Lindau is just one of the delightful centres situated on the Bodensee (Lake Constance) – it is, however, an island settlement with its own harbour. Its buildings are quaint and colourful and the setting on the lake is spectacular. It is a great base for a tour of southern Germany.
Lake Constance
Lake Constance, to use the common English terminology, is filled by the Rhine and is one of the cleanest bodies of fresh water in Germany; in fact, it is used for the water supply for south-west Germany. Lindau’s lovely harbour with its lion guarding the entrance and lighthouse, is a perfect place to embark on a luncheon trip on the lake. The trip skirts the shore and illustrates the astonishing feature of this relatively small lake (it is 63 km long and 14 km wide) – it belongs to three countries, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Day-trippers gazing at the shoreline can never be sure whether they are seeing Austria or Switzerland, after departing from Bavaria, Germany.
LIndau
Lindau developed as an island and was connected to the mainland only when the railway causeway was built in 1853, a feat which now allows tourists to come right into the town by train. There is also a road bridge for vehicular traffic. The settlement is ancient and the town centre still has many striking medieval buildings.
According to the town website, the Old Town Hall, which is richly and colourfully painted, was finished in 1476 in Gothic style, then modified in the Renaissance style 100 years later. The Peterskirche (Church of St Peter) was built about 1000 A.D., and houses frescoes on the north interior wall by Hans Holbein the Elder. Other extraordinary sights are the Pulverturm (powder magazine) which dates from 1508, the multi-turreted Diebsturm (Thieves Tower), which was used as a prison, dates from around 1370, and the 13th Century Mangturm, an early lighthouse.
The town museum on the market square, housed in a magnificent baroque building, which was once a residence, is well worth a visit. It contains furniture from many eras and household wares, toys, paintings and sculptures and a fun collection of mechanical musical instruments.
Baden-Württemberg Towns near Lindau
Not only is Lindau beautiful in itself and a summer water sports area, it is also a good departure point for tourists visiting other towns for day trips. Friedrichshafen, for example, is approximately a half hour away by road. It was here that Ferdinand von Zeppelin started his dirigible factory and so the city was heavily bombed during World War II. There is now an airship museum beside the lake.
Meersburg is another medieval wonder with its two castles, town gates, and half-timbered houses.
Mainau, like Lindau, is an island, but a privately-owned one that is a huge tourist attraction on Lake Constance because of its beautiful parks and gardens. The arboretum contains 500 species of trees, and an Italian Rose Garden with 500 rose varieties.
Konstanz, rubbing shoulders with Switzerland, is a university city with a well-preserved medieval old town. Konstanz also has an archaeological museum and the remains of a Roman fortress.
All these places are readily accessible from Lindau. There is a ferry that makes the round trip from Konstanz across the lake to Meersburg and then to all the towns on the east side of the lake – thus, many towns are waiting to be explored. If the tourist wants beautiful natural surroundings – a blue lake ringed with snow-capped mountains – plus towns that have preserved their medieval pasts, Lindau is a perfect base to see this slice of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
