Site of the oldest settlements in Germany, Lake Constance is where ancient civilizations gathered. Colonies on Mainau, the Flower Island, date to prehistoric times. An outdoor museum with reconstructed houses on stilts reveals the culture of the early lake dwellers. And Baroque Castle Mainau harmonizes with its park setting.
Fireworks light up the evening skies and music wafts from shore to shore on August 11 when Constance jointly celebrates Seenachstfest with the Swiss city of Kreuzlingen, which borders it to the south.
A fairy-tale setting in Upper Bavaria, Lake Königssee is surrounded by the tree-covered mountains. An excursion boat travels from the town to the chapel of St. Bartholemew on a small island in the lake. Königssee and the nearby resort town of Berchtesgaden are both within a national park that is one of the oldest protected areas in the Alps where rugged mountains and glaciers, dense forests and idyllic valleys delight the eye. Regional attractions include the Jennerbahn funicular, the Watzmann thermal baths, and Gurttenstein castle in the spa town of Bad Reichenhall.
More Alps >
Part 2: Austrian Alps
Part 4: Italian Alps
Part 5: Swiss Alps
Part 6: Alpine Cuisine
Part 7: Alpine Spas
