There truly is something mystical about Lake Constance in Winter. It’s often foggy, grey, and yet the partially deep Lake is a decent heat storage which enhances to more mild winters. During summer, there are plenty of outdoor activities to take at Lake Constance, but in winter? Well, below I have suggestions for 5 Day Trips to take in Winter at Lake Constance. They are also suitable for families, but most importantly, more indoors than outdoors.
5 Day Trips to take at Lake Constance in Winter
Discover the Unesco World Cultural Heritage site in St. Gallen
Since 1983 the Abbey Library is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, which is definitely worth any visit to the Swiss city. Besides the Abbey Library, the surrounding Abbey district in the historic parts of the town is definitely worthwhile to view at. Besides the cute picturesque town, I can highly recommend taking the Mühleggbahn St. Gallen to enjoy nice panoramic views (even all the way to Germany and Lake Constance), or a visit to one of the local museums, such as the textile museum. The gastronomic scene in St. Gallen is, too, recommendable. There definitely is enough to enjoy in St. Gallen for a Day Trip!
Explore the historic centre of Ulm and Neu-Ulm
Ulm, just about 1 hour from Friedrichshafen by Train, is an ideal destination for a day trip from Lake Constance. Situated right at the Danube River, the town does not only offer a rich and interesting history, but it’s also home to the worlds tallest church, the Ulm Minster. As long as Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is eventually completed, which, might take some more years. Besides this spectacular sight, that you can climb (it’s only more than 700 steps to the top! 😉 ), Ulm offers a variety of Museums (one about Bread, for example!). A true highlight is the oldest artwork created by humans, which is about 40000 years old, the Löwenmensch in Museum Ulm. Unfortunately, there is no specific museum about this, but you can ask at the Tourist-Information (right next to Ulm Minster) about the history of Ulm and Neu-Ulm, and what Napoleon’s influence was in all of this 😉
Aviation History in Friedrichshafen – Zeppelin & Dornier
The city of Friedrichshafen has a rich history in aviation. Not only did the Zeppelin was developed in the city, and took its first-ever flight there, also Claude Dornier, the founder of Dornier (planes), was born in Friedrichshafen. Nowadays two museums are dedicated to those two innovators and companies. Zeppelin Museum is located in the city centre of Friedrichshafen, Dornier Museum at the Airport. Tip: several bus lines conveniently connect both Hafenbahnhof and the Airport. The bus fares aren’t too bad, either.
Besides those two museums, there is also a schools museum, right next to Lukullum, giving visitors an insight into how schools looked like a few decades ago.
Medieval town strolling along the shores of the Lake
Dotted across the shores of Lake Constance, you can discover numerous medieval towns. Usually flocked with tourists, in winter the towns are rather quiet. Some research beforehand will be needed to check opening times of museums, as some close during the low season (some are open year-round).
Some suggestions are Lindau, Meersburg, Überlingen, Konstanz,…
Take the FlixBus to Zurich
Zurich, often mistaken as the capital city of Switzerland, is located close to Lake Constance, which makes it a perfect destination for a Day Trip. The Travel Time from Friedrichshafen is 2 hours, from Konstanz it is just under 1 hour. Zurich offers great museums (art museum, literature museum, ethnographic museum,…), as well as plenty of (luxury) shopping possibilities, as well as nature experiences. Why not take a cable car, bus, or walk to the top of one of the peaks enclosing the city centre of Zurich?
A personal restaurant recommendation in Zurich is undoubtedly HILTL, the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world (now with several locations across town).
Fasching / Fasnacht / Karneval at Lake Constance
Another tip: if you are interested, you should definitely visit the Lake Constance area during Carnival season. Due to various dialects are spoken all around Lake Constance, which is directly enclosed by Austria, Germany and Switzerland, the name is Fasching, Fasnacht, Fasnet, Karneval, and some more variations. But all mean the same, carnival. The parades often take place in January and February, in every city and town. Just check the local websites for “Narrensprung [insert name of city]” for current results on dates and exact locations. In this case, the Fasnacht Museum in Basel is a great recommendation, too! (as well as the Basler Fasnacht)
