Day 4--Sigmaringen to Ulm

Lost in the Blue Valley

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Sigmaringen to Ulm

Distance: 123 km (72 miles)

X+--The city of Ulm dates to the 9th century and is one of south Germany’s most important historic sites. Work began on the Ulm Cathedral in 1377 and was carried on in intervals until 1545. Then it took another 300 years before work began once again in 1844. The cathedral was finally completed in 1890. Today this giant Gothic church measures an astounding 464 ft long and is 159 feet wide. The massive interior has the capacity to hold 30,000 people. The cathedral sports the tallest steeple in the world. Ulm’s Fishermen’s Quarter showcases old half-timber houses, and its modern university has made this city a leader in alternative energy production.

Today was clear and sunny with temps in the 70s and low 80s. We cycled on bike paths and roads most of day, the road portions presenting two short climbs. In Germany there are cycle tracks everywhere, sometimes paralleling the roads and sometimes taking off across country or following the rivers. We are still following the Danube (Donau in German, hence the town names starting with Donau- ).Today we had an option of riding a longer route through an area called the Blue Valley, and Judy and I took this option. Most who chose this option were looking for the color blue, not realizing that the Blue Valley or Blautal was once part of the former Danube valley carved by the Danube before and during the ice ages. It was an interesting route with mountains to our left and, toward the end, a bike track through the open valley bottom through fields of rye, wheat, and canola/rape seed. The was lots of bike traffic on the track, but only two short stretches of gravel.

At about 1:30 or 2, Judy and I stopped for lunch at Ehingen on the left bank of the river about 25 km from Ulm. We ate in a little restaurant on the market square. Both of us were irritable for wont of rest and food by the time we stopped. The square was busy with merchants selling flowers and vegetables. We people-watched as we ate a bowl of goulash soup and crusty bread, served to us by a young Turkish waiter. We both remember goulash soup from previous visits to Germany so search it out for lunch.

Me and our bikes at our lunch stop in Ehingen

Pan--part of the Ehingen fountain in the square

Below, some of the ancient buildings we encountered. I cannot now remember what town(s) they were in. I do not think it was Ehingen. I liked the striped shutter design and the half-timbered exteriors.

Just as we were finishing our meal, Rick, Harold and Carolyn rode in. They had stopped earlier to eat. 

It took a bit of city riding to find our hotel in Ulm. The last arrow had been obscured by the hordes of tourists in Cathedral Square, which we rode diagonally across. We did not get to our 500-year-old lodgings, Hotel Weinstube von Bäumle (Hotel Wine Bar under the Trees) in Ulm until 5 pm. 

Hotel Weinstube von Bäumle (Hotel Wine Bar under the Trees)

My research tells  me that Ulm had one of the biggest medieval town centers in Germany until World War II, when 80% of it was destroyed. Now there are just a few of the original medieval streets and houses left, our hotel being one of them and Fishermen’s Quarter being another. The pamphlet on the front desk described our hotel as “a house with a long tradition”—nearly 600 years of tradition as it turns out. “First records of it originate in 1413. From 1669 to 1690 the artist Matthew Ulmer lived and worked in the house. In 1835 distiller Konrad Heininger opened a wine bar in the house, and in 1850 he was operating a 'full wine industry' there. The first guest rooms were opened in 1900. Renovation of the Bäumle to convert it to a hotel took place shortly after WWII, the renovation revealing hidden ceiling paintings. Today the Bäumle has 15 individually decorated guest rooms in a unique historical atmosphere.”

Our room was up two flights of very steep, narrow stairs and sat under the eves in the back of the hotel, which had a narrow balcony running its length. We could look across at the backs of other houses. On the kitchen roof of one was a man picking mulberries from a tree that shaded it. After hauling our luggage up these steep stairs (no elevator, natch), we cleaned up and ate dinner on our own in a little restaurant on the square near the Ulm Cathedral—spaghetti Bolognese, salad, and water.So far the group has not come together in any sort of camaraderie--all eat separately or with a spouse in the evening. 

Internet views from the Ulm Munster steeple: L: View of the Danube to the southwest with Fishermen's Quarter in the lower left and Neu Ulm across the river; R, the modern restaurant where we ate our dinner

After dinner we checked out the cathedral which was being cleaned so was partially covered with scaffolding. Ulm is famous for its cathedral (Ulmer Münster), and also for being the birthplace of Albert Einstein. We also took a stroll around the square investigating little shops and taking pix. 

What the guidebooks say: The Münster is the largest cathedral in S. Germany, a magnificent work of engineering and architecture topped with the world's tallest spire at a height of 528.4 ft. We did not have the energy to climb the 768 steps to the top of the steeple, so  the photos above are from the Internet.
       The Münster is located in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Across the Danube is Neu-Ulm (New-Ulm), Bavaria. Originally a free city, Ulm lost half of its municipal territory to Bavaria when Napoleon redrew the borders in 1810.

The spiral stairs in the steeple

Look at the timber sway on the building to the left; Ulm is a very old city, and those buildings that survived WWII are fascinating

Another example of ancient architecture; this house in Fishermen's Quarter is called "Crooked House." The appellation could be applied to many of the houses in this section of town.

There were many bird signs and statues in the city. When I got home, I found the following story about these birds:

Why are there sparrows everywhere in Ulm? As the story goes, once during work at the Münster, the citizens tried to carry a huge joist through the town gate. Somehow they didn't succeed, as often as they tried. After failing several times, they were about to break down the gate, when suddenly one of the men saw a sparrow carrying a twig to its nest. As the bird came to a narrow opening, it put the twig lengthwise in its beak and thus passed through smoothly. After observing the sparrow's cunning, it dawned on the citizens that they could carry the joist longitudinally through the town gate. Since then the sparrow has been the emblem of the city, the symbol of the shrewdness of Ulm's inhabitants. There is even a monument to the bird in the Münster's nave.

Now it occurs to me that the medieval citizens of Ulm were a bit daft not to have realized this in the first place. And to think of a sparrow as having cunning? Oh well. Myths do have a life of their own. The photos below are of more beautiful flower-bedecked buildings in the city center.

Top: Judy with the German soccer team's mascot.The Germans were to play Spain in the next day's World Cup finals in Vienna. The Germans had been celebrating this upcoming event all week, often with beer and songs late into the night. Bottom: Einstein was born in Vienna and these artistic designs were in the square before the restaurant we ate dinner in (in background); Fritzi's was just a window I liked and a contrast with the very old buildings around it.