Rathausplatz, Augsburg, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Rathausplatz in Augsburg centers on one of Europe's most impressive Renaissance buildings: the Town Hall designed by the visionary architect Elias Holl. With its foundation stone laid in 1615 and completed in 1620 on the exterior and 1624 inside, this building was revolutionary for its time as the first structure north of the Alps to exceed six stories. The crowning jewel is the Golden Hall, a breathtaking 552-square-meter space with a 14-meter ceiling adorned with murals and an ornate coffered ceiling designed by Johann Matthias Kager and finished in 1643. The hall hosted Joseph I's coronation banquet in 1690. Though heavily damaged during World War II bombing, the building was meticulously restored and reopened in 1985 for Augsburg's 2000th anniversary, standing today as the most significant secular Renaissance structure north of the Alps.