Rich culture - intriguing events

RICH CULTURE – INTRIGUING EVENTS

Lake Constance: enjoy the wealth of four countries on one lake

Nestled in the heart of Europe, Lake Constance brings together the riches of the four nations. For curious travellers seeking all the culture that Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Principality of Liechtenstein have to offer it’s simply the best place to be – and the most beautiful too.

No matter what time of the year, there’s always something wonderful to experience by the ‘BODENSEE’, as it is known to local people:

UNESCO World Heritage Sites: UNESCO accreditation recognises only the world’s most significant cultural locations – and the Lake Constance region has an abundance of them. They include the monastic island of Reichenau; prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps; and the Convent of St Gall in Switzerland.

Castles, palaces, monasteries and churches: steeped in history, all of them can be found in the Lake Constance region. The former Cistercian abbey of Salem Monastery and Castle and the Hohentwiel fortress ruins are some of the most impressive.

Horticulture: Beautiful gardens grow in and around the `Bodenseeˊ, and they date back through the nineteenth century to the Middle Ages, to classical times and into pre-history. Reichenau is the beautiful showcase for a medieval garden, while Mainau is known as ‘flower island’.

Painters, poets and pioneers: Wordsmiths like Hermann Hesse, artists including Otto Dix and pioneers such as Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin who was inspired to invent the cigar-shaped airships, all called the lake shores their home. The Höri Peninsula remains a particularly creative hotspot. 50 shades of green and blue to inspire you!

City Highlights: The four-country-region boasts some beautiful cities ranging from lakeside resorts and harbour towns such as Lindau, Bregenz, Constance, Romanshorn and Rorschach to inland gems such as St Gall, Vaduz and Schaffhausen a bit further up the river Rhine with Europe’s biggest waterfalls.

Major Events Lake Constance is known for:

The Bregenz Festival is a spectacular open-air opera event that takes place in Bregenz in Austria every summer. The highlight this year will be Puccini’s opera Turandot, which will be performed by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra on the world’s biggest stage situated on a lake.

‘Princely Week’ in Liechtenstein marks the country’s national festival each August, and includes food, music, an eagle hike into the mountains and a jaw-dropping firework display.

‘Fasnacht’ (Carnival) takes place throughout the Lake Constance region in the winter weeks of January and February up until Ash Wednesday. You’ll see and enjoy colourful street parades, costumes, carnivals and the traditional, funny music which might test your sense of disharmonious sounds.

Christmas markets make the festive season a perfect time to visit. You’re spoilt for choice: they include St Gall, Tettnang, Lindau Harbour, Bregenz, Dornbirn, Feldkirch, Friedrichshafen, Überlingen, Singen, Ravensburg and the town of Constance itself – and they’re all in the most magical of winter settings!