On a recent trip to Europe we spent 3 days in the Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland.  This valley was an inspiration that J.R.R. Tolkien took for Rivendell.

What about the two towers in Lord of the Rings?  Could the Ulm Minster steeple have been an inspiration for Tolkien?  I can’t find any evidence of this, but seeing the Ulm Minster in person has me wondering.

We stopped in Ulm in May 2019 to visit Ulm Minster.  I knew about the steeple, but was pleasantly surprised with the whole “Cathedral”.  The Ulm Cathedral was started as a Catholic church but is now a Protestant church – thus the Minster title and not Cathedral title.  The steeple is the tallest church steeple in the world at 530 feet tall.  You can climb to the top of it too.  Two of my daughters made the climb of 768 steps to the top.  Quite a view up there.  The rest of the Minster was impressive, not like the French Cathedrals, but still a high nave.  The Choir was under restoration when I visited so I really couldn’t get the full experience.

I found out that the Nave of Ulm Minster is 135 feet high which makes it the 16th highest Gothic Nave in Europe.

I liked the unique baptismal font (below).  Overall this “Cathedral” is worth a visit if you are in the area.