ULM, its the first thing that comes to my mind, since i first stumbled across the series called The World from Above (must admit it’s my favorite series from The Discovery Science Channel till date), is also the city that has the tallest church in the World (pictures above and below).
Another thing that i learned about Ulm, when I got admission in masters program in Surgery in Ulm University’s Teaching Hospital in Aalen, (just north of Ulm), is that it is the birth place of one of the greatest minds of the 20th Century “Albert Einstein“. Einstein was born and raised in Ulm.
It’s also a city which according to me has the best Christmas Market in not just the region but in the entire south Germany. The Christmas market is quite small in comparison to the giants in Nuremberg, Rothenberg o. d. Tauber or Stuttgart, but it has its own charm and beauty that none other can beat. It is my personal favorite and I highly recommend it to everyone visiting Germany during the Christmas time. Below are some of the pictures of the Christmas market shops, decorations, contents of the shops and the beautifully lit up Ulm Mister.
ULM MINSTER / ULMER MUENSTER (German)
The Church is a Lutheran Church and was originally built as a catholic church, which later got converted to Lutheran during the Reformation Years. It is currently a minster or a parish church and not a Cathedral because the Bishop lives in Stuttgart Cathedral. The Church is a 161,5 m high structure whose construction was started way back in 1377 and lasted right into the 19th century (1890). On its completion it was the tallest building in the world for 11 years, which was then succeeded by The Philadelphia City Hall (167 m) in 1901. Ulm Minster remained the tallest building in Europe till after the end of the World War II, when it was surpassed by Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building in Moscow, USSR (1952).
The Minster is a World Heritage site and is a must visit for young and old. It has beautiful influences from the Medieval times to the recent Gothic Styles. It could hold more then 20000 people before the pews were introduced in the churches. I have posted some of the recent pictures of the interiors of the Minster.
If you want to enjoy the view of not just Ulm and New Ulm, (the twin city to Ulm) but also of the entire Alpine Range from the peaks of Saentis in the south east to Zugspitze in the south west of Ulm, you should have the courage to climb the 768 steps that lead right up to the top of the West Spire of the Ulm Minster. The last few steps are so narrow that it allows only one person at a time to access the extreme top of the church.
If you are planning to climb right up to the top of the West Spire at the Ulm Minster, I recommend that you put on a jacket and something to cover your ears so as to protect yourselves from the cold winds that blow sometimes, even during the summer Times. Don’t forget your DSLR or GoPro. Drones are not allowed over German Cities or Villages so the Drone can be left back at the Hotel Room or Hostel.
The German Culture is incomplete without the Beer Festivals and Christmas Markets. Ulm boosts of one of the best Christmas Markets in South Germany, in a sense that the Shops that make up the market are unique and sell handmade goods all exclusively made in Germany, in stark contrast to the other German Christmas markets where the shops sometimes sells Chinese made mass produced goods, the goods sold in Ulm are exclusively German and handmade. Here are some of the pictures of the Ulm’s Christmas market taken in 2018. Also I have put up some pictures of the Ulm Minster beautifully lit up in the Christmas Market lights.
Places of Interest in Ulm and Nearby:
Ulm Minster goes without saying, is the main attraction of Ulm, a must visit when in the city and you also should aim to climb to the top, with the appropriate gear and camera. Its open daily from 09:00 am to 07:00 pm, from April to September. From October to March the timings are reduced and are from 09:00 am to 05:00 pm. The entry to the church is free but if you are planning to climb to the top of the tallest spire, it costs 5 Euros for adults and 3.5 Euros for children above 7 years and students. For children below 7 years the entry is free.
New-Ulm / Neu-Ulm (Bavaria) is the twin city of Ulm and has its own beautiful attractions like: City Park Glacis, Donaubad, Reptile Zoo, Edwin-Scharff Museum. Just a walk through the city is beautiful in itself. The City although just across the River Danube is located in Bavaria. The City has its own laws according to the Bavarian State and quite a different dialect when you speak to them in German.
Fishermen’s Quarter located close to the Ulm Minster its a must see, being just walking distance to the church you simply cant miss it. It makes some beautiful spots for the perfect Instapics and profile pictures on Facebook
Ulmer Rathaus / Ulm’s City Town Hall is a beautiful building located just next to the Ulm Minster and is not just famous for its Frescoes but also for its astronomical Clock. Its a must visit because it is represents the culture and heritage of the city and regions. Its construction began in the 13th Century and lasted up to the Renaissance Era.
The Leaning House / Hotel Schiefes Haus (German) is a hotel located also at a walking distance from Ulm Minster and makes for a perfect stop over when you are on the way from the Ulm Minster to Fisherman’s Quarter. It is a wooden building built in 1406 along the River Blau that meets River Danube (Donau as its called in German)
City Walls of Ulm along the river Danube are still standing tall and can be visited. You can combine it with a walk along the river Danube.
Loewen Brunnen / The Loins Fountain is located just opposite to the Ulm Minster and you simply cant miss it. It is located on the Ulm Minster Square. I have added a picture of it below.
River Danube, flows through the City of Ulm and divides it from New Ulm on its South Side. There is a beautiful Promenade along the Rivers Bank, which i highly recommend personally. I always make it a point to visit this place as its close to the Minster and free to enter. Danube is the second longest river of Europe and flows through 10 countries before it drains in the Black Sea.
Museums that are worth a visit are Museum der Brotkultur (National Bread Culture Museum of Germany, Ulm) dedicated to the seriousness with which the people of Germany pursue their baking of Breads and the variety and history of Breads in Germany. The Ulm Museum with the Weishaupt Gallery, The Danube Swabian Museum, The Natural History Education Centre and The Rococo library and Museum at Wiblingen Monastery are the other famous ones worth a visit when you have a day or two to spend in Ulm.
Useful Tip: If you are a full on Museum Person, just like me, I highly recommend buying the Ulm Card (there are two types as of now: Blue Ulm Card valid for 1 Day for 17 Euros per head and Green Ulm Card valid for 2 Days for 22 Euros per head) which gives you a free entry to all the seven Museums mentioned above, a free guided tour of the city center, unlimited free use of all public transport within the city boundaries of Ulm and Neu-Ulm and many other goodies and discounts in shops, cafes and restaurants in and around Ulm and New-Ulm.
ULM is a medium sized city located in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. It is the capital of the Ulm Urban District and forms the administrative seat / capital of Alb-Donau District. It has a population of around 120000 and a University founded in 1960’s with a student population of around 10000. The city has a rich history and cultural heritage. It was founded in 850 A.D. and it counts among one of the oldest Cities in Germany. It forms a major industrial region with lots of Industrial headquarters and service industry boom in recent years. The city has three Rivers, Danube, Blau and Iller. The rivers Blau and Iller drain into Danube which is the major River flowing through the region.
HOW TO REACH?
By Air:- The closest airport to Ulm is the Memmingen – Allgaeu Airport located 60 km south of the city with continuous flight to other German cities and popular tourist destinations. It is also surrounded on all sides by cities with airports of their own. Stuttgart Airport (80km; approximately 1hr 10mins), Frankfurt Airport (295km; approximately 3hr 15mins) and Munich Airport (160km; approximately 1hr 30mins)
By Train: Ulm is a major railway station for the German railways with trains coming in from all four sides. The trains come in from North from Nuremberg, from west from Stuttgart, from east from Munich and Augsburg and from south from Austrian Cities like Bregenz. To check the connections click here.
By Car: Ulm is extremely well connected by Roads and is locates on the crossroads of A7 and A8 (German National Highways) makes it very easy to reach. B10, B19, B28 and B30 are the states Highways that connect it to the nearby cities and A7 and A8.
WHERE TO STAY?
Ulm has a over 150 hotels and a few hostels. To name a few: lmer Muenster Hotel, Riku Hotel Ulm, Confor Hotel Ulm, Hotel Neuthor, Hotel Goldenes Rad, Leonardo Royal Hotel and Maritim Hotel Ulm are a few elite ones that offer good amenities.
The Brickstone Hostel Ulm and Youth Hostel Association of Germany’s Hostel in Ulm are the only hostels available in the city.
People of Ulm do offer some fantabulous Airbnb’s. Just download the app and search away.
I personally visit Ulm very often as it has an IKEA Outlet, which is my personal favorite. Whatever the reason i can only highly recommend each and everyone to visit the City to experience its beautiful culture and heritage. Best time to visit is during the Christmas Market in December.
PLACES OF INTEREST NEARBY:-
TÜBINGEN
On the closing note I would like to thank each and every reader of this Blog post on Ulm. It is truly my readers that motivate and push me to continue writing and do better each time. Thank you once again.
I highly recommend visiting the beautiful twin cities of Ulm and Neu-Ulm (New-Ulm) during the Christmas Market Season so as to enjoy the best these cities have to offer.
Miles To Adventures 