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    Constance

    Germany

    Constance

    City

    Konstanz, with over 85,000 inhabitants, is the largest city on Lake Constance and is located where the Rhine leaves the Upper Lake. To the south, the city borders directly on Swiss Kreuzlingen.

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    Konstanz, with over 85,000 inhabitants, is the largest city on Lake Constance and is located where the Rhine leaves the Upper Lake. To the south, the city borders directly on Swiss Kreuzlingen. It made world history with the Council of Constance from 1414 to 1418, during which Martin V. was elected Pope in 1417 in the market hall at the harbor, thus ending the Western Schism.At the harbor, Peter Lenk's nine-meter-high Imperia statue turns, a satirical commentary on the Council. From here, ships depart for Mainau, Meersburg, and by catamaran to Friedrichshafen, and in the old town, the Minster rises, whose tower platform is open from Easter until October.
    Konstanz has around 86,000 inhabitants and is the largest city on Lake Constance. Its compact old town lies south of the Rhine, bordering directly on Swiss Kreuzlingen, allowing you to walk across the border. Its waterside setting is unique: from the city harbour with the Imperia, ships and the catamaran depart for Friedrichshafen, while the car ferry to Meersburg takes 15 minutes. Around the Minster and Council Building, you can experience the history of the Council; the university is located slightly outside near Egg.

    Sights in Constance

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Münster Our Lady's Cathedral
    Church

    1Münster Our Lady's Cathedral

    Consecrated in 1089, the Romanesque-style building hosted the Council of Constance from 1414 to 1418. The neo-Gothic spire is 78 meters high; its observation platform is open from Easter until late October.
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    Rheintor Tower
    Historic Landmark

    2Rheintor Tower

    Built around 1200, the 35-meter-high sandstone tower on the Rhine is a remnant of the medieval fortifications.
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    Restaurants in Constance

    1

    Beyzade

    Turkish restaurant on Zogelmann Street in the Old Town.
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    2

    MINOO Konstanz

    Restaurant, café, and bar with Middle Eastern cuisine on Bruderturmgasse.
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    3

    Restaurant Pizzeria Rossini

    Italian restaurant and pizzeria on Bahnhofstrasse, near the station and port.
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    Out and About in Konstanz

    The train station is right by the lake, next to the Old Town. Here the Schwarzwaldbahn ends, and InterRegio trains run hourly to Zürich. From the city harbor, the catamaran has sailed to Friedrichshafen since 2005; you can bring bikes. The car ferry between Konstanz and Meersburg operates non-stop by day and hourly by night. Explore the Old Town on foot; regular buses serve the university.

    Accommodations in Constance

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    Campgrounds in Constance

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    Nearby

    Mainau Island

    Mainau Island

    Flower Island Mainau on Lake Überlingen, covering around 45 hectares, is the third-largest island in Lake Constance and has belonged since 1974 to the non-profit Lennart Bernadotte Foundation. Thanks to the mild lake climate, palms and other Mediterranean plants thrive here; in the Palm House stands a Canary Island Date Palm planted in 1888.The blossoms change throughout the year: tulips and daffodils in spring, around 500 rose varieties in the Italian Rose Garden in summer, and approximately 20,000 dahlias in autumn. Also featured are the baroque Deutschorden Palace, an arboretum established from 1856, and a butterfly house open year-round. You can reach the island via a pedestrian bridge from the mainland or by boat.
    Meersburg

    Meersburg

    Above Lake Constance, in Meersburg, rises Meersburg Castle, which is considered Germany's oldest inhabited castle. It has been documented since 1147, and its keep is named Dagobertsturm. The poet Annette von Droste-Hülshoff lived at the castle from 1841 and died there in 1848; her death room is part of the tour.In the castle museum, you can visit over 30 furnished rooms, from the castle kitchen and knight's hall to the dungeon. Opposite stands the Neues Schloss, built in the 18th century as the residence of the Prince-Bishops of Konstanz. From Konstanz, you reach Meersburg in about 15 minutes by car ferry.
    Bodensee

    Bodensee

    Lake Constance, at roughly 395 meters above sea level, lies between Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, covering 536 square kilometers. Stretching 69 kilometers from Bregenz to Stein am Rhein, it plunges 251 meters at its deepest point between Fischbach and Uttwil. The Alpine Rhine flows in, the Seerhein connects the Obersee and Untersee, and the river then exits as the Hochrhein.On the German side, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria share its shores. Travel by ferry and ship here between Konstanz, the flower island Mainau, the castle town Meersburg, and the island city Lindau, where a UNESCO World Heritage site awaits on Reichenau Island.
    Lindau

    Lindau

    Lindau is the Bavarian town on Lake Constance, its old town situated on an approximately 0.69-square-kilometer island in the eastern Obersee. A road bridge and the railway embankment connect it to the mainland, on which trains travel to Lindau-Insel station.The landmark is the harbor entrance: On one side, the six-meter-high Bavarian Lion made of Kelheim marble, is enthroned; opposite stands the New Lighthouse, completed in 1856, Germany's southernmost. Also featured are the 12th-century Mangturm and the painted Old Town Hall dating from 1422.
    Rheinfall

    Rheinfall

    The Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen in northern Switzerland is considered, by volume of water, Europe's largest waterfall. Over a width of around 150 meters, the Rhine plunges 23 meters into the depths. From Zurich, you can reach it by S-Bahn.The right bank belongs to Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Canton Schaffhausen; the left, with Laufen Castle, to Canton Zurich. From the castle, a panoramic path leads to platforms Belvedere, Känzeli, and Fischetz directly over the water, with a panoramic lift for return. Boats run from the north bank into the basin and to the middle rock. The Rhine Falls itself is freely accessible year-round; Laufen Castle and its platforms require admission.