A weekend at the Konstanz Bodensee

A weekend at the Swabean Ocean

Last days of summer and we had not yet touched the water, it was necessary to travel south towards the well-known "Swabian Sea" Lake Constance (Bodensee) the trip is relatively simple and practical, the trips from the Stuttgart central station are every hour, with a change of train in the city of Singen, then go directly to the city of Konstanz. In total from Stuttgart to Singen are two hours away, after Singen to Konstanz central station only half an hour, With a Baden Wurttemberg ticket you can save a lot, especially if you travel as a couple or in a group. In this case our ticket costs us for two people 30 Euros.
We had only two days at the lake, so we advised very well with our friend and host that we could do with the short time, and really his advice was very helpful, we spent two very intense days, tired but very satisfied of everything what we can see and know.

When we reached the central station in Konstanz we could see that we were already directly on the water, the station is one block from the Council building and the pier with the statue of Imperia, exactly at the entrance to the old town. There we met our local guide who welcomed us at the entrance, immediately went to leave our luggage and we started our adventure.

Initially, our main expectation was to take a bath in the lake, so our first activity was a walk along the shore of the lake, passing by the bicycle bridge until we reached the public beach of Horn, as they explained, this area is a privileged area, was donated at the beginning of the last century with the requirement that the entrance was always published, so that nowadays it is part of the daily life of its inhabitants and visitors, the beach is simply beautiful, a park around of wooded areas, games for children, sports courts, a restaurant and biergarten, family atmosphere and additionally an area for nude lovers in its nudist area, the place is fantastic and highly recommended.

After taking a bath and a rest, they suggested us to continue the walk until we reached the ferry dock, because next to the pier they told us that a very popular restaurant is located to eat fish, and without a doubt it was worth the walk , in addition to continuing to see the breathtaking scenery, finally arriving at the restaurant, we were able to see that the place was completely full, a very good sign! The menu was quite varied but simple at the same time, prices from less than 5 Euros for a bread with breaded fish to full plates of fried fish with potato salad, as we were planning to eat more night we only ordered some bread with fish, but the surprise It was that the bread was relatively large, and the fish too! the delicious taste and pretty good price, we already had perhaps more than a year of not tasting such a delicious and well prepared fish, without a doubt a place to which we will return next time! After lunch and a cold beer we returned, again we went through Horn Beach until we reached the center of the city, in total it was a 10-kilometer route throughout the day.

The next day was the obligatory visit to the city, we headed and prepared to know the old part of Konstanza, a quite tourist place, with enough green areas to its surroundings where you find many in the gardens, its benches or simply sitting in the boardwalk appreciating the beauty of the lake, a place that inspires peace and tranquility, combined with that southern German style privileged, the center is undoubtedly a great attraction, its small cobbled alleys, but its ancient architecture preserved in perfect condition and with Extreme cleanliness, they make it a quite picturesque place, besides its variety of restaurants, cafes, in the middle of shops selling handicrafts, books and even works of art. One of the attractions of the historic center is the Church of Our Lady, a very detailed church with a lot of history, because it contains the remains of the Roman fortress and crypt, plus visitors have access to climb the tower and have a view of the city and the lake.

Inside the city they recommended a very popular place for the locals, their specialty soups and salads, again it was not a mistake, the place was quite full at lunch time, sign that good cooking was one of its characteristics, besides a friendly service, another place highly recommended, but for those who like light and healthy food.

After the tour inside the center until we reach the exit where the doors of the old city wall are still, we decided to look for a place to rest, and they recommended us this time to walk to the other side, already on Swiss land, as the The city is divided by the border between Germany and Switzerland, and we were invited to visit the park on the Swiss side, another magical place of this destination, large gardens with paths between small lagoons, farm with animals, a restaurant and mini golf, tennis courts, tennis, a tower with very good view of the malecon, and the best, a beautiful beach that reflects the tranquility of the Swiss lifestyle of the lake. we throw ourselves in the grass and we slept an unequaled nap.

Finally the day was about to end and we only had to return, a trip too fast but it was worth it, for the next we have many other places and activities pending, such as ferry or catamaran trips, visit to the water park, the tower bismark, island mainau, the practice of Stand up paddle and know more about its surroundings, gastronomy, bars.