Fishermen's Quarter (Fischerviertel), Ulm

Just a few hundred metres from the Minster, the River Blau splits into several arms shortly before it flows into the Danube, and between them half-timbered houses, footbridges and little bridges crowd together. The Fishermen's and Tanners' Quarter is one of the few historic districts Ulm kept after the air raids of the Second World War. In the Middle Ages fishermen, tanners and boatmen lived here, and many houses still tell their story. The star of the quarter stands with one foot in the water and leans alarmingly: the Crooked House.

History: crafts by the water

Fishermen, tanners and millers needed running water, so they settled along the Blau. Boats used to set off from the Fischerplätzle on the Danube, and many Danube Swabians left from here to sail downstream to new homes in Hungary and Romania. Nearby were landing places for timber rafts from the Iller, which carried wood from the Allgäu and Upper Swabia to Ulm and on to Vienna; as late as 1870, 3,000 rafts arrived here. Around 80 % of the old town was destroyed in the Second World War, but much of the Fishermen's Quarter survived. Since the 1980s the city has been restoring the old houses with great care.

What to see

• The Crooked House: The half-timbered house at Schwörhausgasse 6 took its present five-storey form in 1443 and leans 9 to 10 degrees towards the Blau. It once belonged to boatmasters, whose boats moored beneath the overhanging upper floor. Since 1995 it has been a hotel with level beds, and since 1997 the Guinness Book of Records has listed it as the most crooked hotel in the world. The widow of the famous "Tailor of Ulm", an early would-be aviator, spent her last years here.
• Blau island and Garnsiede: The old yarn-boiling house stands on the little island between the arms of the river, surrounded by footbridges.
• Boatmen's guild house, Lochmühle and Gerberhaus: All three are now restaurants; the guild house stands right on the Fischerplätzle.
• Kässbohrer House: The town house at Fischergasse 23 dates from around 1500.
• The Metzgerturm: This Danube gate was built around 1340 and, at 36 m high, leans 2.05 m to the north-west. Legend says corpulent butchers locked inside huddled in one corner out of fear.
• The Schwörhaus: Next door on the Weinhof, the mayor reads out the annual oath speech from its balcony on Schwörmontag in July.

Visiting and getting there

The quarter is an ordinary part of town and free to explore at any time. It is a few minutes' walk from Münsterplatz, and you can walk through the city centre from the main station. If you come by car, use one of the city-centre car parks, as the lanes are narrow and largely traffic-calmed. The lanes are cobbled and sometimes uneven, so wear comfortable shoes.

Tripto tip

A walk with a detour to the Danube takes about an hour, or two with a stop at one of the waterside restaurants. From the Fischerplätzle, walk a stretch along the city wall beside the Danube for views of the Metzgerturm and of Neu-Ulm across the river. July's oath week is worth catching: the oath weekend ends with the "Nabada", a parade on the Danube, and every four years there is fishermen's jousting on the water. From 19 November to 22 December 2026, Ulm's Christmas market fills Münsterplatz, just a few steps away.