These 8 Beautiful Bodensee stops only scratch the surface of this area. Picturesque Bodensee, straddling the borders of Germany and Switzerland, is also known as Lake Constance. There are unlimited gems that make up its enchantment. This post includes only one section of Lake Constance.
The Austrian side also has many beautiful places to explore and the tiny country of Lichtenstein is also within easy reach. Additionally, don’t sleep on discovering the many wineries, bike, and hiking trails in the lake’s surrounding area. We stayed a few steps over the German border in Switzerland a stone’s throw from Konstanz. Most of the places we explored were on the German side. This area is full of natural beauty and cultural wonders. In addition to a train that follows the entire circumference of the lake, the local ferry enables travel from one beautiful town to another. 
Gardens, castles, museums, and gastronomy await you. Here are 8 Beautiful Bodensee Stops.
- Mainau Island
- Charming Meersburg
- The “other” Zeppelin Museum
- Brasserie Colette
- Konstanz Old Town
- Karma Restaurant
- Arenenberg Napoleon Museum
- Gmeiner Confiserie
STOP #1- Mainau Island
A floral paradise known as the “Island of Flowers.” where you can stroll amidst vibrant blooms and exotic plants. One can easily spend the day here. Climb up to the Mainau Castle built between 1739 and 1746.
Don’t miss the butterfly house, the largest one in Germany. It has the cutest exterior.
Meander through an enclosed tropical paradise when an abundance of rainbow-colored fluttering butterflies await you.
The gardens are creatively laid out and punctuated with stunning topiaries.
One section is even arranged like a map of the Bodensee area.
You can explore the island independently on foot. Alternately, choose from one of the themed tours discovering the island’s magic with a horticulture or history specialist. Mainau produces wines, sparkling wines, and schnapps. You can sign up for tastings.
There are several restaurant options on the island. From fast food to fancy, there is something for everyone. Check out the miniature donkeys, alpacas, and ponies to visit as well.
Tip: At the end of the day, stay on the ferry. Your ticket is good for unlimited trips for the entire day. We rode it for an extra 2 hours in the late afternoon. The boat serves cocktails and snacks so we turned this into an impromptu happy hour.
What I Missed/For the Next Visit: Book high tea inside the castle.
More Scenes From Mainau Island:
STOP #2- Charming Meersburg
Explore the medieval charm of Meersburg, a town frozen in time, with its cobblestone streets and charming half-timbered houses.
Don’t let the size of this town deceive you. There are two castles (old and new) and several museums to explore as well as thermal baths. Additionally, there are many lovely shops selling regional products as well as crafts and handmade items. The town hosts many beautiful restaurants tucked into its charming, winding street. Some with gorgeous lake views.
Meersburg is a half-hour ferry ride from Konstanz. It’s easy to spend a few hours, a half-day, or an entire day within its streets. We stopped there for a half day on our way to Mainau Island.
We explored the New Castle. The former residence of the Prince-Bishops of Konstanz, this castle was built in 1710 as an expansion of the Old Castle next door.
Tip: If Meersburg is your first stop for the day, save time and enjoy breakfast on the ferry.
Tip #2: There is a small Zeppelin Museum (See #3 on this list) that is fascinating. Highly recommend.
What I Missed/For the Next Visit: Visit the wine museum.
More Scenes From Meerburg:
STOP #3- The “Other” Zeppelin Museum
There is a big fancy Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen. I am sure it’s worth a visit. However, we stumbled upon this very small gem that boasts the world’s largest private collection on the history of Zeppelins. German airship pioneer Ferdinand von Zeppelin, a count in the German nobility, lived near Konstanz.
This detour was well worth our time and the 5 euro entrance fee. The friendly docent periodically joined us. She provided in-depth information on the exhibits and additional historical facts. There is a lot crammed into this place and we were told it is only 30% of their collection.
Count Zeppelin traveled to the States to act as a Union Army observer in Virginia during the American Civil War. He met with President Lincoln. The museum has many of his personal artifacts including his cradle.
On display are tableware from the Hindenberg. Everything on board was burned up in that tragedy. However, the company kept storage lockers at their various destinations. Extra items were kept there to replenish broken, lost (or stolen) items.
What I Missed/For the Next Visit: Visit the large Zeppelin museum to complete the experience. Also, although it’s pricy, I would splurge on a Zeppelin ride. While in Lake Constance, zeppelins are frequently spotted in the sky.
More Scenes from the Zeppelin Museum:
STOP #4- Brasserie Collete Tim Raue
Tim Raue is a Michelin-star celebrity chef in Germany whose career I have followed for a while. When I discovered this restaurant in Konstanz. I had to give it a try.
The food did not disappoint. Most everything was creative, gorgeously plated, and delicious and the service was outstanding.
Artichoke with three dips – parsley lemon vinaigrette, Citrus Creme Faiche and saffron mayo.
Our order for the two of us included four glasses of red wine. Chef Raue loves red wine. We expected a beautifully curated list. So we tried four different ones between us. All were pleasing.
Beef Filet, fries, Bernaise sauce, mesclun salad.
We also ordered two appetizers, main dishes, and desserts. Glasses of port and apricot liqueur topped off our meal. The bill was extremely reasonable for the quality of food and service. Without a tip, the bill came to 166 euros in total.
Chocolate tart with French cream, salted caramel, and hazelnut chocolate topping.
Tip: Make a reservation ASAP. We visited Konstaz off-season after the school holidays were over. Consequently, we were able to make a reservation through the restaurant’s website a few hours before dining there. This will not be the case if you are traveling in high season.
Aubergine tart with radiccio and olive oil sorbet.
Tip: Don’t miss checking out the assortment on the Schapps Barrel. There are beautiful locally produced options with local flavors.
What I Missed/For the Next Visit: We dined inside because the weather was turning a bit colder that evening. Next time I will request to be seated on the restaurant’s lovely terrace.
More of our Lovely Brasserie Collette Experience:
Read on for the Next 4 of 8 Beautiful Bodensee Stops:
STOP #5- Konstanz Old Town
Part of the old town (Niederburg section) was not bombed in World War 2 and was a pleasure to explore. Many of the buildings in the old town proudly wear the year they were constructed.
In addition to some usual European chain stores, there are lots of lovely boutiques and specialty stores to poke around in.
A walk through the Münster Unserer Lieben Frau or The Cathedral Of Our Lady is a must. Built starting the the 11th century, the church sports both Baroque and Renaissance styles.
Imperia, a 30-foot rotating sculpture of a courtesan reigns over the harbor.
Tip: My travel companion made a great choice for a dinner reservation on our first evening in Konstanz. We dined at the touristy but lovely Constanzer Wirtshaus at a table with a water view. It bills itself as a “Classic Tavern Experience”. The restaurant is located in a historic building, built in 1899 by Kaiser Wilhelm II as an officers’ casino. The food was excellent and it was a beautiful and relaxed way to spend our first evening there.
What I Missed/For the Next Visit: I would tour the city with a historian.
More Scenes from Konstanz:
The Last 2 of 8 Beautiful Bodensee Stops:
STOP #6- Karma Restaurant
We opted for something nontraditional for our last dinner in Konstanz. We were so glad we did. Karma is a jewel of a restaurant with creative cocktails and dishes. The place itself is a feast for the eyes.
The menu claims to be Singaporean fare that celebrates and reflects the diversity of cultures in Singapore. Dishes are influenced by Indian, Chinese, Indonesian, and Thai cuisines.
We started our meal with prosecco with fresh ginger. Samosas with potatoes, cashews, and raisins in addition to chicken satay skewers were delectable appetizers.
for our main dishes Sing-Sing: Green curry, vegetables, almonds, Thai basil, coconut milk. and the Tandoori special with spiced yogurt.
I was a little disappointed I did not have room for the mango creme brule. However, we managed to linger over Indian Mule and Red Lady cocktails instead.
Tip: If you don’t have room for dessert, definitely check out the cocktail menu.
What I Missed/For the Next Visit: Although I usually like to try new places, I would eat here again on a return trip.
More of our Lovely Karma Experience:
STOP #7- Arenenberg – Napoleon Museum
The castle still has its original furnishings including Queen Hortense’s drawing room. This is perfectly preserved and visitors can still admire her magnificent library (all marked with the Empress’ cipher) containing over one thousand books. Likewise, in the room where the queen died.
No photos are allowed inside the castle. You must remove your shoes and are given slippers with Hortense’s logo on them to shuffle around on your own. However, once inside, there are no barriers to the artifacts or furniture. Consequently, you feel like you are walking through someone’s gorgeous home and not a museum.
The property has extensive gardens with wine-producing vines.
The lovely free-standing chapel next to the castle houses a statue of the queen by Bartolini.
Tip #1: The hotel’s Bistro Louis Napoléon has a delicious menu with fresh locally sourced ingredients. Highly recommend.
Tip #2: Don’t skip the gift shop. It houses a beautifully curated array of goods including bath products, spices and salts, and fashion accessories.
Tip #3: If you are planning on visiting Mainau Island and Arenenberg, you can buy a combined discount ticket.
What I Missed/For the Next Visit: Checking out the hotel’s wine experiences/tastings with wines produced on the property. Additionally, it was raining when we visited so we did not properly explore the medieval patrician garden and historical park.
More Scenes from Arenenberg – Naopleon Museum:
STOP #8- Gmeiner
Of the 8 Beautiful Bodensee Stops, this was the sweetest. Ending this post with dessert seems fitting. This pastel pretty jewel box of mouth-watering confections is a must-stop in Konstanz.
Confiserie Gmeiner has been one of the most renowned pastry shops in Europe for over 100 years. With locations in several German cities (as well as an outpost in Japan), the company is committed to producing products with high-quality regional raw materials.
We ordered a selection of pastries to sample. All were delectable. Furthermore, the coffee also was excellent. After indulging we stepped back into the shop and bought the place out. Well, maybe not everything but we gave it a good try. I focused on items that would travel well back to the States. Boxed chocolate truffles and interestingly flavored chocolate bars made the cut. A large assortment of their beautiful cookies was purchased for my German family. A bag of Canntuccini may or may not have been added to the pile for our ride back to Munich.
My travel companion who lives in Germany bought another of the cute hedgehog-decorated sacher torte to bring home to her sacher torte-loving husband. It was a hit.
We spotted this place on our first day in Konstanz. However, we regret we didn’t get there until our last.
Tip: Share your destination with the very helpful staff. They will help you select things that travel well. Additionally, the staff will take extra care in wrapping them so they will travel safely.
What I Missed/For the Next Visit: I would make this a daily stop, not the last one. Also, sitting at one of the outside tables was fun to watch as people doing double takes past the window gawking at the goodies on display.
Enjoyed these 8 Beautiful Bodensee Stops? Check out some of my other European Destinations:
NAVIGATING NETHERLANDS’ CANALS BY HOUSEBOAT
FOUR GREAT THINGS TO DO IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
5 FABULOUS VIENNA STOPS
9 MARVELOUS MEXICO CITY STOPS
