Basilika St. Ulrich und Afra

The Basilica of St. Ulrich and Afra is one of the last major late-Gothic church constructions in Swabia, with its foundation stone laid in 1467 and construction extending into the early 16th century. Its distinctive onion-domed tower — added during the Baroque era — became a direct stylistic model for numerous Bavarian Baroque churches, making this building an architectural turning point for the entire region. Since 1937 it has held the title of Papal Basilica. Over the centuries the church served a remarkable range of roles: pilgrimage site for the Augsburg diocesan saints Ulrich, Afra, and Simpert; abbey church for the adjacent Benedictine monastery; and garrison church for a Bavarian cavalry regiment. The crypt below preserves the relics of the church's patron saints and remains an active site of veneration. The basilica is a listed monument and stands within easy walking distance of Augsburg's central Rathausplatz.