Guten Tag!
After another hearty German breakfast, we once again packed the busses and hit the road. Travelling south, we made for the Danube River and the city of Ulm. There we spent a few hours in the ‘refreshingly brisk’ (ie freezing cold) temperatures exploring the city on foot, visiting some of the sights of this once important commercial river port that has made the city a wealthy one since the Middle Ages. Today, more a centre of scientific and technological research, fitting given that Ulm was the birthplace of Albert Einstein, the city still retains a charm with its old narrow laneways of the Altstadt that wind down to the Danube, as well as its Riverbank promenades, spacious squares and bustling pedestrian zones.
Crossing the little canals that flow through the old ‘Fisherman’s Quarter’ near the River, we were quite surprised to see large trout swimming wild in the shallow waters that zig zag in between (and through) the old medieval houses… reminiscent of Freiburg, the place would be an angler’s paradise. I must say I could easily live somewhere like Ulm where I could hang a line out my kitchen window and catch fresh trout for breakfast!! Aptly named was the old pub ‘Die Forelle’ perched, quite literally above the flowing water!
Another highlight was the magnificent Renaissance Patrician houses and the splendid Gothic Renaissance Rathaus (Town Hall), completely covered in the most glorious murals dating from the mid 16th century. The building itself was built in 1370 as a warehouse but has served since the town hall since 1419. On one side hang the coats of arms of the cities and countries with which Ulm is linked by commerce… on the east side is a splendid astronomical clock from 1520. I for one am amazed that they could build such things so long ago, let alone read them!!! I am still left scratching my head.
If that was impressive, then everything paled into insignificance with the sight of the magnificent towering steeple of Ulm Münster. Its 162 meter (531 feet) steeple is the tallest of any Cathedral in the world, and the church itself is second only to Cologne Cathedral in size. We were told that standing and without the pews, the Ulm Münster can easily accommodate 20,000 people in the nave alone! When it was built (from 1377), it could hold twice the entire population of the City. When Ulm joined the Protestant movement in 1531, work on the building was suspended. Finally in 1844 it recommenced, and was completed in 1890. Though Ulm was bombed in 1944 the building escaped any serious damage, probably due to the amazingly tall spire which served as a landmark for the allied bombers and made it easy to avoid.
The main porch with three massive arches led to two gigantic 15th century doors. This section dates from the 14th and 15th century and is covered in wonderful statues and reliefs depicting scenes from the bible, and the life of various saints.
The five aisles of the cathedral lead directly from the hall below the tower through the massive nave to the east chancel. Huge pillars towering into steep arches enclose each of the five aisles. The ceiling is so high that most of Germany’s church steeples could sit comfortably below it. Even with pews, the Cathedral sits some 12,000 people .
Though the Gothic tower was closed because of ice, we were lucky enough to be treated to a stunning recital on the vast organ that dominates the West end of the building. A thrilling performance of cascading semi-quavers and thunderingly powerful pedal notes filled the vast space with a magical resonance which swirled around the Gothic interior. All agreed that we had been indeed lucky to be there at the right time, and the disappointment of not making it up the 790 steps to the top of the tower was well compensated by the sound inside the Cathedral during our visit.
We then got back on the busses and headed for Bavaria, and its majestic Capital Munich.
We arrived at our Hotel Orly around 4.30pm, and checked in before hitting the S Bahn and heading into the centre of the city, Marienplatz. There we had several hours to explore the city on foot in our own time, getting a glimpse of sights including the magnificent Gothic Neues Rathaus and its famous Glockenspiel, the 15th century Altes Rathaus, the Isartor (Isar Gate), the Frauenkirche and its famous twin domes, and many of the other wonderful buildings and monuments.
A group of us climbed the bell tower of the ‘Old Peter’ Church for stunning views over the Rathaus and city, and enjoyed the slightly unnerving experience of the tower actually rocking when the giant bells in the tower started ringing. Before long all the bels of the city were ringing, and it was certainly a magnificent way to get our bearings in this big exciting city.
Another impressive structure was the ornately decorated Asamkirche, completely covered in Gold and Red Marble carvings. A quick visit to the bustling Viktualienmarkt (old market in the city) for some hot sausages and mustard revived a few of us before we headed to the s Bahn again and made our way back to the Hotel for a well earned hot dinner of pasta with olives and parsley, followed by Pork with rice and a wine and cream sauce, and then Bavarian Apple Cake for desert!
Washed down with a selection of Munich beers and German wines, most were ready for bed after another action-packed day in Germany.
Andrew Wailes
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment