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Konstanz is a city in southern Germany. It lies on the border with Switzerland and on Lake Constance (Bodensee) between Obersee and Untersee, exactly where the river Rhine exits the lake. The city is split in two by the Rhine. Although the Rhine is the usual border between Switzerland and Germany, the historic part of Konstanz lies on the south ("Swiss") side of the Rhine and is more or less an exclave.
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Konstanzer Münster
Construction completed on the North Tower in about 1100 AD. Built between 1100 and 1854, the church is a magnificent example of architectural styles of the centuries. Climb up the tower for a fantastic view of Konstanz and the Bodensee.
There are towers commemorating the first German chancellor Otto von Bismarck all over Germany. Konstanz's Bismarck tower is at the top of a grapevine-covered hill. There are benches and firepits at the base of the tower. It's a nice place to watch the sunset. There's a good view from the base of the tower and an even better one from the top.
Council building
This building was built in 1388 and originally used as a warehouse. From 1414-1417 the council of Konstanz was held here to resolve the three-way occidental schism (an earlier compromise attempt had not resolved the two rival claims, but instead produced a third). The Council was also where Czech reformer Jan Hus was burned as a heretic. The building contains a restaurant and concert hall, and is undergoing restoration work.
Rhine entrance tower and Powder tower
Remnants of the old city defenses.
14th-century city gate and tower, next to a bit of the old city wall.
By artist Peter Lenk. The statue is of a woman holding two naked men--Pope Martin V and Emperor Sigismund--in her hands. The men wear only the papal tiara and the crown, respectively. The statue refers to a short story by Balzac, "La belle Impéria".
Where there used to be a border fence, there is now a series of 22 sculptures representing the trumps of the tarot, the "Great Arkana".
From the harbour on a clear day, you can see the Swiss and Austrian Alps across the lake. The harbour is a great place to see sailboats, catch a boat across the lake, sit in a beer garden, rent a paddle boat or mini motor boat, or relax in the park.
This charming district is the oldest part of Konstanz. It is made up of narrow streets and old buildings, sometimes more than 700 years old. On the first Friday of each month from May to October, the shops of Niederburg stay open late and there is music, flea market tables, and art in the streets. It's a very cozy atmosphere and worth a walk through.
Particular emphasis on the Bodensee (Lake Constance) region and the middle ages.
Museum dedicated to Czech religious reformer Jan Hus. The museum is all in German and Czech.
History and culture of Konstanz and the surrounding area. The museum is all in German.
Art gallery with rotating exhibitions
The ticket office is at the harbour, just past the pedestrian underpass. You can take trips to, e.g., Meersburg, flower island Mainau, Ueberlingen, Friedrichshafen, Lindau, Bregenz, or down the Rhine to Stein am Rhein and Schaffhausen.
Either in the Rhine near the pedestrian bridge, or at the beach "Hörnle" at the east-most point of Konstanz. (Bus 5 goes to the Hörnle.) The Hörnle has a nudist area (in German: "FKK") at its north end.
Go to the spa. The facility includes multiple saunas, multiple pools including an outdoor heated pool and an outdoor 50-m swimming pool, and a restaurant. The saunas are no-clothing areas and the pools are mostly bathing suit areas.
Konstanz has 3 theatres: "Stadttheater" for classic pieces, "Spiegelhalle" for youth theatre and experimental theatre, and "Werkstatt" for puppet theatre. You can buy tickets in advance at the Stadttheater (Konzilstraße 11) or at the tourist information centre (inside the train station).
You can buy tickets in advance at the Stadttheater (Konzilstraße 11) or at the tourist information centre (inside the train station).
For schedules and pricing, see the website or contact the Münster music office at Pfalzgarten 4, or +49 7531 9062 52.
Fastnacht
This week-long event involves parades, costumes and parties. Carnival is an old tradition in southern Germany, made up a mix of pagan and Christian beliefs, whose main purpose is to chase out winter. The secondary purpose is, of course, to dress up in a costume and party.
This festival is all about boats. It features boat exhibitions, regattas, and water skiing shows & competitions.
LGBT pride parade
A cross-border LGBT pride parade/demonstration in Konstanz and neighbouring Swiss city Kreuzlingen. There are several cultural activities in the week leading up to the parade. The parade starts around 11 am and is followed by some bands playing in the Stadtpark (near the harbour). In the evening there's a party in the Konzil building (€14 entry).
An outdoor festival featuring local wines and live music.
1-day festival with live music and other performances on a few different stages, water shows (e.g. waterskiing), a market. The final event is a big fireworks competition between Konstanz, and neighbouring Swiss city Kreuzlingen. You can see the fireworks for free by watching in Kreuzlingen instead. Kreutzlingen also has a small midway and market during this event (free entry).
1-day music festival.
The Konstanz Oktoberfest is rather smaller than the one in Munich but is worth attending if you're in town. It features the usual Oktoberfest-style beer, food, and live bands, and has a small midway.
An outdoor festival where the main marketplace and harbour are lined with stalls selling mulled wine, food, art and kitchy stuff.
Offers Italian food of all different varieties as well as Italian-style coffee.
A special recommendation for Döner Kebap.
Greek taverne with great and most important cheap food. A place with nice music and good service. You should definitely try Gyro and Galactoboureko.
Offers Italian food, a great place to sit outside and watch the tourist masses walk by or catch the performances of the street artists.
Fresh and delicious soup and salad. The salad bar is full of fresh selections including many vegetarian and a few vegan options. (Pay according to the weight of your salad.) There are several soup options; some change daily.
A restaurant with typical southern-Germany atmosphere, serving typical southern-Germany specialties.
Food inspired by Indian, Chinese, Indonesian und Thai cuisine.
Strandbar
A bar with a nice patch of sand about the size of a beach volleyball court. Lots of seating on beach chairs on the sand, and patio. They often have live music on Wednesdays.
Hafen Halle
A Bavarian-style beer garden. Live music on Sunday mornings starting at 10:30, and they often show "big" sports events (football championships, formula 1) on a big screen.
They have a pretty full events calendar including bingo, karaoke, quiz nights, live music, and sports on TV. Often good place to go if you want to hear other people speaking English.
Cheapest place in town; loud, smokey and sticky, somewhat legendary.
The proprietors speak English and can arrange for nearby parking for a modest fee.
This hotel is on a small island in a former Dominican Cloister. Accessible by bridge from the old town.
farmer's market
Tuesday and Friday mornings in St. Stephans Platz (downtown); Wednesday and Saturday mornings in St. Gebhard-Platz (Petershausen district)
Most of the pedestrian zone in the Konstanz old town is full of shops. In particular, there are a lot of shoe and clothing stores.
This flea market is several kilometres long and crosses the border to Kreuzlingen, Switzerland. The bulk of the market is in Konstanz though. It sells the usual flea market stuff, but is impressive due to its sheer size. It takes place in June or July.
By train
The other train stations in Konstanz are in the city districts of Petershausen, Fürstenberg and Wollmatingen.
By car
From Germany: from the A81, take the B33 into Konstanz. From Switzerland: the A7 leads straight into Konstanz.
By boat
Possible from many cities on Lake Constance. The fastest connections are :
By bus
The bus system is fast and efficient. The bus costs €2.10 (adult) or €1.05 (child). A day ticket is €4.00.
By taxi
Taxis are nearly always available in front of the main train station.
By bicycle
There are bicycle paths all over the city. Bicycles can be rented from near the train station (about 100 m north of the main station building) for €12 per day or less.
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