Ingolstadt Walking Tour

By Vicky · Published Sep. 11th, 2023

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Ingolstadt is a charming city with a rich history dating back to medieval times, best explored on a walking tour.

Location

This walk starts from Ingolstadt Rathausplatz. You can take the bus here from Ingolstadt Hauptbahnhof. The bus leaves roughly every 10 minutes and takes about 5-7 minutes.

Get the route by downloading the .gpx or .kml file below. For navigation with Maps.me on your mobile phone, simply download the .kml file and open to add it to the Maps.me bookmarks.

Top Things to Do in Ingolstadt

On this self-guided walking tour you’ll see the main sites and attractions of Ingolstadt. You only need one day to see most of the places and museums in Ingolstadt.

Ingolstadt Walking Tour Route

This walking tour starts from the Rathausplatz, in the centre of Ingolstadt Old Town.

1. Old Town

From the Rathausplatz you’ll already be able to see the Altes Rathaus (Old Townhall), rather nicer than the new townhall which is the modern building on the same square. To the left of the Altes Rathaus is the tourist information, where you can pick up leaflets about Ingolstadt and further afield. It’s open Tue-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-2:30pm, Sun 11am-2:30pm

Continue past the tourist information and you’ll see the Moritzirche on your right. This is the oldest building in town, with parts dating back to the 9th century. Most of the current building comes from a few centuries later.

Directions: Turn right after the church, on the large pedestrian street.

Most of the Medieval centre has cobblestone streets and historic buildings. There are also plenty of restaurants, cafes and shops lining the charming streets.

Directions: At the end of the street you’ll find the next stop.

2. Neues Schloss

Key Information: All museums are open Tue-Fri 9-5:30pm, weekends 10-5:30pm. Entry is €3.50/free each for adults/children, or only €1 on Sundays. A combined ticket for all three museums (Bavarian Army, World War I, Bavarian Police Museum) is €7.

The Neues Schloss is a magnificent Renaissance-style palace from the early 15th century. You can explore the castle’s courtyard and gardens for free, or visit the museum inside. Did you know, Charles de Gaulle was a prisoner here during part of WWI?

Three museums make up the offerings here. Inside the Neues Schloss itself is the Bayerisch Armeemuseum, or Bavarian Military Museum (Website, Tripadvisor Reviews*). This museum is one of the largest museums of military history in Europe and has an impressive collection of weapons from the Medieval period onwards. There are also dioramas of random battles and a lot of little tin soldiers. Some, but not all of the information is in English. Tour guides who speak English are often available.

Across the river on the left is the Bayerisches Polizeimuseum (Bayern Police Museum), housed in the Turm Triva, a solid round building. To the right is the Reduit Tilly, a 19th-century fortress that today houses the Museum of World War I. It’s quite a large museum with lots of information, and details about how the First World War affected German society.

Directions: Head through the castle courtyard, or around the grand castle if it’s closed. Head across the pedestrian bridge and into the park on the other side.

3. Klenzepark

Klenzepark* lies along the banks of the Danube River. You can enjoy a leisurely walk or sit by the river to relax. The best route is to first head left and walk around the Turm Triva, before continuing around the Reduit Tilly via the rose garden. There’s not too much to do in the park except enjoy the flowers and calm atmosphere.

Directions: After enjoying a walk in the park, head back across the bridge. Head around the right-hand side of the car park, by the old city walls, to the large square.

4. Ingolstadt Wochenmarkt

Every Wednesday and Saturday morning, from 8am-12:30pm, there’s a great market here on the square. Stalls sell fresh fruit and veg, cheese, jams, as well as ready-to-eat goodies. On the city-side of the square in the Herzogskasten. This is the old palace, which has also been a treasury, granary, and now library.

Directions: Walk left out of the square, in front of the park, and the long building on the left contains the next museum.

5. Museum of Concrete Art

Key Information: Open Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. Admission is €5.50/3.50/free and includes the Lechner Museum too.

The Museum of Concrete Art (or Museum für Konkrete Kunst) is about art from the Concrete Movement, so objects are mainly made of concrete. There’s interesting architecture, and it’s a fairly unique art museum!

Directions: After the museum, continue along the road and take the first right, then right again back to the Rathausplatz. Keep on going, and this time turn left on the main pedestrian street. Take the first right before the large church and walk a few blocks.

6. Asamkirche Maria de Victoria

Key Information: Open Mar-Oct, Tue-Sun, 9-12 & 12:30-5pm, open Nov-Feb 1-4pm. May-Sept also open Mondays. Admission is €3/1.50 per adult/child.

The Asamkirche* is a baroque-style church from the early 18th century known for its ornate interior. Make sure to check out the ceiling, an extremely large fresco that will confuse your mind. Note that the arrow from the archer always seems to point directly at you, amongst other trompe l’oeil. The exterior is also quite ornate and is definitely a striking contrast to the surrounding buildings.

Directions: Return back to the large church, the main church of town.

7. Ingolstadt Minster

Directions: Head right along the street from the church to reach the next stop.

8. Kreuztor

The Kreuztor (Cross Gate) is a well-preserved medieval gate made of red brick. The tower was built in 1385 and was once part of the four town gates into the city. Today it’s the symbol of Ingolstadt.

Directions: Walk through the gate and turn left along the slightly busy road. Note the nice views to your left. For better views, cross the road and head up the stairs to the Scherbelberg Viewpoint. The best view is from the bench before the top. Cross back over the road for the next stop.

9. Deutsches Medizinhistoriches Museum

Key Information: Open Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. Admission is €5/2.50 per adult/child.

The Deutsches Medizinhistoriches Museum, or German Museum of Medical History (Website, Tripadvisor Reviews*), is housed in the Alte Anatomie (Old Anatomy Building). The baroque Old Anatomy building was built in 1723 to teach anatomy at the Bavarian State University. At the time is was one of the best places to study anatomy in the world.

The museum itself is quite gory and not suitable for young children, or those who feel ill at the sight of blood. Otherwise, it’s a fascinating insight into the evolution of medicine and medical practices (and instruments) over time. The Medicinal Plant Garden, in the courtyard behind the entrance, is a lovely place and also contains a nice cafe.

Directions: Wind your way back through the small lanes of the Old Town towards the Rathausplatz. Turn left to walk to the ZOB Busbahnhof to get a bus to the Audi Museum. Buses leave every 15 minutes and take about 7 minutes. Alternatively, take a bus back from here to Ingolstadt main train station.

10. Audi Forum Ingolstadt

Key Information: Open weekdays 9am-5pm, weekends 10am-4pm. Tickets are €5, or €13 for a guided tour. Almost everything is in English and German.

If you’re interested in cars, visit the Audi Forum Ingolstadt (Website, Tripadvisor Reviews*). Here you can explore the museum and learn about the history of the Audi brand, or even how suspension and aerodynamics work. There’s also a cafe and restaurant with great food.

The museum itself is small but packed with items and quite high-tech. As you might expect, there are also many cars and motorbikes on display, including prototypes. Longer Audi Factory Tours let you see the actual factory and production process.

Other Museums in Ingolstadt

Apart from the Bavarian Army Museum, the Deutsches Medizinhistoriches Museum, the Audi Museum and the Museum of Concrete Art, there are a couple of other museums in Ingolstadt.

Lechner Museum

Key Information: Open Thu-Sun 10am-5pm. Admission is €5.50/3.50/free and includes the Museum of Concrete Art too.

The Lechner Museum displays artworks this time using steel, not concrete. The museum itself is housed in an old glass-covered factory hall and has interesting architecture.

Stadtmuseum Ingolstadt

Key Information: Open Tue-Fri 9am-5pm, weekends 10am-5pm. Tickets cost €5.50/3.50.

The Stadtmuseum Ingolstadt is situated in an old barracks compound. There are different sections, varying from archaeology, to the history of Ingolstadt to old toys and local industry.

For more walking tours and hikes in Germany, see our Germany hiking page.