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Harbour entrance of Lindau - The Bavarian lion to the east side, the lighthouse to the west side

Lindau is a city in southern Bavaria on the shore of Lake Constance or the Bodensee. It lies on the border to the Austrian federal-state of Vorarlberg with its capital city Bregenz which is within walking distance (about 10km along the lake). The historic town is on an island and full of medieval and half-timbered buildings. One can also take boat tours leaving the small harbor and just sit and enjoy a Weissbier admiring the view of Austria and Switzerland and the Alps across the lake.

Understand

On a sunny day in summer Lindau is a great place to be. The town is old and very beautiful and has a good market.

Every year the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings take place. These meetings are a conference with Nobel Laureates and young scientists in fields such as chemistry, medicine and physics.

Get in

Map
47°33′11″N 9°42′18″E
Map of Lindau

By train

Lindau has direct rail Eurocity connections from Munich and Zurich, as well as regional rail services from Austria, other parts of Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg. The main station (Lindau Hbf) is on the island city, and within walking distance to the harbour.

Frequent trains run from Bregenz to Lindau and back during the day, single journey €2.40 adult on the ÖBB machine (if you book via the DB machines its more expensive: €4.80 one-way).

Euregio train tickets are available for unlimited travel in the region (including discounts on certain ferries).

By plane

Bodensee-Airport Friedrichshafen (FDH IATA) is the closest airport and easily accessible by rail (see Friedrichshafen).

By boat

Lots of tourists come to Lindau from neighbouring harbour towns of Austria and Switzerland in the summer months for a short trip. Check the ship schedule (valid in 2015) for more information.

There are two boat lines operating to/via Lindau (from about April till October):

  • 10500: Konstanz / (Mainau) / Meersburg / Friedrichshafen / Lindau / Bregenz (with many stops along the German shore between Meersburg and Lindau) — the trip between Lindau and Bregenz is direct and has no other stops, takes 22 min and costs €5.70 (adults)
  • 10506: Rorschach (Switzerland) / (Bad Schachen) / (Wasserburg) / Lindau — complete journey costs 12.70 EUR / 17 CHF (it's a good idea to have your passport with you); three times a day in each direction; complete journey takes about 1 hour

Get around

By foot

Lindau is a very small town and exploring it on foot is the best idea. Many parts of the island are for pedestrians only so it is enjoyable to walk around.

By bus

There are city bus lines operating on the island and mainland (Line 1 and 2) and only on the mainland (Line 3 and 4). There is one central bus stop (Anheggerstraße) where all four lines intersect. See the route map and timetables for more details. Single ticket 2.00 EUR, 24-hour ticket 5.20 EUR, other options are available.

Additionally, RBA Regionalbus Augsburg operates in Lindau (island and mainland) and connects to the surrounding area. See the route map and timetables (search for Landkreis Lindau). Line 21 goes to Nonnenhorn (westbound along the lake) and Line 14/14a goes to Bregenz (Austria, eastbound along the lake).

By bicycle

See

First step after reaching Lindau should be to contact the tourist info centre just outside the train station, where one can get a list of beautiful buildings in the town and a free map too. On a sunny day, the views that this town offers are awesome.

Old City Hall
  • 1 Old City Hall (Altes Rathaus), Bismarckplatz 4. Construction started in 1422 and took about 14 years to complete. Make sure to also look at the south facade. 
  • 2 Lighthouse. Climb the lighthouse (33m). Views are great from that height. €1.80 adults, €0.70 children. 
  • 3 Mangturm, Seepromenade. A tower (20m) that was built in the 12th century as part of the town's defence wall. The interior is only accessible as part of a "fairy tale" event - for adults May-Sep every Friday at 19:00 and for children during the summer holidays (beginning of Aug- beginning of September) every Tuesday 10:30. Adults €8, children €3. 
  • 4 Diebsturm, Zeppelinstraße (On the island). Constructed in 1380 as part of the city walls. It was also used as a prison, hence the name. 
  • 5 Stadtmuseum (City Museum), Marktplatz 6 (on the market place), ☏ +49 8382 944 073. Only open during the summer season. Museum with collections about the history of the city. A collection of mechanical musical instruments can be seen on a guided tour. There are also changing art exhibitions. The building of the museum, called Cavazzen, is an impressive baroque building from 1729. €3 adults, €1.50 consessions. 
  • 6 Bavarian Lion. 
  • 7 Lindauer Dahlienschau, Büchelewiesweg, Oberreutin (on the mainland; city bus service 4 to bus stop "Inselbrauerei" (island brewery), then 400m walking distance). Enjoy fields of Dahlia. The surrounding area is nice for short walks with its many apple and pear trees. The small hill close-by (towards Streitelsfingen) offers great views over Lindau and Lake Constance. 

Do

Island

  • Take cruise trips to neighbouring harbour towns like Bregenz, Konstanz or Friedrichshafen. One can plan a day trip from Lindau to Bregenz, climb the Pfänder mountain at Bregenz that offers great views of the lake.
  • Rent a paddleboat or a rowing boat. This is also the only way to get to the tiny island which is just big enough for one tree. One place to rent these boats is at the entrance of the island, to the right-hand side when entering via the main car bridge (Bootsvermietung Lindau).
  • Sit in one of the restaurants by the lakeside and enjoy variety of cuisines.
  • On the West side of the island there are very few places giving access to the water where swimming is possible, but do not expect a beach. Also on the West side there are small grassy patches where you can enjoy the sun and have a picnic.
  • Go to theatre or music events.
  • 1 Marionette Opera, Fischergasse 37. 
  • Isle of Music. Music event happening several times a year with live music throughout the island. 
  • 2 Park-Theater, Zwanzigerstr. 3, ☏ +49 8382 6900. The only cinema on the island. 

Mainland

  • 3 Strandbad Eichwald, Eichwaldstrasse 16-20 (On the mainland). A managed area for swimming and sun bathing. Has swimming pool areas and access to the lake. €4 or €2.50 after 17:00 for adults (17+), €2 for children (5-16). 
  • 4 Ice Skating Arena (Eissportarena), Eichwaldstraße 16 (On the mainland). adults: €3.50 entrance, €4 to rent skates. 
  • 5 Flugplatz Wildberg (Der fliegende Bauer), Wildberg, Weißensberg (by car: follow the B12; about 6km from the island). Small airport which offers sightseeing flights in small airplanes (one guest seat per plane). 
  • 6 Golfclub Lindau. 
  • 7 Golf Club Bodensee-Weißensberg. 

Buy

The market place of Lindau is a beautiful street that offers lots of souvenirs at cheap prices. Branded cloth and accessories shops are quite a few in number. Number of shops sell hats, sunglasses and other accessories etc. One should consider buying Swiss Knives as they are at fair prices.

  • 1 Weekly Market (Wochenmarkt), Marktplatz. Every Saturday from 7:00am; from April till October additionally on Wednesdays. Get local products. 
  • If you are looking for a cheap supermarket on the island, there is a Netto on Marktplatz 5 - it's in the basement of that building. It's open from Mon-Sat: 7:00-20:00.

Eat

There are many restaurants in the market and near the shore that offer variety of cuisine.

There are also a few good ice-cream places on the island.

Drink

Sleep

Plenty of hotels available in Lindau, one can get a listing of these hotels at the tourist info point.

  • 1 Youth Hostel, Herbergsweg 11 (On the mainland, not on the island itself). From €21.90. 
  • 2 Park-Camping Lindau, Fraunhoferstrasse 20, ☏ +49 8382 72236. First adult for tent area: €12.50, additional adults €8.50. 
  • 3 Hotel Bayerischer Hof, Bahnhofplatz 2, ☏ +49 8382 9150. Luxury hotel (5-stars) opposite the train station and facing the harbour. Adjacent to this building is their second Hotel Reutemann/Seegarten (4-stars). (updated May 2015)

Connect

Go next


This city travel guide to Lindau is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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