Landmarks

Fabulous Meersburg Castle
Like an apparition from another world, the magical Meersburg Castle stands proudly overlooking Lake Constance. Not only did it give the town its name, it is also one of the main attractions on the lake. According to legend, this massive fortress dates back to the 7th century. Visitors can trace the eventful history of the castle from the Middle Ages right up the 19th century on a tour through the castle museum.
More than 30 rooms show how the inhabitants lived. From 1841 to 1848, the famous German poetess Annette von Droste-Hülshoff lived in the castle during her stays on Lake Constance. It is here that she wrote her most beautiful poems.

Beauty and the Beast
Imperia is the name of the provocative beauty who has kept watch over the entrance to Constance harbour since 1993. In the Middle Ages, she stirred the blood of visitors to the Council of Constance. Some 600 years later, the erection of her statue also caused some excitement among the city fathers. Since then, however, the waters have calmed and the people of Constance are glad that Imperia has become a landmark of the town.
But let‘s go back to the beginning: When the papal council took place in Constance in 1414–1418, the town was host to some 30,000 secular and holy men together with their retinues. A large number of courtesans were also in town. The subject of the sculpture was one of these ladies of easy virtue. The sculptor, Peter Lenk, has seated the Emperor and Pope in her hands to indicate that both the clergy and the gentry enjoyed her services.
The artist is a well-known agent provocateur, and so Imperia might never have been erected if it had not been done under cover of the night with the help of sponsors. Once the sculpture was unveiled, the town council was outraged and demanded that Imperia be removed. They said that she was a blight on the town’s image, and the church was not amused either. The inhabitants embraced her immediately, however, and today there is no more talk of removing her.

A Step Back in Time
In the Pfahlbaumuseum in Unteruhldingen, visitors can travel 6000 years back in time to the Stone Age and 3000 years to the Bronze Age to witness the fascinating world of the farmers, fishermen and bronze founders who lived on the shores of Lake Constance at the time. Who were these people? How did our ancestors live?
These and many more fascinating questions are answered expertly and impressively in this open-air museum. Located directly on the lakeside, the museum of lake dwellings has been one of the top cultural highlights in the region since it was built in the 1920s. A tour leads across wooden boardwalks to the 23 lake dwellings that have been furnished as they would have at the time. Visitors can marvel at scenes of everyday life, see the tools that were used and admire the faithful reconstructions based on scientific research. During the summer and Whitsun holidays, younger visitors can experience for themselves how a flint drill works or how a Stone Age soup tastes.

Lindau, a Picturesque Island
The Bavarian town of Lindau lies at the north-eastern end of Lake Constance. The town’s name was first mentioned in records in 882 and originally meant “island on which linden trees grow”. The entire historic old town enjoys a unique position on an island in the lake and is joined to the mainland by a causeway. The streets and squares of the old town are lively and bustling. But just a few steps away from the hustle and bustle, you can discover romantic alleys and quiet courtyards that offer an insight into days long gone. It is worth visiting the 15th-century town hall with its murals that tell of Lindau’s history. The covered outside staircase is decorated with illustrations of the Ten Commandments. Arriving in Lindau by ship, you enter the old town past its 33-meter-high lighthouse and the Bavarian lion looking out over the lake. The lighthouse offers spectacular views of the town, the lake and the Alps.