On the Swiss border, Constance is a university town, lively and pleasant at the same time, popular location for … weddings.The most important historical fact, the Council of 1414-1418, it is stressed a bit everywhere starting from the prosperous and disturbing Imperia, a rotating statue that since 1993 overlooks the harbour reminding by-passers of what goes on around the world.
Even if passing through or with limited time available, it is pleasant to wander in the quiet old town or the lake, visit the Cathedral, the municipalities, the sacred buildings, browse among the houses dedicated to various animals such as the custom of cloth merchants.Constance lives on agriculture, especially on the vine, the landscape is soft and of amazing ornithological richness.
Taking advantage of the boat, it is safe worth visiting the islands. Mainau, once private property, is a huge flower garden with hundreds of different plants including two redwoods, and a Butterfly House where walking in the midst of 500 species of butterflies fluttering.The park contains a castle and a church built by the Teutonic Knights in the eighteenth century.
The island of Reichenau, part of the Unesco world heritage, is dedicated to art and religion: the eighth century the Benedictines first founded a monastery in the tenth and eleventh centuries became a center renowned for its library and miniatures, with Europe’s most famous scriptorium, and among the many religious buildings present, the Abbey of Santa Maria and San Marco is the most important Romanesque building in Southern Germany.
Do not miss the Museum of Unteruhldingen, reconstruction of a village of stilt houses of the Bronze age at which experts of the Archaeological Park of Montale (Modena) worked: time travel is ensured, especially in the early morning, when the place is empty or has few visitors.
Some info:
offered by the railways in Germany, Switzerland and Austria on www.bahn.it. For trips on Lake Constance Bodensee Erlebniskarte special tickets purchased at all points of tourist information around the lake and at points of sale Weisse Flotte, the white fleet.
Eat and/or sleep:
The Kaufhaus am Hafen, home of the conclave in 1417, now houses a hall for events and a pleasant restaurant with lake view offering local cuisine (Hafenstraße 2, Tel: +49 753 121 221, www.konzil-konstanz.de); the charming Steigenberger Inselhotel (auf Der Insel 1, Tel: +49 7531125-434, www.steigenberger.com/Konstanz) former convent complete with cloister and former residence of Count von Zeppelin. Conveniently located for sightseeing and superb breakfast, the hotel and restaurant Petershof (St.-Gebhard-Straße 14, Phone +49 7531993399, www.petershof.de)