Travel Guide Ingolstadt

Ingolstadt is one of Bavaria's largest conurbations, with over 132,000 inhabitants. It is the second-largest city in Upper Bavaria after Munich, and known throughout Germany as the home of Audi, the famous carmaker. In addition to its singular appearance, due to its major activity (the whole town seems to revolve around Audi), Ingolstadt is well worth a visit for its beautiful, well-preserved historic center. A sumptuous fortified medieval town, Ingolstadt's historical origins go back a long way. The town center was built in the 13thcentury, and expanded in the following century. It was also during this period that the fortified castle was built in the south-eastern part of the town. The city also made its mark in 1472. It was here that the first Bavarian state university was inaugurated, including all faculties. Today, the city center still boasts its period monuments, but Ingolstadt is also a major industrial center, with refineries, headquarters and the Audi factory alone generating almost 44,000 jobs. Unemployment is very low (2.6%). The city's emblematic figure is none other than Bavaria's strongman, Horst Seehofer, who was appointed German Federal Minister of the Interior after the 2017 federal elections.