Ulmer Münster (Ulm Minster) is a Evangelisch-Lutherische (Lutheran) church located in Ulm, State of…read moreBaden-Württemberg. It is currently the tallest church in the world and will likely remain so until Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is finally completed. The church is the fifth-tallest structure built before the 20th century, with a steeple measuring 161.5 meters (530 ft.).
Ulmer Münster was begun in the Gothic architecture of the Late Middle Ages (1377) but the building was not completed until the late 19th century (1890) after a hiatus of centuries. When work ceased in 1543, all of the church except the towers and some outer decorations were complete, unlike at Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral) where less than half of the work had been done before construction halted in 1473 (started in 1248).
Visitors can climb the 768 steps that lead to the top of the minster's spire. At 143 m (469 ft.) it gives a panoramic view of Ulm in Baden-Württemberg and Neu-Ulm in Bavaria, and, in clear weather, a vista of the Alps from Säntis to the Zugspitze (highest point in Germany).
Though it is sometimes referred to as Ulm Cathedral because of its great size, the church is not a cathedral as it has never been the episcopal see of a bishop. Though the towers and all decorative elements are of stone masonry, attracting the attention of visitors, most of the walls, including the façades of the nave and choir, actually consist of visible brick. Therefore, the building is sometimes referred to as a brick church. As such, it lays claim to the rank of second- to fourth-largest, after San Petronio Basilica in Bologna and together with Frauenkirche in München and St. Mary's Church in Gdańsk. The tower, however, was mainly built from sandstone.
The tale/legend of the Ulmer Spatz (sparrow) is an interesting story. I received a pamphlet at the Tourist Information: the inhabitants of Ulm needed a particularly large beam for the construction of Ulm Minster, but could not get it through the city gate. As they were about to tear the gate down, they noticed a sparrow carrying a straw for its nest; which turned it from crosswise to lengthwise in its beak. A realization descended on the people of Ulm. Since that epiphany, they have placed long loads along rather than across their carts and were able to enter the city without rebuilding their gate.
It's a must visit when you are in Ulm. Gothic architecture is magnificent, and you'll earn bragging rights of having been to the tallest church in the world!!
