A visit to the Augsburger Puppenkiste and its stars

A wooden box with printed lettering - many people recognise the trademark of the Augsburger Puppenkiste. But visitors to Spitalgasse will discover much more than fits in a box.

Where the childhood dream of the Augsburger Puppenkiste began: a place full of magic and memories

Since 26 February 1948, the day of its premiere, the Augsburger Puppenkiste has been captivating young and old alike in the rooms of the former Heilig-Geist-Spital. Where director and actor Walter Oehmichen once brought the first wooden figures to life together with his wife Rose, you can still attend theatre performances and marvel at the art of puppetry up close today. Thanks to the lovingly designed and detailed sets, you can immerse yourself in a world full of adventure, and not just with classics such as Puss in Boots, Urmel the Iceman or Hansel and Gretel. If you like opera, you should definitely see the productions of Mozart's Magic Flute or Wagner's Ring of the Nibelungs. More entertainment for adults is also offered by the annually changing evening cabaret programme. Tickets for performances at the puppet theatre, now in its third generation, should definitely be booked in advance, as they are in high demand. Current dates and programmes can be found here.

The puppet museum: meet Kater Mikesch, Räuber Hotzenplotz and other stars in the original theatre

In addition to the elaborately staged puppet shows, it is also worth visiting the in-house puppet theatre museum "Die Kiste", which has been located on the floor above the theatre since 2001. The permanent exhibition takes visitors on a journey through the past decades and allows them to marvel at the hand-carved wooden figures known throughout Germany, such as Kater Mikesch and Räuber Hotzenplotz, along with their elaborately designed backdrops. But it is not only the celebrated stars of the Augsburger Puppenkiste puppet theatre that have found a home in the "Kiste": Other wooden heroes also await visitors in changing special exhibitions, accompanied by a colourful programme on the respective exhibition theme. Information on the current special exhibitions can be found here.

Café and restaurant of the Augsburger Puppenkiste: The perfect event location for children's birthday parties, weddings and more

The café and restaurant "Die Kiste" is also located directly on site. Here you can eat well and at reasonable prices in a relaxed atmosphere. The speciality: The dishes are named after the stars of the puppet theatre. If you are looking for an unusual location for a special occasion such as a wedding or company party, you can also celebrate in the rooms of the former Heilig-Geist-Spital. Children can celebrate their birthday together with their friends in the "Kiste" and immerse themselves in the adventurous world of Jim Knopf or Urmel from the Ice Age on a special guided tour.

On the way back to the station, it's also worth taking a look at the Kasperle traffic lights in Spitalgasse 6 - because they only exist in Augsburg and only in honour of the Augsburger Puppenkiste.

Current information, admission prices and opening times can be found here.

How to get to the Augsburger Puppenkiste

The Augsburger Puppenkiste can be reached on foot from Augsburg main station in around 20 minutes. To visit the Augsburger Puppenkiste, leave the main railway station at the east exit and follow Viktoriastraße a short distance to the right until you reach the traffic lights. The road bends slightly to the left here and is now called Halderstraße. After 450 metres, you will reach the junction with Hermanstraße. Cross this at the traffic lights. Follow Schießgrabenstraße for 130 metres, then turn left onto Beethovenstraße and a few metres further on turn right again onto Konrad-Adenauer-Allee. After 300 metres turn left onto Weite G. and after another 280 metres turn right again onto Milchberg. After 180 metres, turn right onto Spitalgasse. The Puppenkiste is 180 metres further on at number 15 on your left.

Our extra tip for children

Museums are particularly interesting for children when they can discover and try things out for themselves. At the Augsburger Puppenkiste, for example, young explorers can look behind the scenes with a special telescope and watch the puppeteers at work.