Family time in Ulm and surroundings

While visiting family we took a trip to Ulm which is the largest city closest to Heidenheim. We reached it on a lovely curvy side highway. In the center of the city, the old part, there is a huge gothic church, cathedral, basilica, I don't know, which is the highest in Europe. Now the inside is not particularly pretty but the outside is quite dark, spiny and ominous looking in the city square.
The Neckar River runs beside the city as well, which is joined by a neighborhood of homes and walkways over bridges and on small islands all kept in the half timber style and some of them as crooked as those that you can find in Amsterdam. It is a lovely Hansel and Gretelish kind of world. We walked for 2 hours, stopped for a couple of cafe sips and got home pretty late.
On other days we went up to the cloisters where a beautiful church is attached to what used to be a nunnery but is now a hotel, restaurant and other things. We also took a walking trip up a mountain to walk around the town's castle and then had a cafe sip there as well. Our life has become days of looking for sips at cafes. I seem to remember my time living in Germany as being full of cafes as well. Somethings never change, it's nice to know.