There are several libraries around the world that look like a real life Beauty and the Beast library. One of the easiest to visit is the Wiblingen Abbey Library in Ulm, Germany. It is just over an hour train ride from Munich, or a one hour train from Stuttgart to get to Ulm, so it makes a perfect day trip from either city.
Year visited: 2025
Time of Year: December
- Where we stayed in Munich:
- Where we stayed in Stuttgart:
What’s in this Article:
How to Get to Wiblingen Abbey Library
Wiblingen Abbey is located in Ulm, Germany. Ulm is a small city almost exactly in the middle between Stuttgart and Munich. It is located right on the border of the Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavaria regions.
How to Get to Ulm
You can easily catch a direct train to Ulm from either Stuttgart or Munich. It will be about 1 hour from Stuttgart, and a little over 1 hour from Munich.
The best way to do it is to get a regional ticket for the day. This allows you to take any regional train there and back at any time, as well as to ride the bus around Ulm. If you’re coming from Stuttgart, it will be the Baden-Wurttemberg ticket, and if you’re coming from Munich it will be the Bayern ticket.
- Good to Know: You can read more details about regional day tickets in my article about train travel in Germany.
Take the Bus to Wiblingen
To get to Wiblingen Abbey, you want to take the Number 4 Bus from the Ehingor Tor bus stop in downtown.
Ehingor Tor is about a 10 minute walk from the main train station in Ulm. You can take a different bus from the parking lot adjacent to the train station, if you don’t want to walk. But it is an easy walk to get there from the train station.
- Pro Tip: This should probably go without saying… but my husband and I are pretty bad at navigating public transportation… Make sure you get on Bus No. 4 toward Wiblingen. We stopped at the first sign that said “4” without thinking which direction it was going. Then we had to switch buses after we realized we were going the wrong way…!
Walk to the Library
Take the bus about 10-15 minutes, and get off at the stop for “Kloster Wiblingen” (in other words, Wiblingen Abbey).
The Abbey is right across the street from where the bus will drop you off. You will get dropped off on the right hand side of the street, then cross the little traffic circle to the left side of the street.
Directly across from the traffic circle is a dead end street that goes between two buildings. Most of the back-end is fenced off, but you will see a sidewalk open. You will also be able to see the roof of the monastery building above the trees.
Just follow that sidewalk and it will take you directly onto the grounds of the monastery.
Once you enter the monastery grounds, the library museum entrance will be to the left, with a little sign out front.
The door will be unlocked, then head up the stairs, following the signs to the library museum, or “Museum Bibliothekssaal.”
The entrance will be down the hallway to the left when you come up the stairs.
Wiblingen Abbey Library & Museum
Once you reach the entrance to the museum at Wiblingen Abbey, you will go in the little gift shop and buy your entry tickets at the desk. Current cost is 6 euros per person.
There are free lockers in the hallway outside of the gift shop where you can keep your coat and bags. You cannot take large bags into the library.
Museum Hours
The opening hours vary by season. It is open year-round, but there are limited hours in the winter. Be sure to check the website for the exact opening hours for your visit, but here are the average opening times.
- Winter
- Saturdays & Sundays
- 12 pm-4 pm
- Spring/Summer
- Tuesday-Sunday
- Times vary, but most days 10:30 am-4 pm
Museum Displays
There is a small museum that you walk through before you get to the actual library.
There are some interesting relics to see in the museum, but it is small, and the signs are all in German. We didn’t really stop to look at much as we walked through.
There was a room off to the side of the hallway with an epic Lego model of the Abbey that was definitely worth seeing!
- Good to Know: There are free bathrooms available in the hallway between the museum exhibits and the library.
Wiblingen Abbey Library
Ultimately, the whole purpose of this trip is to visit the library! Once you walk through the museum exhibits, there is a hallway (with the bathrooms and Lego models) that leads down to the library.
When we finally made it to the library… it was a lot smaller than I was expecting.
I have to be honest and say I was a little underwhelmed by this library, especially because of how small it is. However, it is still a beautiful library, with gorgeous sculptures and paintings to enjoy. And it is a perfect backdrop for a photo shoot (which is why we had to wait for the wedding photographer to finish before we could look around).
The library was not super busy, but because it was so small, it was a little difficult (though not impossible) to get pictures without anybody in them. There are a few chairs along the wall if you want to sit and enjoy the atmosphere (or wait for a less crowded photo).
The books are all behind cages, so you can’t look that closely at them, but the overall atmosphere is beautiful to see.
And obviously I had to dress like Belle, since this does look like it could be the library from Beauty and the Beast.
Other Things to Do in Ulm, Germany
A visit to Wiblingen Abbey Library doesn’t take too long, so you will probably want to do other things in Ulm on your day trip. Here are a few ideas of things you can do.
Visit the Ulm Minster
Fun fact, the Ulm Minster has the tallest church spire in the world! And, naturally, it was covered with scaffolding when we were there (I always seem to hit the scaffolding!).
You can visit inside for free (and it is gorgeous), or purchase tickets to climb the tower and enjoy the views over the city and surrounding countryside. Tickets are 9 euros per person, and can be purchased online or in person.
- Good to Know: Some parts of the tower climb might be closed off or have restricted views because of the current construction (boo scaffolding…).
Go Shopping Downtown
What I love about Germany (well, one thing I love) is that most cities will have a pedestrian-only zone through their downtown, where you can just wander about looking at all the fun shops and restaurants. And of course, Ulm is no exception.
We spent most of our time wandering the Christmas market, but we did walk back to the train station through the pedestrian zone, and it was such a pretty area of town.
Explore the Fisherman’s Quarter
We didn’t have time to stop in the Fisherman’s Quarter, but if you do, it’s not far from the main sites, and is a really cute area to explore.
It was home to many of the city’s fishermen back in the day, and is full of medieval half-timbered buildings and winding alleyways. If a magical fairy tale library wasn’t enough to entice to Ulm, this corner of town just might be.
Ulm Christmas Market
If you happen to be in Germany for Christmas like we were, you can also wander the Ulm Christmas market. It is right downtown, under the imposing facade of the Ulm Minster.
You will have to be in town on a weekend (the library is only open on weekends in December), so the market will likely be extremely crowded. But it is a great way to pass the time and get something to eat.
Any more questions?
If you have any more questions about how to visit Wiblingen Abbey Library, or Ulm (or if you have tips & ideas from your own visit!), feel free to email me or comment below.
Further Reading
If you’re visiting Germany, check out my 1-week itinerary for the perfect trip! This itinerary is based in Munich, with magical day trips by train or tour (no rental car necessary!), including a stop at Wiblingen Abbey Library in Ulm.
Planning a trip to Germany?
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- Magical 1-Week Munich Itinerary
- The Best Things to Do for Christmas in Germany
- How to Travel by Train in Germany
- Guide to Visiting Neuschwanstein Castle
Julia is a travel blogger with a Bachelor’s Degree in photography from Indiana Wesleyan University. She worked as a professional photo-retoucher for seven and a half years, before leaving the company to work in the travel industry. She now works at a historic 1800’s hotel. When she’s not working, she’s reading fantasy novels or classic literature, and planning trips to magical destinations.
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