Ulm, Germany

I have a confession to make – until we started planning a visit to some German Christmas markets, I don’t think I had ever heard of Ulm. I definitely couldn’t have placed it on a map. But that is the serendipity of Couchsurfing: I post on one of the groups I am a member of (Family Welcome Group) that we were thinking of heading to Stuttgart to see the Christmas markets and did anyone have room for us. A lovely lady in Ulm offered up her home, and, well, we never ended up going to Stuttgart but we did discover Ulm.

Ulm is actually two towns – ‘Ulm’ proper, and across the bridge ‘Neu-Ulm’, where we stayed. They are even in different districts: Ulm is in Baden-Württembergand Ulm is in Bavaria. Ulm is probably most famous for its Minster (Ulm Münster) which has the highest church spire in the world. We didn’t climb up it on our visit (much too cold and windy!) but luckily there was an exhibition at the Ulm Museum about the building of the Ulm Münster, and the hands-on section was particularly great: Willem got to draw designs for arches and windows (using pencils and a

Sculpture on the roof of Ulm Museum

compass – can you imagine any English speaking countries leaving out implements like a compass unattended for kids to hurt themselves with or steal??), use pulleys to move things, and even have a go at carving some stone. Unfortunately the exhibition is a temporary one, but I think it is running through to February 2012.

Even if there isn’t an exhibition about the Minster to entice you, the museum is still worth a visit. It is a very eclectic mix of attractions, with everything from Stone-age figurines to modern art. Almost all the information is in German, but there are brochures in English available at the front desk, and a lot of it is self-explanatory. Adults cost €5.00, but a family ticket is €8.00, so if there is more than one of you that is the option to take. The museum is closed on Mondays (as we learned when we first tried to visit!) but the excellent gift shop is open. Speaking of gift shops, the tourist information shop has a decent range of postcards and knick-knacks as well as very helpful staff who speak excellent English.

We also tried to visit the Bread Museum but when we got there they had a loud fire alarm going and weren’t accepting visitors! So we are saving that one for our next visit.

Much of the appeal of Ulm is the beautiful old city. Ulm is built on a river, and the Fishermen’s and Tanners’ Quarter is full of lovely old buildings, including many old mill buildings right on the river. There is even the old Ulm Mint.  There are various buildings that look to be lurching into or away from the water, and you are sure to find cute little corners and quirky galleries.

As well as strolling around the old part of town, it is a lovely walk along the remaining city walls.  Built in 1482, the walls run along the river, including past the Fishermen’s and Tanners’ Quarter mentioned below. Even though it was windy and cold we had a great walk along them.

Lastly, something to keep your eye out for when you are visiting Ulm – Sparrows. The Ulmer Spatz (Ulm Sparrow) is the symbol of Ulm. To quote from Abiyoyo:

The sparrow with a stick in its beak is the undisputed symbol of Ulm. Standing out on the roof of the cathedral and walking around the city you will recognize it flies around and crosses with plumage patterns and colors. Legend has it that: “Many centuries ago, Ulm was surrounded by a very thick wall meant to protect the city from unwelcomed invaders. For the construction of their Cathedral, the residents wanted to bring in the city of Ulm, timber which was loaded in a wagon, which caused problems, because the gate was too small. The inhabitants of Ulm had already decided to demolish the gate to allow the passage of the wagon when they saw a bird fluttering around it and carrying, a long wisp of straw in the tip, to build the nest. As soon as the bird introduced the straw in a niche in the bell tower, the inhabitants of Ulm were hit by a flash of genius. They laid the beams along the cart, and thus saved the gate from demolition. To thank the bird, so they say, they placed, a monument in the shape of a sparrow on the roof of the Cathedral”.

We had fun spotting sparrows wherever we walked (including a few that seem to be partially buried in concrete, near the Cathedral!) As well as urban sculpture and stores, you can find small sparrow (and other bird sculptures) in people’s gardens, on the islands in the river, and on balconies. Willem even bought a sparrow shaped cookie-cutter at the Christmas markets as his souvineer from Ulm!