Serving as the seat of Cullman County, Cullman lies between Birmingham and Huntsville in northern Alabama. The area was originally home to the Cherokee people before a settlement was founded by Colonel John G. Cullman, a Bavarian immigrant who encouraged his countrymen to create the “German Colony of North Alabama”.
Things to do in Cullman
In the heart of Cullman is the Cullman County Museum, which occupies a replica of the home once belonging to Colonel John G. Cullmann. Its exhibits detail the area’s Native American and natural history, as well as its settlement by German immigrants in the 19th century. Antique musical instruments, vintage signs and military artefacts are also on display.
On the eastern outskirts of the city is the Saint Bernard Abbey, which was established by a group of Benedictine monks in 1891. One of the monks, Brother Joseph Zoetle, famously created 125 miniature stone reproductions of religious structures from across the globe. Preserved within the Ave Maria Grotto, they include replicas of Old Jerusalem, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.
Spanning the Crooked Creek west of Cullman is the Clarkson Covered Bridge, which was originally built in 1904 so farmers could easily traverse through the area. Constructed from wood, it is one of the longest covered bridges remaining in Alabama and is preserved within Clarkson Covered Bridge Park. While you can’t walk across the bridge, you can photograph it from the historic log cabin and grist mill that have been relocated here.
Getting around Cullman
Cullman is around 45 minutes’ drive from Birmingham and an hour from Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, which has flights to destinations across the United States. Regular buses connect to Cullman while renting a car is the best way to explore the city.