Name: Day of the Ulm Federal Fortress 2026
Start: 2026-06-07T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-06-07T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Bundesfestung Ulm — Werke auf dem Eselsberg, Fort Oberer Kuhberg u.a.

Fortress Day Ulm

About Fortress Day Ulm

On Sunday, June 7, 2026, the Ulm Federal Fortress – one of Germany's largest preserved fortress ensembles – will open its works to the public. The 14th Fortress Day, organized by the Friends of the Ulm Federal Fortress Association (Förderkreis Bundesfestung Ulm e.V.), will focus in 2026 on the fortifications of the Ulm Eselsberg (forts and gun emplacements in the north of the city). The Fortress Museum in Fort Oberer Kuhberg and other 19th-century military facilities will be open. Guided tours, special tours for families and children, historical information boards, and stands of the association – a day dedicated to Ulm's fortress history, embedded in a remarkably green bastion landscape.

Dates 07 Jun — 07 Jun 2026

Venue Ulm (08421)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Fortress Day Ulm — edition 2026

The 14th Day of the Ulm Federal Fortress 2026 takes place on Sunday, June 7. Focus: Fortifications of the Ulm Eselsberg. Opening of the Fortress Museum in Fort Oberer Kuhberg, guided tours through various fortifications, special tours for families and children, stands of the Friends of the Ulm Federal Fortress Association. Admission typically free or by donation.

Program June 7, 2026

The 14th edition of this Fortress Day in 2026 focuses on the fortifications of the Eselsberg – the northwestern ridge of Ulm, crisscrossed by a series of forts and gun emplacements. These works belong to the outer fortress line and their military-architectural substance has been largely preserved. They are usually not accessible outside of Fortress Day – June 7, 2026, is therefore one of the few opportunities to enter them.

In parallel, the Fortress Museum in Fort Oberer Kuhberg will be open with its permanent collection and special exhibitions. The Friends of the Ulm Federal Fortress Association offers the full spectrum of guided tours – from short introductions for beginners to in-depth tours for fortress enthusiasts.

Highlights Fortress Day Ulm 2026

14th edition of the Day of the Ulm Federal Fortress
2026 Focus: Fortifications of the Eselsberg
Fortress Museum Fort Oberer Kuhberg open
Oberer Kuhberg Concentration Camp Memorial Site accessible
Guided tours in several time slots
Special tours for families and children
Admission typically free or by donation

Programme Fortress Day Ulm 2026

Sunday, June 7, 2026 – Full Day Program

Fortress Museum Fort Oberer Kuhberg – Open, special exhibitions, concentration camp memorial site
Eselsberg Fortifications – Open for viewing with guided tours
Guided Tours in several time slots – Meeting points and times will be published on festung-ulm.de
Special Tours for Families and Children – Age-appropriate explanation of fortress history
Association Stands with publications, maps, souvenirs
Catering at selected locations

Important Note

The complete 2026 day program (times, meeting points for tours, possible advance registration) will be published shortly before the date on festung-ulm.de. Bring sturdy footwear and weather-appropriate clothing, as some works are located in forests or on uneven terrain.

Prices Fortress Day Ulm 2026

Admission to most fortifications: free or by donation. Guided tours are sometimes free, sometimes by donation to the association. Advance booking for individual special tours is recommended. Current conditions immediately before the event on festung-ulm.de.

Practical information

Practical information — Fortress Day Ulm

Getting There

By train: Ulm main station (ICE-Hauptbahnhof Ulm), from there by bus or on foot to the fortifications (10–30 min depending on the site). By car: A8 (Munich–Stuttgart) exit Ulm-West or Ulm-Ost, parking available depending on the fortress area.

Admission

Admission to the fortifications on Fortress Day is generally free; guided tours are sometimes free, sometimes by donation. Current conditions can be found at festung-ulm.de. Advance booking for individual tours is recommended.

Tip

Wear sturdy shoes – the fortress grounds are partly uneven, with stairs, earth ramparts, and unpaved paths. If you want to take advantage of the full day's program, allow 4–6 hours. A guided tour in the morning and a special tour in the afternoon make for a realistic day's itinerary.

Accommodation

Hotels in Ulm and Neu-Ulm in central locations; the Danube area around Ulm Minster and the Fischerviertel, in particular, offers beautiful city-center hotels with views of the fortress and minster.

Germany's Largest Preserved Federal Fortress

What surprises many visitors in Ulm: Between Württemberg and Bavaria, the city was Germany's largest fortress in the 19th century. Between 1842 and 1859, the German Confederation built a massive fortress belt around Ulm and Neu-Ulm – as a barrier against France. The belt comprises 40 fortifications, 24 kilometers of ramparts and, in its substance, has largely survived to this day. Embedded in parks, forests, and residential areas, the Federal Fortress today forms perhaps Germany's most impressive military-architectural complex from the pre-industrial era.

2026 Program – The 14th Fortress Day on June 7

The 2026 edition takes place on Sunday, June 7, 2026 – the 14th iteration of this special experience day. In 2026, the Friends of the Ulm Federal Fortress Association will focus thematically on the fortifications of the Ulm Eselsberg: the forts, gun emplacements, and defensive lines in the north of the city, some of which are now surrounded by housing and others hidden in the forest. In addition, the Fortress Museum in Fort Oberer Kuhberg will be open with its collections and special exhibitions.

On offer:

Guided tours through the individual fortifications (various lengths and themes)
Special tours for families and children with age-appropriate explanations
Information boards and displays with historical plans and photos
Stands of the association with publications, maps, souvenirs
Catering at selected locations

The complete program with meeting points, tour times, and special activities will be published by the Förderkreis Bundesfestung Ulm e.V. on the association's website shortly before the event.

Fort Oberer Kuhberg – The Centerpiece

The focus of fortress tourism is the Fort Oberer Kuhberg in western Ulm – a completely preserved fortification from the 1850s, which today houses the Fortress Museum. The fort was used as the Ulm-Kuhberg Concentration Camp (1933–1935) during the Nazi era; a dedicated memorial site commemorates this dark history. The site thus combines military architecture, German history, and political memory culture in a way that is rarely found in such concentration.

From Bulwark to Green Recreation Area

Paradoxically, the fascination of the Ulm fortress today lies in its tranquility and nature: what was once a bulwark against military threat is now a green ring around the city with glacis meadows, fortress parks, and walking paths. Strollers and cyclists experience the fortress walls as a backdrop for sports, picnics, and nature observation – a historical and landscape ensemble that the people of Ulm preserve and maintain with great care.