Ulm: Minster, City Routes and Architecture

Minster, Town Hall and Stadthaus

Ulm’s architectural history can also be read in its other distinctive buildings. The town hall is known for its opulent Early Renaissance exterior paintings. Around 1520, an elaborately decorated astronomical clock was installed there. The paintings and the clock give the building distinct accents: one catches the eye on the façade, while the other complements it as a historical detail.

Ulm Stadthaus was designed by American architect Richard Meier. Its exhibition programme changes, with a focus on contemporary photography, architecture, the environment and so-called outsider art. The cultural offering thus ranges from a historic town hall to exhibitions that explore a variety of current topics. If you like to combine architecture and culture on your trip, you’ll find several very different points of interest here.

City Routes and Views

The Ulm Höhenweg runs for 20 kilometres through the north of Ulm. It is signposted and can be walked from either end. Along the way, it offers views of Ulm Minster; on a clear day, the view also reaches the 150-kilometre-long Alpine range. The trail thus combines a longer route with striking views.

A walk along Ulm’s city wall offers a different perspective on the city: on one side are pretty gardens, while on the other is a meadow by the Danube that gets very busy on sunny days. In a small area, quieter garden scenes sit alongside a lively riverside. The signposted StadtRad route, in turn, has a different focus. It is 12 kilometres long and passes through Ulm and Neu-Ulm, taking in attractions, parks and squares in both cities. The figures show two different scales and routes: the Höhenweg through the north of Ulm and the route through the two cities.

The season can also change the impressions you take away. In spring, carpets of blossoms from different varieties of daffodils are an added attraction in Friedrichsau, Ulm’s expansive, large city park. Those who place particular importance on architecture and city history will choose different highlights from those who want to focus on the Höhenweg, the city wall or the park.

Ulm Traditions and Culture in Baden-Württemberg

Schwörmontag is Ulm’s local holiday and always falls on the penultimate Monday in July. If you’d like to take this recurring date into account when planning your trip, you can use it as a point of reference.

The wider destination of Baden-Württemberg also offers a fascinating link to the region’s cultural history: the “Caves and Ice Age Art of the Swabian Jura” World Heritage Site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017. The caves yielded the Venus of Hohle Fels, the Lion Man of Hohlenstein-Stadel and the oldest flutes known to date. Finds related to this subject are displayed at, among other places, the Ulm Museum and the Prehistory Museum in Blaubeuren. What is currently on display may change; if you’re particularly interested, check the current exhibition.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Ulm, your preferred pace for each day can be a helpful guide: would you like your stay to focus mainly on architecture and exhibitions, or would you rather include more of the longer Höhenweg and the city’s green spaces? First decide which experiences matter to you, then compare the options according to your own requirements. That way, you can begin your search with a clear idea of how you’d like to discover Ulm.

Discover More Destinations

Gögglingen-Donaustetten: Gögglingen-Donaustetten. Discover more destinations: Böblingen, Konstanz, Schwäbisch Hall, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Reutlingen, Ostalbkreis, Tübingen.

Back to the main travel guide: Baden-Württemberg.