 Ulmet could claim to be the governing centre up until the 19th century.In P. A. Paule's "Gemälden aus Rheinbaiern 1817" (“Tableaux from Rhenish Bavaria”), for instance, a population of 495 inhabitants is listed for Ulmet, whereas for the now considerably bigger Altenglan, the figure was only 403.The old overland routes, for the most part dating back to Celtic and Roman times, steered clear of the dales, which were threatened by floods and hostile encroachment, and also offered no clear view.