Beautiful LÄND (and beyond): The Bodensee  [23.08.22]

Whatever you like to call it: Bodensee, Lake Constance, the Swabian Ocean - the Bodensee is worth a visit and here are some reasons why!

Attention roaming fees: Due to the lake’s location in a three-border area make sure that your phone does not connect to the Swiss network and charge you with a high roaming fee.

Immenstaad am Bodensee (Germany)

Immenstaad on Lake Constance is a small community in Baden-Württemberg with about 6500 inhabitants, located directly on the upper shore of Lake Constance. For Immenstaad the expression "klein aber fein" fits, because despite an area of only 9.28 km2 there is a lot to do. In the town center you will find a landing stage with a park and a small marina, as well as the museum of local history and many cafes and restaurants. Along the shore you can visit the lakeside Aquastaad (like an outdoor pool, but with lake access, chargeable), as well as the free bathing beach right next to the Aquastaad (Seestraße West) and another sunbathing area with beach section along Seestraße Ost. If you feel like water activities other than swimming, you can rent e.g., canoes (from 10 €), kayaks, stand-up paddle (from 12,50€) and others at the water sports school Immenstaad or the mini golf course.  If you are tired of the lake, you can visit the climbing park (2.3 km from the city center) or hike to the Hohberg Immenstaad and enjoy the view from the top. You can get a one-day ticket for the climbing park for 26 € with a valid student ID (ticket must be reserved beforehand). The park offers over fifteen different courses at heights of up to 15 meters and is also suitable for inexperienced climbers. The Hohberg can be reached on foot from the city center in about 20 minutes, this 454 m high mountain has a viewing platform and gives a splendid view over Lake Constance, the vineyards and Immenstaad itself. If you feel like it, you can also explore Immenstaad and its surroundings by bike (more info about this e.g., here: Bike rental Immenstaad).

You can reach Immenstaad from Stuttgart main station e.g., with the RE 5 (direction Lindau-Reutin) to Friedrichshafen and then take the bus 7395 (direction bus station Überlingen) to the stop Rathaus Immenstaad. Travel time is about 3 h, here we recommend the 9 € ticket until the end of August, otherwise the Baden-Württemberg ticket for 24 €. 

 

Überlingen (Germany)

Überlingen is located on the shore of Lake Überlingen (part of Lake Constance) and has a lot to offer. The town has a beautiful town garden, lakeside promenade, as well as a landing place at the harbor with a fountain called "Bodenseereiter". The fountain was built in 1999 and is best known as a caricature and grotesque monument to the local poet Martin Walser. If you want to know more about the history of Überlingen, visit the Überlingen Municipal Museum. Students only pay a 1 € entrance fee here. The museum is located on the highest hill in Überlingen's old town and displays, among other things, unique exhibits related to the history of Überlingen from the Neolithic period to the 19th century. The impressive building also has a charming panoramic garden with a wide view over Lake Constance and the roofs of the medieval town. Furthermore, Überlingen is home to the 66-meter-high St. Nicholas Minster, it is the largest Gothic church on Lake Constance and the landmark of Überlingen. The construction of the cathedral began in 1350 and ended 226 years later, in 1576. St. Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, fishermen, merchants, pilgrims and travelers. To relax at Lake Constance, visit the Strandbad West or Ost or have an enjoyable time at the Bodenseetherme. The lidos cost 2 € admission and have a large lawn for sunbathing, a beach volleyball court, table tennis tables and a restaurant with a terrace. The Bodenseetherme in Überlingen can be visited with a valid student ID for 6.50 € (for 2 hours), sauna stays are not included. The spa includes a 25 m sports pool, a whirlpool, a steam bath, a cascade pool, a Kneipp pool, and a relaxation area.  In addition, the spa has direct access to the lake and outdoor thermal pools with lake views.

From Stuttgart main station you can take the RE 5 (direction Lindau-Reutin) to Friedrichshafen. In Friedrichshafen you change to the IRE 3 (direction Basel Bad) and travel to Überlingen. The travel time here is about 3 hours, here we recommend the 9 € ticket until the end of August, otherwise the Baden-Württemberg ticket for 24 €.

 

Konstanz (Germany)

Konstanz history goes back over 1000 years, today it owns a beautiful Old Town, port and the Imperia-Statue. The statue shows a 9 m high half-naked woman holding an imperial crown and a royal orb rotating in 4-minute intervals. Imperia is meant to ridicule patriarchy and mistresses' rule in church and politics. Worth seeing is also the old town and the Constance Cathedral from the year 780. The cathedral is 78 m high and after 193 steps you have a fantastic view over the city and the lake. Admission to the cathedral costs 2 €. The Rosengarten Museum of Art and Cultural History has been showing rich collections on the history of the city and the region since its foundation in 1870. Admission for students here is 1.50 €. In Constance yoz will also find the Sealife Constance Aquarium, which shows the underwater world of the Rhine and Lake Constance. Tickets should be purchased online in advance (19,50 €). Constance also has a university, with about ten thousand students, of which 1400 are internationals. The university offers more than one hundred study programs from law to mathematics and science to humanities and teaching. Constance does not disappoint when it comes to bathing opportunities - there is the Bodenseetherme Konstanz with indoor and outdoor thermal pools. Also included in the price of 11.50 € for students (day pass), outdoor pool access. The spa also has saunas, but access here costs a total of 29 € per day. If you prefer to swim in Lake Constance, go to one of the lidos around Constance. One would be the Hörnle lido (free) with sanitary facilities and restaurant, as well as stand-up paddle rental.

When in Constance you could also visit:

The Swiss town of Kreuzlingen is located right next to Constance's old town. Visit the Seeburg Park, located directly by the lake. It is spread around the Seeburg Castle and is freely accessible all year round. Here you will find, among other things, a medicinal and spice garden, an animal park with old, endangered breeds of domestic animals, as well as the Seeburg Tower, from which you can overlook Kreuzlingen, Constance and Lake Constance. In addition, the park also houses the Kreuzlingen Lake Museum. Here you will find everything about shipping and fishing on Lake Constance and at times various special exhibitions. The museum is open until September, from Tuesday to Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm (October from 2 pm). In addition, there is a museum café, which is open on Wednesdays and weekends from 2 to 5 pm. The entrance fee for students is 5 CHF, which is about 5,20 €. You can reach Kreuzlingen from Konstanz with a 25-minute walk or with the S 14 (direction Weinfelden) to Kreuzlingen.

If you like, visit the island of Mainau next to Konstanz also called the flower island. It is about 20 minutes away by bus 4/13 from Constance. In 1827, the Hungarian Prince Esterhazy had the present castle courtyard laid out and planted exotic and native plants. Grand Duke Friedrich I of Baden acquired Mainau Island as a summer residence in 1853. In the process, he enlarged the tree population, had the Italian Rose Garden created, and brought orange and lemon trees as well as palms to the island. Furthermore, there are various gardens such as perennial or dahlia gardens. In the palm house more than twenty different palm species can be admired. Mainau also houses the second largest butterfly house in Germany, here about 120 different species of butterflies live at 90% humidity and temperatures up to 30 °C. You can visit the island from 9 am to 8 pm (ticket purchase from 9 am to 7 pm) for 16 € admission for students. Attention: online ticket purchase is cheaper and costs only 14 €!

Another island in Lake Constance is the island of Reichenau, which has three Romanesque churches and a total of four museum buildings which provides a lot of information about the World Heritage Site "Klosterinsel Reichenau". Also, the German Avenue Road ends here, which leads on about 2900 km from Rügen to Lake Constance. Reichenau Island also has a lido, which is open until 15th September. Reduced admission costs 1.50 €, and right next door is a stand-up paddle rental shop where you can rent boards from 15 € for 1 hour.

Insider tip: for less than 13 € you can travel by ferry in the Upper Lake Constance (valid for 3h) and visit pile dwellings in Unteruhldingen. The museum is an open-air archaeological museum located directly on or in Lake Constance. It presents archaeological finds and replicas of pile dwellings from the Stone and Bronze Ages. The pile dwellings in Unteruhldingen were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011. The entrance fee for students is 11 €.

Starting at Stuttgart main station take RE 5 (direction Lindau-Reutin) then get off in Friedrichshafen and change to bus 7394 to Konstanz station. On the way you are here about 3 h 55 min, here we recommend the 9 € ticket until the end of August, otherwise the Baden-Württemberg ticket for 24 €.

 

Lindau (Bavaria, Germany)

The Lindau harbor entrance is one of the most beautiful on Lake Constance. It is lined by a 36-meter-high lighthouse, after 139 steps and 3 € entrance fee, you have a great view over Lake Constance. Also impressive is the six-meter high and 50 tons heavy lion statue from 1856. Also located by the harbor the Mangturm, this was formerly a lighthouse and is proud 20 meters high. You can often see a long blonde braid hanging out of the tower, which is an allusion to the fairy tale Rapunzel and the fairy tale hour you can listen to in the tower. Lindau also has a city park and a city garden, which invites you to stroll and relax. For a short cooling you can use the Westpromenade or the Römerbad located right next to the harbor.

From Stuttgart main station take RE 5 to Lindau-Reutin and then take the bus 5 (direction Inselbahnhof Lindau). Here you are about 3 h 15 min on the way, until September the 9 € ticket is recommended. Although Lindau is in the state of Bavaria, you can travel to Lindau with the Baden-Württemberg Ticket, but you cannot use the local transport in Lindau with this ticket (separate ticket).

 

Bregenz (Austria)

Bregenz is also a city that lies directly on the shore of Lake Constance, and in front of the Alpine panorama but in Austria. Here you can enjoy a unique and special view due to the proximity of the Alps, for example, on the mountain Pfänder at 1064 m above sea level. The Pfänder can be reached via the Pfänderbahn station located in Bregenz, which will take you up the mountain and back down again between 8 am and 7 pm for 14.20 €. But you do not have to go high up to see something in Bregenz. How about a relaxing walk overlooking the lake? - then off to the lakeside promenade in Bregenz. No matter what time of year or day you spend on the shore, the scenery here is impressive. The extensive park with its chestnut trees, flower beds and benches invite you to linger. Hardly anywhere else can you see the fascinating sunsets on Lake Constance better than from Bregenz. Perfect for this are, for example, the "sunset steps" at the Molo, towards the west. And also, at night the place has its charm, to listen to the silence and the lake or to look at the starry sky. If you walk along the promenade, you can cool off in the lido Bregenz. Admission here costs 4 € for students. If you go in the other direction there is the public beach of Bregenz (free). When exploring the city, a walk in the medieval structures of Bregenz's upper town should not be missed. If you are in the mood for culture, you can choose between various museums, such as the Kunsthaus, the Frauenmuseum or the Vorarlberg Museum. In the latter you can discover the art and cultural history of the province of Vorarlberg for about 7 €. The Women's Museum documents and presents the cultural work of women and women's history. It is the only women's museum in Austria and costs about 8,50 € admission.

Starting at Stuttgart main station, take the RE 5 (Lindau-Reutin) to Lindau-Reutin through and then from Lindau take the S 1 to Bregenz, which takes about 3 hours. Since there is no 9 € ticket in Austria, you must get an extra ticket for the train ride in Austria.

There are many places to see and many things to do around Lake Constance - so let's go!      

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