Meersburg between Baroque and Lake Constance

Baroque architecture and views across the lake

Meersburg New Palace was the Baroque residence of the Prince-Bishops of Constance. Its monumental staircase was built to a design by Balthasar Neumann. The history of the residence and a striking architectural detail make this a clear focus for anyone who enjoys considering architectural styles and historical functions together while travelling. The palace also offers panoramic views across Lake Constance. These place the architecture in its landscape: here, the lake is not just part of the region’s name, but also part of the view that defines the town.

Biedermeier, literature and modern art

At the Fürstenhäusle, the focus shifts from grand Baroque to the Biedermeier period. The house is authentically furnished with furniture from that era and offers insight into the life and work of Annette von Droste-Hülshoff. It also offers views across Lake Constance. The history of literature, historic domestic interiors and the landscape provide a different cultural focus from the monumental staircase of the New Palace. Opposite the New Palace is the Red House, a Baroque palace where the Bodenseekreis Gallery displays modern and contemporary art. The exhibition season can vary, so bear this in mind if you want to plan your visit around an exhibition.

Guided tours and boat trips

From 4 April to 31 October, the Meersburg Bible Gallery offers open guided tours of its permanent exhibition every Friday. Check the specific dates before your trip. This lets you include the tours in your plans without confusing them with a visit to the art or historic houses.

Scheduled boats offer sightseeing trips on Lake Überlingen from Meersburg. This adds a perspective from the water to visits on land. As timetables and boat services may vary seasonally, check the operator’s information before your day of travel.

Meersburg within the wider Bodenseekreis destination

The Bodenseekreis stretches along almost the entire northern shore of Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg and extends into the Upper Swabian Hills and, to the east, the West Allgäu Hills. Its landscape is shaped by the lake and neighbouring hills with fruit orchards, vineyards, meadows and forests; the Bodenseekreis has 57.7 kilometres of Lake Constance shoreline. Looking beyond Meersburg to the Bodenseekreis adds further landscapes and themes to its cultural experiences and lakeside activities.

Cultural destinations in the Bodenseekreis include the pile dwellings at Unteruhldingen, Germany’s oldest open-air archaeological museum. The visitor route includes the ARCHAEORAMA multimedia show, featuring a virtual dive to the pile dwellings in Lake Constance. In Überlingen, the thermal water at Bodensee-Therme is drawn from a depth of more than 1,006 metres and flows into all the warm-water pools. These examples show how varied the themes in the wider destination can be, from archaeology and virtual interpretation to thermal water.

Choose the right holiday apartment for your travel interests

Your planned priorities can help you choose a holiday apartment. If palace architecture, literature, historic interiors and art are your main interests, Meersburg offers several different cultural themes. If you also want to explore other landscapes or destinations in the Bodenseekreis, you can include them as separate stops in your plans. You can also enjoy the water in different ways: from the viewpoints at the New Palace and the Fürstenhäusle, or on a boat trip on Lake Überlingen.

Discover more destinations: Uhldingen-Mühlhofen, Salem, Tettnang, Überlingen, Baitenhausen, Friedrichshafen, Hagnau Am Bodensee, Owingen.

Back to the wider travel overview: Lake Constance.