There is a German tongue-twister "In Ulm, um Ulm und um Ulm herum" ("In Ulm, around Ulm and round about Ulm"). But you don't need to be able to say it to have a great time in Ulm and Neu-Ulm. The town's main sights are the minster, with the tallest church spire in the world, the captivating old town and quaint fishermen's quarter, Wiblingen Abbey and Neu-Ulm, Ulm's modern "sister town" across the Danube. Ulm's many other attractions include renowned museums and collections, music and theatre productions and popular spectacles, such as the Fischerstechen river jousting contest and the Nabada river parade.

Main Attractions
- Ulm Minster
- Fishermen's and tanners' quarter, town wall walk and Metzger tower
- Ulm Federal Fortress
- Ulm Museum
- Wiblingen Abbey

Places of Interest
The highlight is Ulm Minster, which has the tallest church steeple in the world and a collection of late-Gothic masterpieces, but Ulm has other attractions too: the historical fishermen's and tanners' quarter with its quaint little bridges and alleyways, the town hall dating from 1370 with its exquisite painted façade, the town wall walk and the Metzger tower, the federal fortress (1842-1859) – once Germany's largest fortifications -, Wiblingen Abbey with its sumptuous rococo library, the historical armoury and the Einstein fountain.

Museums and Exhibitions
Ulm Museum has important archaeological finds and collections of art and craftwork going back to the Middle Ages. Post-1945 European and American art is on show in its new wing. The Breadmaking Museum has a permanent exhibition about the cultivation of grain and the history of milling and baking. The Neu-Ulm Museum on Petrusplatz is an archaeological museumwhose exhibits range from the Old Stone Age to the early Middle Ages. The Edwin Scharff Museum showcases sculptures, paintings and graphic works by the artist. The Donauschwaben Museum illustrates the colourful history of the "Danube Germans", German settlers in the Danube region, from the 18th century to today.

Parks and Green Spaces
Friedrichsau Park, the former Regional Garden Show site beside the Danube, has a zoo and play areas. The Glacis municipal park in Neu-Ulm has a water tower and a stage in the lake where concerts and open-air plays are performed. Ulm University's botanic garden (approx. 28 hectares) has tropical greenhouses, an apothecary's garden and a farmer's garden. The University art trail is a 1.5km circular footpath with works by artists including Niki de St. Phalle.

Shopping
Ulm/Neu-Ulm is a great place for shopping and browsing. As well as the main shopping street in the city centre, which runs from the railway station to the minster, there are many little side streets and squares in Ulm and Neu-Ulm with interesting and unusual shops. The Blautal Centre, one of southern Germany's largest shopping malls, is just 10 minutes from the city centre.

Food and Drink
Ulm/Neu-Ulm is living proof that fine international cuisine and tasty regional specialities do not have to be mutually exclusive. Sophisticated international dishes and regional Swabian/Bavarian delicacies sit side by side on the menus here. Spätzle (noodles), maultaschen (pasta parcels) and schupfnudeln (a potato dish) are just a few examples of the latter, as is the 'Ulmer Zuckerbrot' (Ulm "sugar bread") which is served with coffee. And it's all served up with typical, friendly hospitality.

Events and Top Tips
The most important holiday in Ulm is Schwörmontag (Oath Monday). On the morning of the third Monday of July each year, the Mayor swears the historical oath on the town constitution, then in the afternoon tens of thousands of people throng to the banks of the Danube to watch the 'Nabada', the carnivalesque water parade. Ulm's Christmas market on Münsterplatz square outside the minster attracts hundreds of thousands of people each year. And then there is the ten-day biennial "International Danube Festival“ which brings people together to celebrate the culture of the Danube regions (next one: 7- 16 July 2006).

Special Highlights
Ulm Minster has the tallest church steeple in the world. The "lion man“ in Ulm Museum, thought to be around 35,000 years old, is the world's oldest human-animal sculpture and the Fisherman's Quarter (Fischerviertel) has what is claimed to be the world's most crooked hotel. But Ulm/Neu-Ulm is not just about such superlatives: the

'Serenade of Lights' (Saturday before Oath Monday), the many sporting events of (inter-) national importance and, from spring 2007, the new Weishaupt Art Gallery also put Ulm on the map. In 2006, the World Cup will be live and in glorious Technicolor on the video wall in Ulm's Münsterplatz.

Excursion Suggestions
The attractive town is set amid gorgeous countryside. The Swabian Alb is a national geopark with exciting caves, imposing castles and picturesque valleys. Upper Swabia has an impressive array of baroque churches and monasteries, while Bavarian Swabia is an area of pretty little towns amid beautiful scenery. Other attractions within easy reach of Ulm include LEGOLAND® Germany in Günzburg (approx. 25 km from Neu-Ulm), Steiff in Giengen, home of the teddy bear (approx. 30 km from Ulm) and Neuschwanstein Castle in Füssen (about 90 km from Ulm).

Pre-bookable Packages
'ulm: spatzial', is the name of the basic package which provides an inexpensive way of getting to know Ulm. This weekend deal includes accommodation and the Ulm-Card (see below). Costing from just € 47.00 per person sharing a double room, this package can be booked via Ulm/Neu-Ulm Touristik GmbH (UNT).

There are also breaks based around the Ulm Christmas market (from € 52.00 p.p. incl. bratwurst and mulled wine, as an add-on to the 'ulm: spatzial') and other special cultural events.

Tourist Information Services
Expert advice from friendly people. That's what you can expect from the team at the Ulm/Neu-Ulm tourist information office, but that's not all. They can also arrange tours of the town on specific themes (in 10 different languages), book accommodation and, last but not least, they have a wide selection of souvenirs for visitors to choose from - from quality silver badges to Einstein teatowels (Albert Einstein was born in Ulm in 1879).

City Card
Lots of concessions for a small price - that's the principle of the Ulm-Card. For just six euros per person, the Ulm-Card provides reduced-price admission to the minster steeple, to Ulm Theatre, to the 'Atlantis´ open-air swimming pool and on Danube river cruises. Not to mention all the completely free benefits! There is also a museum pass which costs just € 6.00 per person and gives you free admission to 7(!) museums and art galleries in Ulm and Neu-Ulm.

Tourist-Information der Ulm/Neu-Ulm Touristik GmbH
Münsterplatz 50 (Stadthaus), 89073 Ulm
Tel.: +49 (0)731.161-2830
Fax: +49( 0)731.161-1641
info@tourismus.ulm.de
www.tourismus.ulm.de