Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tumbling down vine-streaked slopes to Lake Constance and crowned by a perkily turreted
medieval castle, Meersburg lives up to all those clichéd knights-in-armour, damsel-in-dis-
tress fantasies. And if its tangle of cobbled lanes and half-timbered houses filled with jovi-
al banter doesn't sweep you off your feet, the local Pinot noir served in its cosy
Wein-
stuben
(wine taverns) will, we swear.
Sights & Activities
Altes Schloss
(adult/concession €8.50/6.50; 9am-6.30pm Mar-Oct, 10am-6pm Nov-Feb)
Looking
across the Lake Constance from its lofty perch, the Altes Schloss is an archetypal mediev-
al stronghold, complete with keep, drawbridge, knights' hall and dungeons. Founded by
Merovingian king Dagobert I in the 7th century, the fortress is among Germany's oldest,
which is no mean feat in a country with a
lot
of castles. The bishops of Konstanz used it
as a summer residence between 1268 and 1803.
CASTLE
Neues Schloss
(
www.schloesser-und-gaerten.de
;
adult/concession €5/2.50; 9am-6.30pm May-Oct,
11am-4pm Sat & Sun Nov-Apr)
In 1710 Prince-Bishop Johann Franz Schenk von
Stauffenberg, perhaps tired of the dinginess and rising damp, swapped the Altes Schloss
for the dusky-pink, lavishly baroque Neues Schloss. A visit to the now state-owned palace
takes in the extravagant bishops' apartments replete with stucco work and frescoes, Bath-
asar Neumann's elegant staircase, and gardens with inspirational lake views.
CASTLE
Lakefront
Stroll the harbour for classic snaps of Lake Constance or to hire a pedalo. On the jetty,
you can't miss - though the pious might prefer to - Peter Lenk's satirical
Magische Säule
(Magic Column). The sculpture is a hilarious satirical depiction of characters who have
shaped Meersburg's history, including buxom wine-wench Wendelgart and poet Annette
von Droste-Hülshoff (the seagull).
HARBOUR
Meersburg Therme
( 440 2850;
www.meersburg-therme.de
; Uferpromenade 12; thermal baths 3hr adult/
concession €9/8.50, incl sauna 3hr €16.50/16; 10am-10pm Mon-Thu, to 11pm Fri &
DAY SPA
