Cities and Towns on Lake Constance: From Arbon to Unteruhldingen

Part 2 | Below is a selection of cities we recommend you visit along the shores of Lake Constance, listed in alphabetical order. Good roads in the area make driving a pleasant way to tour the area. Most larger communities have passenger ferry and/or cruise ship service. The Kronprinz paddle steamer (photo below, under “Friedrichshafen”) began serving Friedrichshafen after its launch in 1839. Many towns are accessible via rail. There are also trails and bike paths all around the lake. In the process of seeing these cities, you’ll also visit the three German-speaking countries that share the Bodensee. (A fourth, the Principality of Liechtenstein, is nearby, but does not border the lake.) Population figures are for 2020, 2021, or 2022, depending on the country.

Arbon (Canton Thurgau, Switzerland)
This historic town of almost 15,000 residents lies on a peninsula on the south shore of Lake Constance’s eastern section, on the lake’s Swiss shore, about 23 miles (37 km) west of Bregenz, Austria, by car or rail. The closest large towns on the shoreline are Romanshorn to the west and Rorschach to the east. Its well-preserved Old Town and lakeside promenade (Seepromenade) are Arbon’s main attractions for tourists. Its name comes from its Roman origins (late 3rd century) and its Latin name of Arbor Felix (“happy tree”). A local prominence called the Bergli (“little hill”) was probably a Roman fort, based on archaeological excavations. Evidence of prehistoric settlements some 6,500 years ago also has been found in Arbon, which is now the third largest city in the Swiss canton of Thurgau. Arbon has good road and rail connections to Zurich, Konstanz, and St. Gallen.

Automobile fans will want to visit the Saurer Museum at Weitegasse 8 in Arbon. Besides its classic vehicles collection (trucks, buses), the museum also has a textile machinery (weaving, embroidery) section. The museum has two locations, one at the lake and another, the DEPOT (closed Mondays). The museum is related to the now defunct Adolph Saurer AG, a company originally founded as an iron foundry by Franz Saurer in 1853. The firm later became an important Swiss manufacturer of textile machinery, as well as buses, trucks, and military vehicles. See the website link above for details. Today’s Saurer AG is one of the largest textile machinery manufacturers in the world. A US division (the Saurer Motor Truck Company) began operating in 1911. Following mergers, the firm became Mack Trucks Inc. in 1922.

Bregenz (Vorarlberg, Austria)
Bregenz (pop. 29,306) is the capital of Vorarlberg, the westernmost of Austria’s nine provinces. The city is located at the eastern end of Lake Constance on a plateau that drops down in a series of terraces to the lake at the foot of Pfänder mountain (3,491 ft/1,064 m). Bregenz is famous for the annual summer music festival Bregenzer Festspiele, as well as the dance festival Bregenzer Spring. The city’s dramatic Seebühne, a large stage floating in the lake, was featured in the 2008 James Bond film Quantum of Solace (View Video, 3 min.).

Bregenz traces its beginnings back to the Celts (1500 BCE) and Romans (15 BCE). Bregenz was granted the status of a municipality (Brigantium) around 50 CE, and was the seat of the Roman admiralty for Lake Constance. Brigantium was later destroyed by the Alemanni, Germanic peoples who settled in the area around 450. This constant change of ownership and rulers continued under the Austrian Habsburgs (1523), Sweden (30 Years’ War), Bavaria (1805-1814). But Bregenz today is very much Austrian, even if Vorarlberg does share its nearby borders with Bavaria and Switzerland. It is easy to travel by cruise ship or regional trains to visit nearby Lindau and other cities surrounding Lake Constance.

Besides the Seebühne/Festspielhaus and the Pfänder mountain (with hiking, panoramic views, and access via the Pfänderbahn cable car), the city itself has some sights to offer. The city is divided into the upper and lower towns. There are churches and other historic buildings in both sections, including the Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus, upper town) and the New Town Hall (1686/1898, lower town). The Kunsthaus Bregenz (KUB) in the lower town, built 1991-1997, is a modern art museum. The Vorarlberg Museum not only offers a look at the history and culture of the region, it also has a great view of the harbor.

Bodman-Ludwigshafen (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
The municipality of Bodman-Ludwigshafen was created in 1975, when two separate villages, on opposite sides of the Lake Überlingen (Überlinger See) arm of Lake Constance, were combined. The former communities of Ludwigshafen am Bodensee (formerly Sernatingen in the 12th century) and Bodman were administratively merged into a single municipality. The German name for Lake Constance, Bodensee, is thought to come from the historic Bodman, now a castle ruin. (See more in the “Introduction” above.)

The area of today’s Bodman-Ludwigshafen (pop. 4,742) stretches along the lake’s far northwestern shore between the two former towns. Geographically the centers of the two towns are still separated by the lake and a drive of about 3 miles (5 km) by road. The area is popular for hiking and bike tours. At least eight scenic trails are found in the area. Popular destinations include the ruins of ancient Bodman castle (Ruine Altbodman) and the nearby Frauenberg (“women’s mountain”) and its castle (Burg Frauenberg), which offer views of the lake and surrounding hills. The former castle, built by the Count of Bodman, is now used by the Communitas Agnus Dei as a convent known as the Kloster Frauenberg.

Constance/Konstanz (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
See “Konstanz” below.

Friedrichshafen (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
This German city’s name means “Frederick’s harbor,” but in modern times Friedrichshafen (pop. 61,561) has more of a connection to air and space than water. There are two museums devoted to the history of flight: the Zeppelin Museum and the Dornier Museum.

The city, formerly known as Buchhorn, was renamed Friedrichshafen for the first King of Württemberg, Friedrich I (1754–1816), when Buchhorn was merged with nearby Buchen in 1811. The new city prospered and grew. Friedrichshafen became the summer residence of the Württemberg monarchs in the 19th century. The former Hofen monastery was remodeled to become the king’s palace. Under King Wilhelm I (1781–1864) the city’s economy expanded. This was reflected by the acquisition of the steamship Wilhelm in 1824. Named after the king, the ship became the first steamship to regularly ply the waters of Lake Constance. In 1847 came the first railway line connecting Friedrichshafen with Ravensburg. By 1854 the Württemberg railway network extended north from Friedrichshafen to Ulm, Stuttgart, and Heilbronn.

The industrialization of Friedrichshafen was spurred primarily by Konstanz-born Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin (1838-1917), the inventor of the modern rigid-frame airship named for him. On 13 August 1898, Zeppelin registered Reichspatent No. 98580 for a “steerable air vehicle”. In 1900 there were three successful flights of the LZ 1 zeppelin over Lake Constance. After many ups and downs, Count Zeppelin (with engineer Fritz Burr) was able to improve the design over time. Following military contracts, in November 1909 the Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-AG (DELAG) company was founded. Together with automobile pioneer Wilhelm Maybach, Zeppelin also began building aircraft engines at plants near Stuttgart and Friedrichshafen.

One of the main attractions at the Zeppelin Museum (Seestraße 22, directly on the lake shore) is a full-scale, 33-meter-long reproduction of the airship LZ 129 Hindenburg. (See photo below.) Museum visitors can walk through this replica and see what passengers experienced aboard the original airship, which made 18 round-trip flights before its dramatic demise while landing in Lakehurst, New Jersey in 1937. But the museum’s “technology and art” theme offers much more, including photography, paintings, and other artworks inspired by Zeppelin history – in the birthplace of the modern airship.

For the more adventurous: Take a scenic zeppelin flight out of Friedrichshafen airport. From April to mid-November you can fly over the Bodensee for 30-120 minutes, with various destinations. Prices start at €290 per person for 30 minutes. If you prefer to stay on the ground, consider a tour of the Zeppelin NT (“New Technology”) in its hangar. For flights it’s wise to book ahead online. See the website link above for more.

The Dornier Museum Friedrichshafen is an aerospace museum devoted to the aircraft designs of Claude Dornier (1884-1969), the Dornier company, and aerospace products of Airbus. The museum’s large exhibition hall displays a large variety of aircraft, including jet and propeller airplanes, aircraft engines, and satellites. The Dornier Museum is located at the Friedrichshafen Airport (Flughafen Friedrichshafen) and is accessible via public transport (bus, rail).

Immenstaad am Bodensee (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
The city of Immenstaad am Bodensee (pop. 6,513) is located on the north shore of Lake Constance, about midway between Meersburg and Friedrichshafen. Immenstaad has had a landing pier for cruise ships since 1875. It also has a yacht harbor. Since the 1950s the town has been a popular tourist destination. Today White Fleet ships regularly dock in Immenstaad. The area also features bike paths and hiking trails along the lake. The shoreline in the community has three protected nature areas. Immenstaad’s annual Weinfest auf dem Rathausplatz (“wine festival on the town hall square”), one of many regular events, is held on the last weekend in August.
WEB > immenstaad-tourismus.de – in German

Konstanz (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
Sometimes called Constance in English (but not by us), Konstanz, the largest city on Lake Constance counted 84,736 residents in 2021. The German city of Konstanz, at the western end of the Upper Lake, borders on Switzerland and the Swiss city of Kreuzlingen (see below). Konstanz is a university town, with two main institutions of higher learning: the Universität Konstanz and the Hochschule Konstanz Technik, Wirtschaft und Gestaltung (HTWG, the University of Applied Sciences). The German inventor of the rigid-frame airship, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin (1838-1917) was born in Konstanz on 8 July 1838, when the city was part of the Grand Duchy of Baden (now within Baden-Württemberg).

The city is situated on both sides of the Rhine, where it flows from the Upper Lake into the Lower Lake. Most of the city’s 15 districts are located north of the Rhine in the larger part of the city, with residential areas, wooded land, an industrial district, and the University of Konstanz. The “Flower Island” of Mainau is also in this part of the city. South of the river is the Old Town, of more interest to visitors. It’s where the Hauptbahnhof (Central Railway Station) is found.

Konstanz has been a city since the first century, later gaining prominence as a religious center (Council of Constance, 1414-1418), and as the site of the only bridge crossing the Rhine. The Old Town (7th century) is one of Konstanz’s main attractions and is home to the city’s famed cathedral (Münster Unsere Lieben Frau; climb the tower for great views) and the iconic Imperia statue at the harbor entrance. The harbor itself is a pleasant place to spend time.

The picturesque Niederburg district, the oldest part of Konstanz, is located between the cathedral and the Rhine river in the Old Town. It boasts numerous restaurants, wine cellars, and shops selling souvenirs, antiques, and local crafts. Also at the harbor is the famous Konzilgebäude (1388), steeped in history. It’s where Czech reformer Jan Hus was burned as a heretic. The building now contains a restaurant and concert hall.
WEB > constance-lake-constance.com – Official city tourism website, in English

Kreuzlingen (Canton Thurgau, Switzerland)
Situated just south of Konstanz, its German neighbor, Kreuzlingen (pop. 22,000) is the largest Swiss city on Lake Constance. It is part of the Konstanz/Kreuzlingen metro area, divided between Switzerland and Germany, with a total population of about 130,000.

The Kreuzlingen train station is a hub where the “Seelinie” rail line (Rorschach-Schaffhausen) meets two other lines: Kreuzlingen–Konstanz and Kreuzlingen–Weinfelden. There are three other rail stations in the city: Kreuzlingen Hafen, Kreuzlingen Bernrain und Kurzrickenbach Seepark.

Lindau (Bavaria, Germany)
This scenic city shares its name with the island that its Old Town section lies on. Only about 2,800 of the city’s total 25,547 residents live in Lindau’s Old Town (Altstadt) on the island. The main, larger part of the city, of little interest to tourists, is located on the mainland, connected to the island via a railway causeway and a bridge for motorized traffic. The main railway station, dating from 1854, is located on the island, but there is now a newer, smaller station on the mainland named Lindau-Reutin located on Bregenzer Straße in Lindau’s Reutin district. When the new Reutin station for DB and ÖBB regional and Eurocity trains opened in December 2020, the existing station on the island was renamed Lindau-Insel (Lindau-Island). In addition to regional trains, long-distance rail service is also available from Lindau to Munich, Zurich, Berlin (seasonal), Vienna, and other European cities.

For more about the island of Lindau, see the Lake Constance: The Islands (Part 3).

Langenargen (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
Langenargen (pop. 7,658) is a town on the north shore of Lake Constance, located between Friedrichshafen and Lindau. The community gets its name from the nearby Argen river. The lakeside Montfort Palace (Schloss Montfort) is a prominent Langenargen landmark.

In 1694 the Swabian House of Montfort helped establish a Capuchin monastery in Langenargen. In 1718 construction began on the St. Martin Catholic church, a baroque structure that still stands. The city and the castle (Burg Argen) were heavily damaged in the Thirty Years War (Naval War on Lake Constance, beginning 1632), but later rebuilt.

In the late 17th century, Argen Castle was converted into a palace. Later used as a prison (1800), the structure was torn down in 1810. A new palace, the one standing on the shoreline today, was built at the site of the ruins of the castle between 1861 and 1866 as a Moorish-style summer palace named “Villa Argena” for King Wilhelm I of Württemberg, who unfortunately died two years before completion. It was then renamed Montfort Palace in honor of the counts of Montfort, who had helped establish Langenargen some 500 years earlier. The palace includes an octagonal tower with a viewing platform, a popular attraction for tourists today. – Langenargen is served by various cruise lines to/from several ports, including Arbon and Rorschach in Switzerland, and Bregenz, Austria.
WEB > Schloss Montfort – Photos, info (in German) – tourismus-langenargen.de

Ludwigshafen (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
See “Bodman-Ludwigshafen” above.

Meersburg (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
This town of just over 6,000 residents is located on the north shore of Lake Constance, north of Konstanz on the opposite shore. Meersburg is the main port for car ferry crossings to and from Konstanz. Meersburg is named after its famous landmark, the Meersburg Castle (Burg Meersburg/Alte Burg/Altes Schloss), claimed to be the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Germany.

Actually there are two castles in Meersburg. The famous old one (Alte Burg) dates from the 7th century. The well-known German poet Annette von Droste-Hülshoff (1797-1848) lived there for eight years. A memorial bust of her stands near the entrance. She died in Meersburg, and her grave is in the city. The castle towers above the Old Town. It is privately owned, but self-guided tours are available. The nearby New Castle (Neue Burg) is now a museum.

Radolfzell am Bodensee (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
The city of Radolfzell am Bodensee is on the northwest shore of the Untersee section of Lake Constance, about 12 miles (20 km) northwest of Konstanz. It is the third largest city on Lake Constance and the only one that has the phrase “am Bodensee” (“on Lake Constance”) as part of its name. Radolfzell was founded in 826 by Bishop Radolf von Verona (served from 799 to 840; died around 847), from whom the city derives its name (Latin: Cella Ratoldi). In 1806 Radolfzell became part of the Kingdom of Württemberg, before a treaty made the city part of the Grand Duchy of Baden in 1810. After 1872, the city became part of the Bezirksamt Konstanz, which is now known as the Landkreis Konstanz.

Radolfzell was the birthplace of the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller’s mother. Waldseemüller (c. 1470-1520) and his collaborator Matthias Ringmann were the first mapmakers to label the southern part of the New World “America” and identify it as a separate continent on a world map.

The city is an officially designated “Kurort” (spa town), known for the Mettnaukur (“Mettnau treatment”), named for the nearby peninsula of Mettnau. The local economy is related to being a railway junction, mechanical engineering, automobile suppliers, and the textile and food industries.

The city museum (Stadtmuseum Radolfzell) in the beautifully restored former city pharmacy (Stadtapotheke, 1688) has an interesting display of the original lab and herbal chamber. But it also features art and local history.

Local buildings of interest include the Minster of Our Lady (Münster Unserer Lieben Frau), a late gothic church, and other Catholic and Protestant churches. The current city hall replaced the old one (1421) in 1848. The popular Mettnau beach swimming area (Strandbad) on the lake shore is the city’s largest. It first opened in 1928.

Romanshorn (Canton Thurgau, Switzerland)
As is the case for many communities on the shores of Lake Constance, Romanshorn dates from before 779, when it was first mentioned in a document as Rumanishorn. Today in the local dialect, the town is called Romishorn. In modern times the town began its real growth in 1844 when the Canton of Thurgau built a port, and the postal route to Swabia ran through Romanshorn. Later rail connections and ferries helped spur more growth. Today Romanshorn is a thriving community with a population of 11,327 (2020). Local sights include: the harbor front and its former warehouses now used as restaurants, apartments and offices; the ferry harbor; various churches and other architecture; and the former customs house (Altes Zollhaus), now a local history museum.

Rorschach (Canton St. Gallen, Switzerland)
This small community (pop. 9,646 in 2020) is just down the road from Arbon, southeast of that city, but in a different Swiss canton. Rorschach may be small, but it has much to offer visitors, including many sights listed as Swiss Heritage Sites – including the entire town itself!

Before we move on, let’s mention Rorschach’s most famous son: Emil Jannings (1884–1950). If you are not familiar with Jannings, we would remind you that he was the first actor ever to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, and he was the first German to win that award. Jannings won his award in 1929 for two silent pictures. Jannings’s mother was German, his father American. He grew up as a German citizen in Switzerland and in Germany.

Okay, here are some things you can see in Rorschach:

The former granary (Kornhaus) at Hauptstrasse 58 and the former Benedictine Abbey of Mariaberg (now the cantonal teachers college) at Seminarstrasse 27 are both Swiss Heritage Sites. Also recommended: the harbor and lakeside promenade, and the castles of St. Anna, Wartensee, Sulzberg and Wartegg. Aviation buffs will want to visit the flight museum in Altenrhein (FFA Museum Altenrhein), at the airport (Flughafen St. Gallen-Altenrhein) near the Austrian border.

Stein am Rhein (Canton Schaffhausen, Switzerland)
A river runs through it. This scenic Swiss community (pop. 3,561) has two sections divided by the Rhine as it exits the Lower Lake section of Lake Constance and flows beneath a modern bridge that connects the two parts. The town’s medieval Altstadt (Old Town) on the north side of the river retains the ancient street plan and much of the old architecture, which is one reason Stein am Rhein is a popular tourist destination.

The community’s eastern and northeastern town limits also form the boundary between Germany and Switzerland. The original Roman stone bridge, and a few others since then were destroyed in various wars. Today a modern bridge connects the north and south parts of the city, which was first mentioned in writing as a city in 1267.

Towering 200 meters (656 ft) above the town on hill is Hohenklingen Castle (Burg Hohenklingen), which dates from 1225. Fortunate to be spared war damage, the castle (a Swiss Heritage Site landmark) is one of the best preserved such structures, looking very similar to what it may have looked like from 1200 to 1422. The top of its Bergfried (uninhabited) stone tower is now a panoramic viewing platform. Hohenklingen was the first toll castle on the Rhine and is only about five miles (8 km) away from the Rhine Falls (see Lake Constance: Other Attractions).

During WWII, Stein am Rhein suffered an Allied aerial bombing attack on 22 Feb. 1945 when, due to a navigation error, an American bomber mistook the Swiss city for the actual target, the German city of Ebingen, 60 miles farther north. Nine people died, six houses were destroyed, and another 28 badly damaged. The survivors were compensated for the damages by the US government in the 1950s.

Überlingen (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
Überlingen (pop. 22,684) lies on the northwestern shore of Lake Constance in the Überlinger See finger of the lake that takes its name from the city. After Friedrichshafen, Überlingen is the second largest city on the Baden-Württemberg, Germany side of the lake.

The healing properties of the city’s mineral waters were known by the 16th century. Renewed efforts to promote Überlingen as a spa destination began in the early 1800s, but were only moderately successful until the completion of a railway line from Friedrichshafen in 1901 made it easier to reach the city. By the 1950s, Überlingen had established itself as a prime tourist destination on Lake Constance, particularly for those interested in spa health cures. Überlingen was Baden-Württemberg’s first Kneippheilbad, a homeopathic cure using water therapy and other techniques, based on principles developed by Sebastian Kneipp. The city’s mile-long (1.6 km) lakeshore promenade ends at the new health resort, the Bodensee Therme, that opened in 2003.

The area is also noted for its numerous hiking trails, and Überlingen is connected to the 69-mile (111 km) Jubiläumsweg, a nature trail and historic landmark that runs through the Lake Constance region beginning at Kressbronn am Bodensee (also on the north shore, close to the Bavarian border at the lake’s eastern end) and ending at the Überlingen spa.

Unteruhldingen (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
See “Pfahlbaumuseum Unteruhldingen” in Part 3, Lake Constance: Other Attractions. Although evidence of prehistoric stilt houses has been found all around Lake Constance, this open-air museum at the village of Unteruhldingen (part of the town of Uhldingen-Mühlhofen) is where you can see reconstructions of these complexes.

NEXT | Part 3: Lake Constance: Islands and Other Attractions

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See Part 1 of this guide for information about Lake Constance, Europe’s third largest lake. In Part 3 you’ll learn about the three main islands and other special attractions on or near the lake.

Part 1: Introduction
Part 3: The Islands and Other Attractions
More | City Guides: Germany

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