Augsburg (pop 265,000) was founded in Roman times by the step-children of the Roman emperor Augustus and is Bavaria’s oldest and third largest city. It became a great financial centre second only to London during the 15th and 16th centuries mostly due to the merchant families of the Fugger and Welser. Rudolf Diesel invented his engine here. Stroll down the Maximilianstrasse, a broad avenue lined with Renaissance and Baroque mansions, and many pleasant cafés.