Author: Barry Pickard
Ingolstadt is a beautiful city located in the Bavarian region of Germany, known for its rich history and cultural attractions. Situated on the banks of the Danube River, Ingolstadt has a long and fascinating history dating back to the 8th century. The city was once the seat of the powerful Dukes of Bavaria and has played an important role in the region's history. Today, Ingolstadt is a thriving city with a population of over 130,000 people and is home to a number of impressive landmarks and attractions.
There are numerous attractions to welcome the traveller when visiting Ingolstadt, with museums, art galleries, a stunning castle and defences, beautiful architecture, charming cobblestone streets and historic buildings. The Old Town is a joy to walk around and home to many of its attractions. There are also several excellent restaurants and pubs in the Old Town, making it the perfect place to relax and enjoy the local atmosphere.
In addition to its historical and cultural attractions, Ingolstadt is also home to beautiful parks and gardens, including the Neue Welt Park and the Herzogspark. These parks are great places to relax and enjoy the outdoors and are popular with locals and visitors alike.
It was Ingolstadt’s museums, however, that we concentrated on during our trip to the city, finding them to be highly informative and interesting. Read on to discover the 6 museums that you need to visit when touring this charming Bavarian city.
Don’t forget that Tailor-Made Itineraries delights in creating bespoke self-guided tours. So, if visiting Ingolstadt appeals to you, reach out to me by email. I would be more than happy to design a self-guided tour around your requirements incorporating the fascinating attractions of Ingolstadt, or indeed, a general tour of Bavaria.
6. Bavarian Army Museum - New Castle
The Bavarian Army Museum is one of the biggest military history museums in Europe. Founded in Munich in 1879, it moved to Ingolstadt in 1972. Exhibits are presented within the gothic rooms of the New Castle. The focal point of the exhibits is Bavaria in its European context. The collection spans the late Middle Ages right up to the present. Armour, helmets, and melee weapons are displayed alongside booty from the Turkish wars and also the original uniforms of all Bavarian kings.
Tailor-Made Top Tip: You can get a discount if buying three tickets, for the Bavarian Army Museum, Museum of World War I and Bavarian Police Museum.
5. Audi Forum Ingolstadt – Museum
The Audi Museum is devoted to the history of Audi and its predecessors and is the focal point of the Audi Forum Ingolstadt. Housed in a striking circular glass and steel building, designed by Gunter Henn, the collection boasts around 50 cars and 30 motorcycles and bicycles, as well as numerous other exhibits relating to the history of the Audi, DKW, Horch, Wanderer and NSU brands. A special feature of the museum is a paternoster lift, which displays 14 cars in constant motion.
Tailor-Made Top Tip: Make sure to check out the rest of the Forum, to spot some more jaw dropping cars, and to visit the excellent Audi store. The restaurant is also a great option when looking for breakfast or lunch or just a coffee and cake.
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4. Lechner Museum
The Lechner Museum opened its doors in 2000. Preserving the building’s industrial structure, this former Audi AG workshop was transformed into a functional museum flooded with light. Its streamlined simplicity is in perfect harmony with Lechner’s artistic principles. The changing exhibitions highlight new facets of the distinguished steel sculptor, Alf Lechner's, work. Alongside diverse sculptural works, individual exhibitions also showcase the sculptor’s sketches and autonomous graphical artworks.
Tailor-Made Top Tip: If you buy a ticket to the Lechner Museum, you will get free entry to the Museum for Concrete Art and vice versa.
3. Museum of World War I
The Museum of World War I is housed in the Reduit Tilly, which was the central building of Ingolstadt's fortifications from the 19th century. The impressive building houses exhibits in over 30 rooms, depicting the background, development, and consequences of World War One. Alongside military action and life at the front, the presentation is also dedicated to questions such as hunger in the homeland or changing role of women in society.
Tailor-Made Top Tip: Klenzepark is a peaceful oasis at the rear of the museum.
2. The Bavarian Police Museum
The Bavarian Police Museum is housed in Turm Triva, a fortification which was built in the nineteenth century. The museum presents the history of the Bavarian Police from the Bavarian Revolution of 1918/ 1919 to fighting over the atomic reprocessing plant Wackersdorf in the 1980s. Topics range from police training in the Third Reich to border security in the Cold War. The exhibition offers an insider's view into the lives of police.
Tailor-Made Top Tip: Bring cash to pay for your entrance ticket, same for both military museums. We were surprised, but many museums and attractions in Bavaria will not accept card
1. Museum for Concrete Art
The Museum of Concrete Art is Germany’s only museum specialising exclusively in the Concrete Art movement (it is worth noting that this movement wasn't about art made from concrete, rather about an emphasis on geometrical abstraction!). Its 1000 sq. exhibition area and the neighbouring sculpture garden feature works by this art movement’s most significant proponents. The collection comprises the works of Josef Albers, Max Bill, Richard Paul Lohse, Victor Vasarely, François Morellet and Jesus Rafael Soto, among others. Alongside its extensive collection, the Museum of Concrete Art regularly shows changing exhibitions. They showcase the full gamut of Concrete Art, as well as developments in design related to concrete art by virtue of their formative principles.
Tailor-Made Top Tip: Make sure to check out the outdoor sculptures at the rear of the museum.
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Conclusion
Overall, Ingolstadt is a city that has something for everyone. Whether you're interested in history, culture, or just looking to relax and enjoy the great outdoors, there's something for you to see and do in this beautiful Bavarian city. So, if you're planning a trip to Germany, be sure to add Ingolstadt to your itinerary.
Related Blog Posts
If you would like more information on Bavaria, please view the Tailor-Made Itineraries posts below:
Comment below and let us know what your favourite attraction Ingolstadt is.
Don’t forget that Tailor-Made Itineraries delights in creating bespoke self-guided tours. So, if visiting Ingolstadt appeals to you, reach out to me by email. I would be more than happy to design a self-guided tour around your requirements incorporating the fascinating attractions of Ingolstadt, or indeed, a general tour of Bavaria.
Join me next time on my adventures when I discover the attractions of Chicago. Tailor-Made Itineraries posts every two weeks, and you can subscribe to the latest blog and newsletter here. Until then, happy reading and safe travels.
Barry
Contact Me: tailoritineraries@gmail.com
Tailor-Made Itineraries creates one-of-a-kind bespoke self-guided travel itineraries for adventurous and curious travellers.
These self-guided tours deliver a personalised and exciting holiday experience that takes the effort out of trip planning.
