The Danube - Ulm

Woke to the view of the storks in their nest on the high peak of the Rathaus. It reminds me of the place the stalk holds in some other  European communities - we saw this through Poland last year where the stork help a prominent place across a number of villages. 

Another fine day greeted us as we set our sights on Ulm. Travelled through more fertile farm land before arriving at Ulm, parked up and caught the bus into the city. 

Without much expectation we were very pleasantly surprised. This was a town that was 80% destroyed by bombing during WWII. Somehow the Munster (church) was spared whilst the buildings around the market share were all destroyed. 

The visit to the Munster was a reminder of the beauty that surrounded the people of the Middle Ages. This church boasts  the highest steeple in the world but it has much more to offer than this. The dementions of the interior nearly challenges many of the major Doms throughout Europe. 

North of the munster square is the  area of Ulm that has survived the 1944 bombing which now gives us a glimpse of the majesty of the city before. A walk down to the start of Fischergasse and the heart of the old fisherman's quarter, Fischerviertel ,  once home to medieval artisans. 

 The alley at the end of Fischergasse is  Schiefes Haus  or crooked house, which leans precariously over a stream. A little further on and we came across the defence wall of 1489 which runs along side of the Danube - at this stage a much stronger and larger river which we left this morning. At Ulm the Blau River joins forces - it is now starting to become one of the  great rivers of Europe.

A walk further along the wall revealed  another crooked building: the 14th-century defensive tower of the Metzgerturm  - the Butchers Tower.

The day had been full of surprises - from one of little expectations  to an interesting journey along the Danube. 

Late in the afternoon we caught the bus back to our van  and from here we  drove to Gunzburg  to a delightful stellplatz by a swimming area for the locals. A lovely evening and rest.