Showing 1-16 of 16 results
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Albrecht Berblinger Plaque
East of the Herdbrücke (the bridge leading to Neu Ulm) is a bronze plaque marking the spot where Albrecht Berblinger attempted his flight (his failure was later determined to have been caused by a lack of thermals on that particular day).
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Einstein Fountain & Monument
About 750m northeast of the Münster in front of the 16th-century Zeughaus (arsenal), at the northern end of Zeughausgasse, stands a fiendishly funny fountain dedicated to Albert Einstein, who was born in Ulm but left aged one year. The nearby health administration building, at Zeughaus 14, bears a single stone attached to the wall with the inscription Ein Stein (One Stone).
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Einstein Monument
Over near the Hauptbahnhof, on Bahnhofstrasse, is Max Bill's monument (1979) to the great physicist, a stack of staggered granite pillars on the spot where Einstein's babyhood home once stood.
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Fischerviertel
Just southwest of the Schwörhaus is the Fischerviertel, the city's old fishers' and tanners' quarter. This charming area of half-timbered houses is built along the two channels of the tiny Blau River - crossed by a series of footbridges - which are confluent with the Danube nearby. Here you'll find several art galleries, a number of restaurants and the crookedest hotel in the world.
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Fischkastenbrunnen
In the Marktplatz is the Fischkastenbrunnen, a fountain where fishmongers kept their river fish alive on market days.
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Kloster Wiblingen
This one-time Benedictine monastery was founded in 1093 and rebuilt in the baroque style in the 1700s. Highlights of a visit include the splendid Bibliothekssaal (library hall), a rococo masterpiece in pink and green (in 1757 the monastery was in possession of 15,000 volumes, a huge number for the time). The late baroque/early classical Klosterkirche (Monastery Church) and a museum opened in 2006. An audioguide is available.
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Legoland Deutschland
Legoland Deutschland is a Lego-themed amusement park in Günzburg, about 30km northeast of Ulm just off the A8. Bus 850 links Ulm with Günzburg's train station; from there a shuttle goes to the park.
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Münster
Ulm's outstanding architectural landmark is the towering Münster, celebrated for its 161.53m-high steeple - the tallest in the world. Though the first stone was laid in 1377, it took over 500 years for the structure to be completed. A bronze plaque embedded in the pavement out front shows directions and distances to cities around Europe. Note the hallmarks on each stone, inscribed by cutters who were paid by the block.
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Museum der Brotkultur
The Museum der Brotkultur celebrates bread as the staff of life, taking a look at the process of growing grain and making bread over millennia and across cultures. No actual bread is on display because, as a brochure solemnly explains, bread is food and must be respected as such, not collected in museums.
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Rathaus
The 14th-century Rathaus has an ornately painted Renaissance façade and a gilded astrological clock (1520); bells count off every quarter-hour. Inside you can see a replica of Berblinger's flying machine.
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Sammlung Weishaupt
Across the street from the Ulmer Museum, is this brand new building housing the Sammlung Weishaupt, spotlighting modern and pop art. This impressive structure is the latest in a series of bold and acclaimed modern buildings that have injected new dynamism into Ulm's Altstadt.
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Schwörhaus
On the first Monday of each July, the mayor swears allegiance to the town's 1397 constitution from the first-floor loggia of the early 17th-century baroque Schwörhaus, three blocks west of the Rathaus.
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Stadthaus
Besides the Münster, the other highlight of Münsterplatz - from a completely different era - is the white-and-glass 1993 Stadthaus, designed by the American architect Richard Meier. He caused an uproar by erecting a postmodern building next to the city's Gothic gem but the result is both gorgeous and functional. The structure stages art exhibitions and special events, and also houses the tourist office and a café.
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Stadtmauer
Along the south side of the Fischerviertel, along the north bank of the Danube, runs the Stadtmauer, the height of which was reduced in the early 19th century after Napoleon decided that a heavily fortified Ulm was against his best interests. Note the Metzgerturm (Butcher's Tower), leaning 2m off-centre.
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Ulmer Museum
The Ulmer Museum houses a collection of ancient and modern art, including icons, religious paintings and sculptures. A highlight is the 20th-century Kurt Fried Collection, with works by artists including Klee, Kandinsky, Picasso, Lichtenstein and Macke.
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Zentralbibliothek
That striking all-glass pyramid behind the Rathaus - 28m by 28m at its base and 36m high - is the city's main library, the 2004 Zentralbibliothek, designed by Gottfried Böhm.
Showing 1-16 of 16 results
