Wasserwerk am Hochablass, Hydroelectric power station in Spickel-Herrenbach, Augsburg, Germany
Wasserwerk am Hochablass is a hydroelectric power station in Augsburg with a castle-like building featuring two towers, a portico, and spans between the Neubach stream and Lech River. The structure houses machinery and display areas demonstrating how moving water generates electricity for the region.
Built in 1879, this facility transformed Augsburg's water system by introducing pressure technology and replacing old wooden pipes with modern cast-iron ones. It represented the industrial advances that modernized German cities during that period.
The engineering museum inside displays how water technology developed over time through machinery and exhibits showing the city's water management. Visitors can see how communities depend on water power and how this shaped local life.
The facility is accessible to visitors and offers guided tours at scheduled times where you can see the machinery and museum displays firsthand. It helps to check opening times in advance and wear comfortable shoes for walking through the building.
The site operates simultaneously as a working power plant, museum, and information center about the city's water supply, making it rare as an active facility open to visitors. Few places in Europe combine electricity generation with public education in this way.
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