Lake Constance 2018

Exotic Flower Island, Cultural Highlights, Lake Tours and a Golden Eagle

Lake Constance 2018

Once again, the Lake Constance region offers a full program in 2018: Mainau Island takes visitors to far-off Africa, the Principality of Liechtenstein presents its mountains with special alpine Theme Weeks. Constance, the largest city on the lake, invites guests to the “Year of Culture 2018,” and the Zeppelin City Friedrichshafen hosts a modern music festival with innovative exhibits. Especially noteworthy, guests can visit all the attractions with the Lake Constance Ticket: now valid on trains, busses and ferries. And planning a Lake Constance trip is now easier than ever. The new online Tour Planning Portal, allow users to quickly and comfortably put together customized Lake Constance tours.

Fascination Africa on Mainau Island
The 2018 motto “Baobab and Bonobo – Fascination Africa” takes its name from the planet’s 2nd largest continent. Wandering through the park, visitors will be greeted with a jungle-like landscape of orchids as well as a four-meter-high replica of the Great Pyramid of Cheops and sphinx made of sand. From March 16 - May 6, 2018, the orchid exhibition "On Tarzan's Windowsill" appears in the Palm House with images of bonobo monkeys by the internationally renowned nature photographer, Christian Ziegler. In front of the baroque castle, a walkable East African grassland includes five stylized large animals of the Savannah. In the butterfly house, moths from Africa flutter about in May and June. A special show in high summer reveals the migratory behavior of birds and other animals between Lake Constance and the Dark Continent. In autumn, the Flower Island highlights an important tree originally native to Africa – the coffee plant. www.mainau.de

Constance – the historic-cultural Metropole on Lake Constance
 Cultural treasures are everywhere – on building façades, in the streets and alleys, in the fine museums and galleries. In 2018, the largest town on the lake celebrates the finale of the anniversary "600 years of the Council of Constance.” The new ‘culture brochure’ presents more than 50 pages of condensed cultural information with a detailed overview of events. Highlights include opera "La Juive," the open-air theater "Cyrano de Bergerac” and the special exhibition in the Rosengarten Museum, “Character Heads – Lake Constance history in portraits, miniatures and early photographs.” For the first time in 2018, three culinary ships will set sail under the banner "Konstanz Ahoi!” The first cruise features a wine and cheese tasting on April 6, followed by a gin tasting on October 5, and a whiskey tasting on October 12, 2018. Multi-faceted city tours throughout the year take guests on vivid journeys through the history of Constance. And those who want to see the city from a bird's eye view can take the virtual tour with the new 360-degree panoramas by local photographer Achim Mende. www.konstanz-tourismus.de

Holiday the Liechtenstein Way
The Principality of Liechtenstein is the ideal destination with their expanded offering of specialty Theme Weeks for families and mountain lovers. At the beginning of June, "Mountain Awakening” highlights the annual spring blossoming up close, including an alpine hike through snowfields and flower meadows, plus a golden eagle and marmot picnic. The “Alpine Wellness Weeks” feature daily forest bathing, outdoor yoga and Kneipp exercises. Guests learn about herbs, collect and then transform them into delicious recipes in a cooking class during “The Taste of the Mountains – finding Alpine herbs” theme week. The Principality offers “Mountain-Kids-Adventure-Weeks” with an explorers trail, forests, stones and caves with supervised caregivers. Children are transported into the fascinating world of Liechtenstein legends during the "Walser Saga Weeks" featuring three guided Saga-hikes, a Saga-evening and Saga-theater. www.tourismus.li

With one Ticket around the Lake
Buy it once and forget about other fees. The Lake Constance Ticket is valid in all Lake Constance border countries: Switzerland, Austria or Germany. Valid for one day or three days, this ticket offers an Inter-rail experience. Holiday guests can decide freely and spontaneously where they want to go – wherever and whenever they wish. Destinations are easily combined, perfect for discovering the three-country region. Ticket holders might combine Mainau Flower Island with St. Gallen UNESCO old city and the Bregenz Pfänder Cable Car. Locals can also take advantage of the savings and ride affordably in small groups. Two adults and up to four children pay only 69 Euros or 97 Francs for three consecutive days. Cyclists can buy a bike Combi-Ticket to combine sporty tours with return journeys or destinations beyond. The best feature of the ticket: it’s valid for ferry connections across the lake, in addition to bus and train! www.bodensee-ticket.com

Zeppelin City Friedrichshafen: Lake Constance Festival and Innovative Exhibits
Celebrating 30 years, the Lake Constance Festival presents DJ Sessions as well as its usual line-up of classical music, ballet, literature and theater. Based in Friedrichshafen, the festival celebrates the motto: “Russia – Onto New Shores” from May 5 - 27, 2018 with 60 events around the lake. This year’s artists-in-residence include pianist Dmitry Masleev, winner of the International Tschaikowski Competition and Gabriel Prokofiev, founder of the legendary “Nonclassical Nights” DJ cult format. The large exhibition “Innovations! The Goal is the Future” unveils a hundred years of innovation from the forefathers, offshoots and successors of the Zeppelin Group from May 18 to November 4, 2018. The center of attention in the Dornier Museum is the Dornier Do 31 who made its first (and only) Vertical Take-Off and Landing 50 years ago and still holds world records. The 20th anniversary of the Ravensburger book series "Wieso? Weshalb? Warum?” is the starting point for the special exhibition "How the World get in the Nursery" at the Friedrichshafen School Museum. www.friedrichshafen.info

A Click Away to Lake Constance
A family bike tour on the Untersee, a theme hike in Thurgau or a mountain bike loop in the Liechtenstein’s Alps … the new tour portal of the 4-country Lake Constance region is a user-friendly online planning tool for outdoor fans. With 500 tours and counting, there is already great recreational diversity available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein. Hikers, cyclists and touring enthusiasts will find routes that suit their personal needs with a few clicks and all the information presented in an interactive map. Information includes print-ready directions, elevation profile, current conditions and community ratings with map and GPX track download for all popular devices. The tour portal was created to enhance cross-border travel opportunities and promote sustainable travel by the International Bodensee Tourism GmbH and partners. Holiday guests as well as locals can use this online tool to explore new corners of the region. Visit the portal at www.bodenseetouren.eu.