With shores in three countries – Germany, Switzerland and Austria – Lake Constance is at the very heart of Europe and a perfect Slow Holiday destination. The lake at the northern foot of the Alps boasts a beautiful scenery, Mediterranean atmosphere and plenty of historical sights from a Bronze Age village to medieval castles and the home of the Zeppelin.
Lake Constance, called Bodensee in German, is a 538 square kilometre basin between the Alps and the Jura mountains with a total of 236 rivers and streams feeding into it. The mild climate here promotes the growth of lush, southern European vegetation and makes the region a centre for fruit and vine cultivation.
What to do
For an almost tropical feel, take a boat trip to Mainau, the island of flowers. Alongside fascinating vegetation, the island is also home to Germany’s largest butterfly house.
On the lake’s northern shore the Unteruhldingen museum and prehistoric villageis well worth a visit. Built on ‘stilts’ over the lake next to a nature conservation area, the musuem consists of twenty pile-built, life-size houses, which will take you on a journey back to the Bronze Age (4000 to 850 B.C.).
The largest island in Lake Constance is the monastic island of Reichenau. Its Benedictine abbey was hugely influential in medieval society and was renowned for its book calligraphy and painting as well as its goldsmiths.
Further north, the city of Friedrichshafen is home to the Zeppelinmuseum, which houses the world’s largest collection on aviation, including a partial 1:1 model of the airship ‘Hindenburg’.
A few kilometres beyond the German-Austrian border you reach Bregenz, one of the region’s cultural centres, which is famous for its large floating stage behind the concert hall used for spectacular operas in the annual summer festival.
How to get there
Deutsche Bahn sells tickets for the 11-hour journey from London Waterloo via Brussels, Cologne and Baden-Baden. A typical return fare from London is £130.
Once there, hiring a bike will be a good option to explore the region, a flat and well sign-posted cycle path runs for 300km around the lake. Otherwise rail is particularly useful for crossing the borders.
