Ravensburg: Towers, Museums and City History

Experience the Old Town and City History

Distinctive buildings, squares and streets shape the character of Ravensburg’s old town. Much of it is traffic-calmed and easy to explore on foot. In the pedestrian zones, you can browse the shops and combine shopping with a visit to the historic old town. Centrally located Marienplatz is a starting point for exploring Ravensburg as the “City of Towers and Gates.” If you enjoy wandering through streets and squares, you can use this area as a point of reference for a city-focused stay.

The Humpis Quarter Museum is the city’s cultural history museum. Since opening in July 2009, it has invited visitors to explore 1,000 years of city history—from the Middle Ages to the present—in five buildings in a late-medieval residential quarter. The award-winning museum concept connects the architecture with the subjects and stories on display. As you make your way through the museum, you’ll gain insights into the building culture, as well as the living spaces and everyday lives of former residents. This offers a way to discover city history not only through different eras, but also through buildings and everyday life.

Museums for Different Interests

The Ravensburger Museum is located in the historic headquarters of the world-famous company. Spread over three floors, it offers an interactive family outing exploring the company’s history and classics such as memory® and Malefiz®. Visitors can also find out how games and puzzles are made. The tiptoi® museum rally leads children and young people through the rooms and asks them questions to test their knowledge. Families can combine a museum visit with a playful exploration of the company’s history and the history of games.

At the Ravensburg Art Museum, you can explore and discuss art together during guided tours in Easy Language. Afterwards, participants can get creative with paper and paint in the art workshop. Art educators also provide in-depth background information about current exhibitions during guided tours. If you’d like to include different types of museums in your trip, you’ll find opportunities to explore art and creative work alongside city and company history.

Towers, Views and More to Discover

Built around 1425, the Mehlsack tower is Ravensburg’s landmark and stands 51 meters tall. Climbing to the top offers views over the city and, on some days, as far as Lake Constance and Säntis. What you can see depends on the conditions on the day of your visit. A guided tour entitled “Ravensburg City History” provides an overview of the city’s origins, its most important eras and its sights, through to the present day. It’s a good fit if you’d prefer to learn about the city’s history in one comprehensive overview.

The City and Region as a Base for Your Trip

Ravensburg is part of the bodo public transport network, which offers bus and train connections within the city and across the region. Ravensburg railway station is 800 meters from centrally located Marienplatz. When choosing accommodation, you may therefore want to consider whether you plan to focus your stay mainly on the city or also include activities in the region and use the bus or train to get around. Ravensburg is also a starting point for cycling tours in Upper Swabia and in the direction of Lake Constance. If cycling is part of your travel plans, this regional connection offers a different focus from a stay devoted mainly to the old town and museums.

When looking for a holiday apartment, it’s worth first deciding what kind of stay you want: Would you like to focus mainly on the old town, towers and museums, or would you also like to use Ravensburg as a base for cycling tours and activities in the region?

More places to explore: Isny im Allgäu, Kißlegg, Eichstegen, Aulendorf, Altshausen, Wolpertswende, Hoßkirch, Amtzell.

Back to the main travel overview: Ravensburg.