"Konstanz" Top 5 Page for this destination Konstanz by ettiewyn

Konstanz Travel Guide: 234 reviews and 809 photos

In summer 2007, I spent three days in Konstanz to visit a friend who studied there. It was my first trip after the travel bug had caught me in Australia :-)
I was very pleased about the opportunity because I thought that Lake Constance was very interesting.
We used Konstanz more as a base and did three daytrips to other destinations: We went to Meersburg, Mainau and Schaffhausen. Unfortunately this did not leave too much time to explore Konstanz and I did not see so much of it. I really must visit it again to explore it in a better way - there are so many things I did not see on my first visit!

Konstanz seen from boat

Lake Constance is the biggest lake of the German-speaking countries. Germany, Austria and Switzerland are surrounding it. The climate is very mild and warm and the area is just very nice and beautiful. It was my first visit to the south of Germany and I enjoyed the scenery very much.
Konstanz is the biggest town on the lake and also location of a university.
The town started as a celtic settlement that was called "Constantia" by the Romans. In 590, a bishopric was founded (the first one in Germany). The town developed well due to its good location.
From 1414 to 1418, the famous Council of Konstanz was taking place. The reason was that at the time there were two, and then even three popes - some cardinals who were not happy about one pope simply elected another one, but of course the first pope would not give in. The situation got so difficult that there was even the risk of war, so Emperor Sigismund decided to hold a council in Konstanz, a town that was not part of one of the parties of the fight.
In the end, all three popes were deposed and the cardinals elected a new pope.
The council made Konstanz famous all over Europe, although it did not succeed in all ways: The cardinals and the emperor had also promised to be open to reforms of the church, but they did not fulfil their pledges. Instead, they burned the "heretics" present in the town and made the situation for reformers in Europe even worse.

Konstanz's career, though, started with the council - since then, everybody has known its name! Nowadays, other destinations like Lindau, Meersburg or Friedrichshafen have higher numbers of visitors, but Konstanz is still something special due to its medieval Old Town and its history.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Medieval town in beautiful scenery
Cons:?
In a nutshell:It is an interesting place that I want to visit again!

Last visit to Konstanz: Aug 2007
Intro Updated Oct 12, 2011
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Reviews (13)

Staircase to the Moon Favorites (2)

One evening we spent at the shore of the lake, sitting near the harbour just enjoying the warm summer evening. When it... more travel advice

Walk into Switzerland :-) Things to Do (7)

South of the harbour, when you walk along the shore of the lake, you can simply walk into Switzerland! I found this... more travel advice

Konstanz's town centre Things to Do (7)

Konstanz's town centre is very historical and a perfect place to stroll around. There are numerous sights to see (I... more travel advice

Haus zum hohen Hafen Things to Do (7)

The Haus zum hohen Hafen ("House at the High Harbour") is another beautiful building in Konstanz. The murals were... more travel advice

Off The Beaten Path (1)
Strolling and swimming
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Comments (6)

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brendareed Oct 13, 2012 at 6:56 AM

Wonderful Konstanz page, Mirjam! Tom and I plan go there next month so your tips are very helpful! Although I think it will be a wee bit chillier when we go ;-) What a beautiful moonrise photo! And I love the murals on the buildings! I was unaware of the medieval history connected to the city, so I appreciate your sharing that on your pages! Thanks for another great page! ~Brenda
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  ettiewyn Oct 13, 2012 at 7:05 AM
  
  Thank you for visiting this page, Brenda! I only saw a fraction of what Konstanz has to offer, there is so much more and so I am sure that you will have a wonderful trip! I am glad you enjoyed my page!
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toonsarah Nov 22, 2011 at 1:04 AM

What a special experience that moonrise must have been! We saw one like that once in Morocco but were being driven in a taxi and could not stop to take photos - yours is lovely and brought back good memories :-)
And although you only had a little time here you have painted an appealing picture of the town. I enjoyed reading about the statues (especially Imperia) and seeing the pretty harbour - what a lovely place to spend a summer evening!
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german_eagle Nov 14, 2011 at 2:13 AM

I also enjoyed Konstanz a lot when I spent four days there last year. You left quite a bit to see for a future visit! The sunset picture is gorgeous.
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HORSCHECK Nov 3, 2011 at 2:31 PM

Fabulous page about Konstanz here. Although we once visited Lake Constance from Zurich, I never really made it to Konstanz itself.
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Redang Oct 23, 2011 at 11:38 PM

Breathtaking pic (the moon on the horizon in the dark)
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cachaseiro Oct 9, 2011 at 6:47 AM

I like that statue :O)