Ulm is a surprisingly vibrant town in southern Germany. Located at the edge of the Baden-Württemberg region, just before the Danube flows into Bavaria. This city has a rich history, trendy restaurants and cafés, and fun activities to keep you entertained for a few days with ease. Are you travelling with us?
With about seven-and-a-half hours' drive from Utrecht, you can reach Ulm. The ideal stopover for a round trip to the south, for example. You can also reach Ulm easily by train. In just six hours you get off just outside the city centre.
Discover Ulm with a guide - A city walk through history
Ulm is Albert Einstein's hometown, although he only lived there for a few months of his life. One of the many fun facts our guide managed to tell us. On a guided city tour, we learned all the stories behind the hip architecture and sometimes hundreds of years old houses. Many of these buildings are crooked. Something Ulm owes its name to. Ulm derives from uhlma, which is old German for muddy. Because the houses were once built on the muddy banks of the Danube, they have subsided over the years. It adorns the city in a unique way.
With the UlmCard you get a free city tour as a gift. In the summer months, between July and September, this is also available in English.
If you are on a city trip in Ulm, it is useful to buy an UlmCard. This pass gives you 24 or 48 hours access to all the highlights Ulm has to offer. You can also opt for an UlmCard that doubles as a public transport pass. Current prices and information can be found on this site. Wondering what those Ulm highlights are? I would like to list them for you.
Highlights of a city break in Ulm
Münsterplatz 21, 89073 Ulm
1. Ulm Münster
This church in the heart of Ulm has the highest church tower in the world! And you can climb it. You will have to train your leg muscles to reach the top of the 70-metre tower. With the UlmCard, entrance is included. Apart from the tower, the church itself is also worth a visit, admission to which is free anyway.
Marktplatz 9, 89073 Ulm & Parkplatz Hans-und, Sophie-Scholl-Platz 1, 89073 Ulm
2. Visit various museums in Ulm
Ulm has a diverse range of museums. One of the world's oldest figurative human-animal sculptures can be found in the Ulm Museum, while the Kunsthalle Weishaupt also houses a special collection of contemporary art. Just the building itself is an extraordinary feat of modern architecture amidst old Ulm buildings.
Schloßstraße 38, 89079 Ulm
3. Monastery Wiblingen
Five kilometres outside Ulm is a very impressive monastery, considered one of the most beautiful Rococo buildings. In 1744, Franz Martin Kühn painted a beautiful ceiling fresco in the building's library. You will be amazed!
Jahnufer 50, 89231 Neu-Ulm
4. The Danube
The river that made Ulm great. And also the river on and around which there is much to experience today. Take a lovely walk on the city walls and along the river. Or hire a sup at SUP Station Ulm andtake to the water. Settle down at one of the many waterfront cafés or benches. Admire the boats, people and nature.
Nice vegan restaurants and cafés - Eating and drinking in Ulm
Talking about perching on terraces. These are my favourite vegan-friendly restaurants and coffee spots in Ulm.
Judenhof 1/1, 89073 Ulm
1. Café Frida
A lovely cosy café. When the weather is nice, you can sit down here on a terrace on a large square. The place for a nice cup of coffee, a smoothie and a good breakfast or lunch. There are lots of vegan options on the menu.
Herrenkellergasse 6, 89073 Ulm
2. Café Gustaff Ulm
I drank a delicious cappuccino with oat milk here on a Sunday morning, in a deserted shopping street full of beautiful, colourful houses. I can imagine that on any other day it is a bustling affair that you can watch from the terrace.
Auf dem Kreuz 37, 89073 Ulm
3. Virtshaus
This is truly one of the tastiest vegan restaurants I have ever eaten at! They also make traditional German regional dishes, but vegan. Highly recommended!
Neue Str. 83, 89073 Ulm
4. CALVI Café & vintage clothing
Another lovely spot, just next to the church. It is a hip café where you can also shop vintage clothes. When I walked in here, I ended up in a drag queen gig. So be sure to check their calendar, maybe your coffee break with cake will also coincide with a surprise.
Staying in Ulm - Ulmer Münster Hotel
After all the wandering around, supping and surprising encounters in Ulm, it was really nice to be able to just walk into my hotel in the city centre. I slept at Ulmer Münster Hotel. A hotel adjacent to Münsterplatz and the Ulmer Münster - that church with the tallest church tower in the world.
A very nice hotel with a full breakfast in the morning. They also offer bicycle rental. Ideal, should you want to explore Ulm and the surrounding area by bike or cycle to Monastery Wiblingen, for example.
I'm curious to know if you will visit Ulm for a city trip! Will you let us know via Instagram?
Love,
This travel inspiration is made possible by Visit Sueden.
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