist themes.
Additionally, the choir area features stunning 16th-century stained glass windows.
6. Klenzepark
Until the early 1990s, this area on the right bank of the Danube served as an industrial storage site.
Following revitalization efforts, the park was developed for the Bayerische Landesgartschau (Bavarian State Garden Show) in 1992, featuring expansive lawns, wooded sections, a stream, a small lake, and a waterfront promenade along the Danube.
Furthermore, remnants of Ingolstadt’s 19th-century fortress can be found throughout the park.
Naming the park after Leo von Klenze, the architect responsible for the fortifications, including Reduit Tilly (the redoubt) and Turm Triva (the tower), which now house branches of the Bavarian Army Museum and the Police Museum, respectively.
7. Bayerisches Armeemuseum (Bavarian Army Museum)
Bavaria’s army museum, established nearly 140 years ago, is recognized as Germany’s oldest military museum and relocated to Ingolstadt from Munich in 1972. The main exhibits are housed within the Neues Schloss on the left bank of the Danube, while the First World War exhibition is situated at Reduit Tilly in Klenzepark.
Inside the Neues Schloss, visitors can view the flag hall, featuring over 150 flags from the 1600s to the 1900s.
Among the collections of historical weapons and armor is the Pappenheimer Harnische, a rare cuirass from the 17th-century Thirty Years’ War.
Additionally, dioramas and military art pieces are on display throughout the museum.
At Reduit Tilly, a significant permanent exhibition of First World War artifacts—including weapons, regalia, uniforms, and armor—offers an evocative historic experience.
8. Kreuztor
Constructed in 1385, Kreuztor is one of the two remaining city gates from Ingolstadt’s second Medieval fortification ring.
This structure, comprised of brick and limestone with seven towers, guarded the western approach to the city and derives its name from the Kirche zum Heiligen Kreuz (Church of the Holy Cross), which once housed a leper hospital beyond the city’s western limits.
As the most picturesque and well-preserved of all the gates, Kreuztor has become an iconic image of the city.
The gate features a square base with a topped octagonal tower that includes four bays and a spire.
9. Bayerisches Polizeimuseum (Bavarian Police Museum)
A department of the army museum, this police exhibition is located in the Klenzepark’s Triva Tower and features artifacts dating back to the Bavarian Revolution of 1918-19. The museum covers various engaging themes, including the tumultuous period following the First World War, border security during the Cold War, and notable protests in the 1980s regarding the proposed construction of a nuclear reprocessing plant in Wackersdorf.
Visitors can gain insights into the routine and responsibilities of the Bavarian police, along with information about the equipment utilized by officers.
10. Altes Rathaus
The old town hall in Ingolstadt consists of a collection of four distinct houses that trace their roots back to the 1300s.
These structures were remodeled in the 1880s into a cohesive Neo-Renaissance style visible today.
The north side of the main facade features an elegant curved gable housing the clock, while the southern side showcases an avant-corps adorned with a stone relief and a balustraded balcony.
This building continues to function as the office of the lord mayor and two administrative mayors, making it a prominent sight from the exterior.
Visitors may have the chance to enter for official events hosted in the magnificent panelled hall on the first floor.
11. Stadtmuseum
The municipal museum of Ingolstadt is located in Kavalier Hepp, a component of the city’s Neoclassical fort, erected in the early 1840s.
This structure became outdated as a military installation within 30 years and has since been preserved through renovations conducted in the 1970s.
Housing approximately 50 rooms, the Stadtmuseum is well worth a visit for those interested in exploring significant events in the city’s history.
A notable exhibit highlights the siege by Swedish forces in 1632, featuring the very horse ridden by Swedish King Gustav II Adolf, who was killed by a bullet—the horse is believed to be Europe’s oldest taxidermy.
The museum also features ceramic projectiles from the Thirty Years’ War, with a captivating Bronze Age amber necklace made of roughly 2,800 beads among the most intriguing items discovered on Audi’s grounds in 1996.
12. Moritzkirche
Situated behind the Altes Rathaus, Moritzkirche holds the distinction of being the oldest structure in Ingolstadt, originating as far back as 1234. The church contains evidence of an even older building dating back to the 800s, corresponding to the city’s founding.
For centuries, it served as the sole church within Ingolstadt, and alongside the church’s tower, it includes the Pfeifturm, a Medieval watchtower erected to alert residents of approaching threats or fires at night.
Visitors can ascend to the top for a memorable view, standing at 45 meters after navigating over 200 steps.
The church’s interior underwent Rococo-style renovations in the 1700s, and while many original elements were lost in the 19th century, a splendid depiction of the immaculate conception remains at the choir entrance.
13. Deutsches Medizinhistorisches Museum
The only specialized museum of its nature in Germany is housed within the 18th-century anatomical theatre, originally established to train medical students at the University of Ingolstadt.
The collection comprises over 1,000 exhibits illustrating the progression of medicine from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and China to modern times.
The ground floor focuses on ancient, Medieval, and Early Modern practices, featuring an Etruscan anatomical torso, amputation saws, bloodletting devices, and dental tools.
In contrast, the upper floor showcases advancements in medical fields that emerged after 1830, such as diagnostics and surgery.
Outdoors, a symmetrical Baroque garden flourishes, hosting more than 200 medicinal plants.
14. Herzogskasten
The oldest secular edifice in Ingolstadt is the whitewashed Gothic Herzogskasten, constructed in 1255 for Louis II, Duke of Bavaria.
Located within the pedestrian zone near the river, the Herzogskasten fortified the city’s defenses while also serving as a noble residence prior to the completion of the Neues Schloss in the 1400s.
Distinctive crow-stepped gables were added in the 1300s, while the older circular tower was seamlessly integrated into the fortification wall.
Since 1981, the Herzogskasten has housed Ingolstadt’s municipal library, allowing visitors an opportunity to explore this historic building.
15. Wildpark am Baggersee
Located less than ten minutes southwest of Ingolstadt, this game reserve and forest trail surrounds a former bathing lake next to the Danube.
In a semi-wild environment, large enclosures house various species, including fallow deer, roe deer, red deer, bison, wild boars, and mouflons, all set against a backdrop of woodland, water, and meadows.
An enchanting time to visit is during the autumn rutting season when stags engage in vocal competitions for mates, with their calls echoing throughout the park while they sometimes confront each other.
The park also features picnic areas and a playground, catering to families and outdoor enthusiasts.
