I’ve just returned home from a week away in Switzerland and Germany. The reason for the trip was to have an in-person look at the Löwenmensch (Lion Man) of Hohlenstein-Stadel – a prehistoric footlong sculpture carved out of mammoth tusk on display in the city of Ulm not far from the cave where it was discovered in the southern German state of Baden-Württemberg.
A lovely destination in it’s own right but one without an international airport, Ulm is not a straightforward destination to reach from London. So getting there required a bit of added planning. As far as I could tell, the most logical routes from London seemed to be flying to Memmingen, Stuttgart, Munich, Nuremberg, Zurich or Basel and then catching a train or hiring a car to drive to Ulm.
When considering options for getting there, one route stood out more than others: fly to Basel and then travel by train to checkout at least a couple of other places along the way to Ulm.
Why Basel? Cost of tickets and flight schedules made a big difference. At first, Memmingen seemed to make the most sense. Less than 50 km from Ulm, its airport is the closest. But, I couldn’t find the right literary at the right price for me. All the other potential destinations seemed less than ideal after further examination, except for Basel.
I knew from experience that this Swiss city bordering France and Germany is easy to reach via London with plenty of flights throughout the day. Flight time is hardly more than an hour long, and EuroAirport (shared by Basel, Mulhouse in France and Freiburg in Germany) is small and just a quick and inexpensive bus ride from Basel city centre and its main train station.
From Basel, the famed and historic spa town of Baden-Baden, Germany is a short train journey away with scenic Heidelberg only a little farther on. Both of these cities are places I’ve wanted to visit. So an itinerary started to take shape. Travelling to Ulm from either of these cities or other nearby stations seemed doable and convenient. As for Basel itself, it’s a city I’ve been to a few times. Having only ever gone there for work, I learned to love it without having developed a strong impression of it beforehand. So I was happy to go back there again. Similarly, I was glad to be able to show it to my partner travelling with me.
Not without its hitches (namely a German rail strike that really threw things out of whack for a short while), using Basel as base camp on our tour to Ulm via Baden-Baden with a day trip to Heidelberg turned out well with a good mix of the elements important to me as a traveler: art and culture, food and drink, outdoor activities and walking – all in equal parts and encountered in a steady but relaxed pace.
To be sure I’ll write more about the Lion Man and why I was keen to see it for myself. Before that though, I’ll share highlights from my stopover in Basel alongside the best bits from my time relaxing in Baden-Baden, sightseeing in Heidelberg, and having fun stuff in Ulm.
Stay tuned!
