Even though I live near Constance, the city always has something special for me, whether I come into town by ferry or by road.

Come with us and escape from everyday life to the glowing city, to quieter places and a world that you don’t see every day.

It partly conveys the character of a historic city, partly that of a modern German city and it also has a lot of quiet and tranquil aspects.

That is perhaps the most formative thing I think about Konstanz.

That you can always discover something new due to the many different characteristics and that no two street corners are really the same.

Then there are the beautiful areas on the Rhine and the harbor on Lake Constance.

Constance also integrates this into itself, creating a colorful place to explore.

Things to see in the city and insights into its history

Of course, due to the multitude of possibilities on our tour, I can only go into the points that were special to me during my forays.

But my destinations are always the places away from the towns. Sometimes touristy, but not everyone has these places on their radar.

The location and significance

As previously mentioned, Constance is located in the far south of Germany on the border with Switzerland. It lies between the two western arms of Lake Constance.

The Rhine also flows out of Lake Constance in Constance and continues its way west to the Rhine Falls in Schaffhausen.

Even though it is the largest city on Lake Constance, it is naturally small compared to the larger cities in Germany. But it looks like it wants to be there anyway.

But subtly and not so obviously.

Even though it does not have its own international airport, it plays a major role for the region, both as a cultural and entertainment center, as well as through its university and the affiliated Konstanz University Hospital.

The nominal influence on the lake

You may have noticed that Lake Constance is one of the few lakes that has a different name in different language areas.

In German-speaking countries it is called Bodensee, named after the village of Bodman, which forms the far north-western end of the lake north of Constance.

Due to trade in the Middle Ages, however, the lake is called something else abroad. The English (Lake of Constance) and French (Lac du Constance) named it after its most important town, which was Constance in earlier times.

The city is therefore also the namesake of the lake abroad.

Let yourself be whisked away for a moment.

You stroll along the promenade by the harbor.

The birds chirp and the dense trees rustle around you in the sunlight.

People walk past you and talk to each other in different languages.

A little further ahead, you notice a strange building standing relatively alone right at the entrance to the harbor. It looks as if it has no particular significance, except that it is old.

White plaster shines in the lower area, while at the top you can see dark wood paneling and lateral protrusions on the roof.

The building looks massive. But you wouldn’t expect it to be so central here at the Lake Constance harbor in Constance. Nevertheless, it stands somewhat inconspicuously in the center of the harbor.

However, this building is unique.

Not in its design, but in what it stands for.

It is a site of German and European history, where two world events took place at the same time. You wouldn’t have thought that, would you?

Let’s take a brief journey through history together.

A council is an assembly of the Church; you can think of it like a parliament or a large conference of the Church.

There had previously been several attempts to restore the unity of the Church by means of a council. However, these had failed for a variety of reasons.

However, this council, which met in the building from 1414 to 1418, was a success.

It finally deposed all three existing popes, partly against their will, and elected a new pope, Martin V, thus finally settling the schism and restored an important balance.

Above all, this reunification was essential for the people and Emperor Sigismund was the hero.

Not only because he had convened the council, but also because he repeatedly pushed for an agreement during the council.

But this hero also had a dark side, which led to the second important event.

At that time, there was the humanist and reformer Johannes Huß, who was also invited to the Council of Constance. He came from Bohemia, now the Czech Republic.

He arrived in Constance with the personal assurance of free passage from the emperor himself, but was imprisoned there despite the promise and, when he refused to renounce his teachings, was burned at the stake along with his books.

This action triggered tensions and even a war, which the Bohemian rebels lost against the Emperor, but which created the first Czech national consciousness.

So in the end, even this bad phase had a positive echo in the story.

And both of these events in world history began here, in this inconspicuous building on the port of Constance, which is still called the Old Council today.

Exciting, isn’t it?

It was created by the artist Peter Lenk and depicts a courtesan holding two figures in her hands: the emperor and the pope, as a symbolic representation of the balance of power at the time of the Council of Constance.

A courtesan is a historical term for a cultivated escort lady from high society.

Even though the erection of this statue over 30 years ago caused some controversy, it has since become a striking landmark of the city of Constance, which has its permanent place at the harbor.

The harbor with a view of the neighbors

When you are at the Imperia statue and look around, you have a full view of the beautiful Lake Constance harbor.

It is an important transportation hub for boat trips on Lake Constance. Ferries and excursion boats depart from here, taking visitors to popular destinations such as the island of Mainau, Meersburg or Bregenz.

The ferry that connects Constance with Meersburg and transports both cars and pedestrians is particularly well-known.

I’ve taken it a few times myself because it offers a moment of relaxation and quick transportation between the two Lake Constance cities.

As before, you can take a wonderful stroll along the waterfront, enjoy the fresh sea air and watch the boats and yachts moored in the harbor.

Numerous cafés and restaurants line the promenade, so I can treat myself to a coffee break when I’m there.

The promenade is also a popular place for cyclists and walkers who want to explore the shore.

There are green parks where you can sit and enjoy the view of the lake.

I highly recommend the promenade for a view of the Alps on a clear day.

The whole picture with the lake gives the promenade a picturesque atmosphere, if not a majestic one thanks to the mountains.

The view on the Rhine

One of the places I particularly like about Constance is the Rhine Gate Tower.

The tower stands at a strategically important location where the Rhine leaves Lake Constance and was once one of the city gates of Constance.

Today, the Rhine Gate Tower serves as an observation tower and small museum.

You can climb the tower and enjoy an impressive view of Lake Constance, the Rhine and the old town of Constance from the upper platform.

The Rhine flows directly in front of the Rheintorturm, giving the location a very special atmosphere and making it an ideal place for relaxed sightseeing with a great view.

The event itself, with its many stages and stands on the promenade and its gigantic fireworks display, which for me is unparalleled in this form and attracts tens of thousands of visitors from near and far every year, is worth a visit to Constance in itself.

I’ll leave you with a small excerpt to enjoy.

You’ve probably noticed that the fireworks are launched from boats on the water. I think that’s brilliant, because it makes you feel much closer to the whole thing.

The shots were also taken from the water, as fireworks on ships can also be viewed from the water.

But I would also like to address another point.

For me, the Seenachtfest is a special sign of solidarity and understanding.

Why? Quite simply.

In addition to Constance, the Swiss town of Kreuzlingen is located in the immediate vicinity in the canton of Thurgau.

Kreuzlingen also has its own Seenacht festival on the same date as Constance, and even though the two towns have separate programs for the festival, they are united by one thing.

The fireworks that connect

I am always delighted about the Swiss-German cooperation at this location.

With a joint fireworks display, in which everyone has their own individual elements, to delight all visitors across borders.

The result of this collaboration is so gigantic that I can still see it clearly in the distance over the lake from my home more than 30 km away from Constance.

It has been a highlight for me for years and makes August a special month of the year.

The Konstanzer Hörnle

At the far south-east of the city, at the end of the peninsula with which Constance juts out into the lake, is the Konstanzer Hörnle. That’s what this place is called.

There is a running track worth seeing and a lido with a small kiosk. Here you have Lake Constance all around you on three sides during a lovely swimming trip. Highly recommended.

Delicious food in a rustic atmosphere

In addition to the many interesting places and cafés on the promenade and in the old town, there is one restaurant that I would highly recommend.

This is the Dischinger restaurant in Constance.

This restaurant is quaint and small, but offers very tasty food. The service staff are originals and provide excellent service to their guests.

Of course, this means that the restaurant cannot always be visited spontaneously. I therefore recommend booking in advance. But I can promise you that it’s absolutely worth a visit.

The tranquillity of Bodman

North of the city lies the municipality of Bodman-Ludwigshafen at the north-western end of Lake Constance. This small community, named after Bodman, has a cute little harbor with nice little cafés and a museum.

If you are looking for some tranquillity away from the city and a chance to go swimming in Lake Constance, Bodman-Ludwigshafen is highly recommended.

The two islands in the lake

Close to Constance are the two islands of Mainau and Reichenau, which are also well worth a visit.

However, since they no longer fit into this post in terms of sheer abundance, I will visit them with you in a separate post.

We have come to truly appreciate Swiss potatoes as well as meat and vegetables from Switzerland. The same goes for cheese and chocolate, of course.

Even the supposed discounters we know have a quality that you sometimes have to search for a long time in Germany.

Of course, the goods are not always cheap and you should not buy imported goods in Switzerland, i.e. goods that are not produced locally. The price-performance ratio of our own Swiss products is absolutely right.

So feel free to take a relaxed trip across the border to browse.

Hotels

The tip I have already mentioned elsewhere also fits here. Decide according to your situation.

In Constance itself and in the surrounding area there are many beautiful and interesting hotels, from budget to luxury class.

Of course, prices are very seasonal. Please compare online at the relevant portals. Around the lake night festival in particular, the whole lake is usually very busy.

There are also many possible places to go in the surrounding area, such as Lake Constance in general.

I myself spent my stay in the region in mostly simple hotels.

Thank you for your attention and company on our tour in Constance the important balance in the luminous night.

Pleasant travel and many discoveries

wishes you