Ulm in 3 hours – 180 minutes in Ulm

Ulm at the Danube in 3 hours – that’s why it is worth visiting

The university town of Ulm is located next to the border to Bavaria in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. The idyllic Ulm lies at an altitude of 479 meters centered at the extremely eastern edge of the state. At the moment the inhabitants number of Ulm remains relatively stable at 120,000 inhabitants in an area of almost 120 square kilometers.

Railwaystation Ulm

The Ulm train station is centrally located and is served by many long-distance and regional trains (between Munich / Augsburg and Stuttgart / Frankfurt). However, Ulm Main Station is not the most modern. Instead of escalators there are only stairs with luggage belt for more thinner bags (with travel bags, the system does not work). The luggage storage at the station costs € 5 and is about the size of a suitcase plus backpack or 4 packs.

Shopping street to Ulmer Münster

The shopping street and pedestrian zone starts right at the train station and ends in front of the Ulm Cathedral called Ulm Münster. The shopping street includes stores of major global player but alos regional businesses. In addition, some restaurants, fast food shops, bars and ice cream shops are in this street. The shopping street is about one kilometer long and ends by the Münster. The Ulm Cathedral was built in 1377 in the Gothic style. With its 161.53-meter high church tower it is the tallest spire in the world. From the top you can enjoy a magnificent view over Ulm and the whole region. However, the highest platform is quite narrow designed so that it can only be used one-way. A getting past on the narrow staircase at the last part becomes very often difficult. But I recommend it for anyone who is visiting Ulm. For this, you should plan 0,5-1 hour – depending on the shopping mood.

High above the roofs of Ulm highest church tower in the world

To visit the church as well as the church tower, you should plan an time amount of about 1.5-2 hours. There is no lift to the highest church tower but only 768 steps. And they are very exhausting. Narrow staircases and more stages than the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica (for comparison only 520 steps). Admission is € 5 for adults and € 3.50 for youths (08/2016). Furthermore, the Ulm Cathedral is the largest Protestant church in Germany.

Town Hall & Fishing Quarter

Afterwards follow the signs towards City Hall. The Hall is centrally located in the downtown of Ulm close to the church Ulm Münster. It impresses with its beautiful painted facade. From there you can also take a small jump down to the Danube and enjoy the river. Furthermore, there are the remains of the city wall where you can walk on it at some places. If you follow the way towards the station you get to the fishing district. This idyllic spot in the heart of the university town invites to stay in any of the restaurants and bars near the small rivers. A dream with a slight Venetian feel. This tour requires approximately 0.5-1 hour.

Back to the railway station

Then you should go back quickly to the central station over the main road. The route is longer than expected, and numerous traffic lights prevent rapid approaching. Plan enough time, since you need to pick up your travel bag / backpack and remind that the platforms are accessible only by a staircase.

Surrounding cities

The Surrounding cities are Würzburg in the north (200 km by road), Nürnberg in the east (200 km by road), Ingolstadt in the northeast (160 km by road), Augsburg (90 kilometers by road) and Munich (150 km by road) to the east, Zurich (250 road kilometers) to the southwest and Stuttgart (90 km by road) to the west.