Sights of Lake Constance, Germany
Lake Constance, or as we should say in Dutch, Lake Constance, is a lake in the border area between Switzerland, Austria and Germany. The lake can be divided into two parts: the Obersee and the Untersee. Of these two, the Obersee is by far the largest. Most of Lake Constance is on German territory, so it’s no surprise that most of the sights and towns are located in this part. The history of man and Lake Constance goes all the way back to prehistoric times. At that time, people already lived permanently on Lake Constance in stilt houses. Replicas of these houses can still be seen in the town of Unteruhldingen, which has an open-air museum. Later the Celtic tribes, the Romans and Merovingen would settle on the shores of the lake. Later, the Benedictines on the island of Reichenau would have an important influence on the places around the lake. They had several churches and castles built, some of which still exist today. Several inscriptions on the UNESCO World Heritage List can be found around Lake Constance.
According to JIBIN123, Lake Constance is one of the most popular holiday areas in the south of Germany. During the summer months, the towns and cities on Lake Constance are filled with tourists. Most popular tourist destinations are Meersburg, Konstanz and Friedrichshafen. There is a remarkable amount of bicycle tourism around Lake Constance. A bike ride around Lake Constance is high on the wish list of many cycling enthusiasts.
Top 10 sights of Lake Constance
#1. Friedrichshafen
Friedrichshafen is one of the most beautiful and nicest towns on Lake Constance. The town is located on the northern bank of the lake in the German state of Bavaria. The most famous landmark of Friedrichshafen is the Zeppelin Museum. At the airport of Friedrichshafen you have the possibility to make a trip with a zeppelin. This unique experience takes you over all the famous sights of Lake Constance. Friedrichshaven is also known for its beautiful long promenade, which runs past several beautiful buildings and museums and ends at the castle church. From the Moleturm (pier tower) you have a beautiful view over Friedrichshafen and Lake Constance.
#2. Constance
Konstanz is the largest town on Lake Constance. The city is located on the German southern shore of Lake Constance on the border with Switzerland. It is one of the few German cities that escaped the destruction during the Second World War, leaving Konstanz to a large extent with an authentic historic center. Main sights are the Rheintorturm, the Münster Church of Konstanz and the Konzilgebäude of Konstanz. The latter building is one of the oldest surviving buildings in southern Germany. This former warehouse played an important role during the Council of Constance, which brought an end to the era of three popes. Constanceis large enough to serve as a city trip destination during a holiday on Lake Constance, especially if you combine it with a visit to the flower island of Mainau.
#3. Mainau
The flower island of Mainau is the most visited attraction on Lake Constance. Millions of visitors come every year in the summer months to admire the flower-bathed island. You can take a ferry to the island from various places on Lake Constance. If you prefer not to sail, you can also reach the island by car via a bridge. Mainau is owned by the noble Bernadotte family, who have opened their island to the public for many decades. On the island you will come across beautifully landscaped gardens and an arboretum. Highlights of a visit are the dahlia gardens and the butterfly garden.
#4. Meersburg
Meersburg is one of the most beautiful and well-known wine villages on Lake Constance. As a result, the village has become one of the busiest places on Lake Constance. Most of the visitors arrive at the harbor by ferry. In this part of the village, you will find the Meersburg promenade and a small shopping street. Most of the sights in Meersburg can be found in the upper town. Here you will find the old and the new castle of Meersburg, you will come across beautiful half-timbered houses and you have an impressive view over Lake Constance. Here you will also find Staatsweingut Meersburg, one of the most famous winemakers on Lake Constance. In the restaurant next to the shop you can taste the different wines from Meersburg.
#5. Reichenau
Reichenau is an island and a municipality in Lake Constance. The island is best known for the Benedictine Abbey of Reichenau. This abbey was founded in the eighth century and soon grew into a powerful abbey with possessions in various places on Lake Constance. These Benedictines most likely created the first vineyards on the shores of Lake Constance. The abbey was raised in the eighteenth century. Now the island and the monastery is one of the main tourist sites in the area. The entire island is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Because some of the finest examples of early medieval monastic architecture can be found on the island of Reichenau.
#6. Stilt House Museum
The Pile Dwelling Museum or Pfahlbaumuseum is the open-air museum of Unteruhldingen. The first stilt houses were built at the beginning of the last century and there are now twenty-three stilt houses made of reed, loam and wood. The houses contain all kinds of archaeological finds that have been found around Lake Constance in recent decades. The various stilt houses are connected to each other with wooden scaffolding. The pile dwellings as they can be seen in the museum are an exact reconstruction of the pile dwellings that could be found in several places in the Alps in prehistoric times and are now on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
#7. Zeppelin Museum
The history of Friedrichshafen is inextricably linked with the zeppelin. After Graf Zeppelin, who lives in Konstanz, received the patent for the Zeppelin, the first Zeppelin factory was built in Friedrichshafen. The old train station now houses a zeppelin museum. Part of the famous Hindenburg zeppelin has been recreated in the museum to show how luxurious air travel was at the beginning of the last century. In other rooms and areas you will learn everything about the technology that was used in zeppelins. It is a nice complete exhibition, which gives a good picture of the life of the upper class during the Interbellum.
#8. Schaffhausen
The Swiss town of Schaffhausen is just a little upstream, where the Rhine fills Lake Constance. Technically, Schaffhausen is not located on Lake Constance, but close enough to end up in this top 10. Schaffhussen is best known for its waterfall, the Rhine Falls. This is the largest waterfall in Europe, through which an average of 600 cubic meters per second flows in the summer months. At the waterfall you can take a boat trip, or admire the natural violence from one of the two platforms. Munot Castle is located in Schafhussen. This sixteenth-century fortress was built as a bastion, but is now used as an event location.
#9. Lindau am Insel
Lindau Islandis the historic part of the town of Lindau, which can be found on an island in Lake Constance. The island is with the dam and a bridge with the mainland, making it officially no longer an island. Due to its location on the island, Lindau’s historic center is small and compact, so you can walk through it in a few hours. During this walk, you will encounter various sights and museums. The most beautiful and busiest street in Lindau is Maximilianstrasse. Most of the terraces and shops can be found in this street. Here you will also come across the historic town hall of Lindau. The beautifully painted facade is not to be missed. Other important sights in Lindau are the Mangturm, the Diebsturm and the Münster Unserer Lieben Frau.
#10. Bregenz
Bregenz is the largest town in the Austrian part of Lake Constance in the state of Voralberg. About 30,000 people live in the town. Like many other places on Lake Constance, Bregenz has a small historic center with several half-timbered houses and part of the old city walls are still intact. One of the most beautiful buildings in the historic center is the Martinsturm, a Baroque tower that was part of the court of the Counts of Bregenz. From the center of Bregenz you can take a lift to the top of the Pfänder, a mountain of just over a thousand meters. From this mountain you have a beautiful view of Lake Constance on one side and the Alps on the other. The Bregenzer Festspiele is held every year in July and August.
