97km (60 miles) SE of Stuttgart, 138km (86 miles) W of Munich

Visit Ulm for its architectural heritage and its history -- not for great shopping, nightlife, or even an exciting local life. The city (situated at a strategic spot on the Danube) is a bit sleepy, smug, and satisfied with its monuments, especially its undeniably magnificent cathedral. Ulm's importance as a commercial river port has made it a prosperous city ever since the Middle Ages. Today, Ulm is a center of scientific and technological research, as befits the birthplace of Albert Einstein, who started life here in 1879. The old, narrow alleyways of the Altstadt lead to a modern city of riverbank promenades, beer gardens, spacious squares, and pedestrian zones.