I didn't know that!

I DIDN’T KNOW THAT!

Strange but true facts about beautiful Lake Constance - Bodensee

You probably know Lake Constance is nestled at the heart of Europe where Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Principality of Liechtenstein meet. You might also know the locals call it the ‘BODENSEE’, and that it’s a wonderful holiday destination: Brimfull of culture including UNESCO world heritage sites, with breathtaking scenery, tempting local beers, wines and cuisine, and with an outstanding range of enjoyable activities all year round.

But did you also know these interesting things about the region?

Try testing yourself and others – and see how well you do!

They’re playing our song! The national anthem of the Principality of Liechtenstein ‘Oben am jungen Rhein’ has the same tune as Britain’s ‘God Save the Queen.’

The world’s biggest stage situated on a lake: the venue for the Bregenz Festival holds that title. You may have seen it: it featured in a major scene of ‘Quantum of Solace’, the 2008 James Bond film.

All for a good cause: in 1925 Albert Röhrenbach and Gottfried Ainser smuggled vines across the lake at night from Switzerland to Germany. If they hadn’t broken the law, the Müller-Thurgau grape wouldn’t be the basis of famous German wine varieties including Liebfrauenmilch and Piesporter, and the world would be a sadder (and thirstier) place.

Europe’s avian service station: the Lower Lake is one of the main stopping-off points for Europe’s migrating birds, making it a must-visit destination for all keen bird-watchers.

Ice ice maybe: it’s a rare thing for Lake Constance to freeze over. The last “Seegefrörne” was in 1963. On average it happens only every 70 years.

Europe’s biggest reservoir: Lake Constance supplies up to 4 million households with drinking water every day.

Europe’s biggest waterfall: in the summer, 600,000 litres of water go over the Rhine Falls every second.

Home from home: Wartegg Castle on Rorschacherberg in Switzerland has views of the lake – and you can see them from its English landscaped gardens. Yes, English! They were designed in 1860 for Empress Zita.

Transhumance: who remembers this word from geography lessons at school? It describes the movement of people and livestock up and down mountainsides to take advantage of the changing seasons – and farmers still move their cattle in this way in Oberegg, Switzerland.

Ape Mountain: Affenberg Salem is home to 200 free-roaming Barbary macaques – so you can make a prime date with a primate…

Stone Age on stilts: dotted along the banks of the ‘Bodensee’ and in Upper Swabia you’ll find the remains of Stone Age dwellings built on piles or stilts. They’re a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a 4,900-year-old wheel was found near one of them. See? They had off-road experiences even in those days!

Mobile home from home: some of Germany’s best-known motor-home manufacturers are located in Upper Swabia. Carthago, Dethleffs and Hymer are all based here.

World’s biggest puzzle: if you’re a jigsaw puzzle fan – and who isn’t? – you’ll know the Ravensburger brand. You won’t be surprised to hear it’s based in Ravensburg – but did you know the company and the city’s residents broke the world jigsaw record there in 2008? Over 10,000 people laid out 1,141,800 pieces over 600sq m in under five hours – beating the previous record, which was an unimpressive 212,000 pieces.