Lindau

Our next stop, after Füssen and just a short distance away, was Lindau, a beautiful city on the edge of Lake Constance where the borders of Switzerland, Austria, and Germany meet. It’s one of the lake’s most popular resort towns and is known for its scenic beauty and for having one of the prettiest harbours on the Bodensee.

We stayed at a stellplatz which was connected to Lindau Park Camping.  We inquired about the price of staying on the site and the price for the stellplatz.  The stellplatz won as it was only 10 euros a night with the use of the showers on the campsite.  The campsite was not ACSI; therefore, the cost was 27 euros a night.  The only downside to the stellplatz was that we were only allowed to stay on it one night.

I just had to take a photo of the washing-up area pictured here, as this is the first time we have seen cooking hobs provided for the campers. It looks brand new – what a great idea, although not something we would personally use, as we have these facilities in our motorhome. However, I should imagine it would be convenient for those under canvas.

We had lunch in the motorhome and then went straight out on our bikes.  Again, we were able to cycle along the cycle paths into Lindau.   The medieval old town is situated on an island, accessible by a short bridge from the mainland.

We found a cycle rack at the very start of the town, near the bridge, and walked in.  One of the first shops I spotted sold handbags.  I was amazed at the price of their leather bags (I just couldn’t resist)

The one I bought was only 14 euros in the sale and 6 euros for a small backpack, which we desperately needed to replace our old one.  I could have spent a lot more in there, but Ray was pulling me out.

We wandered around the charming streets of Lindau and stopped to admire and photograph the town hall, featuring paintings on the walls outside.  It looked like a work of art.  The building overlooks the Maximillanstrabe, which is the main shopping street.

There were many squares and streets to walk around, but we kept looking up at the sky as the clouds were gathering and getting. Blacker and heavier.  We decided to have a glass of wine at one of the pavement cafes (not realising that they had no indoor area).  It wasn’t long before we started to hear thunder, and then we had a torrential downpour.  We finished our drinks and ran for shelter.  It was about 20 minutes before we went back out into the street, but the drizzle continued, making it unpleasant, so we ended up going inside a café for coffee.   We waited it out for a bit before exploring. The rest of the town.  There was still so much more to see.

Once we resumed our walk, we headed over to the harbour, which was so picturesque, and that’s saying something when you consider how wet and cloudy it was.  The photos we took a look a bit mean and moody.  It was such a shame about the weather, as it would have been lovely to sit at one of the harbourside restaurants on a sunny day and watch the boats coming in and out through the narrow entrance.

Lindau’s most recognised symbol is the Bavarian Lion statue, which stands guard over the harbour entrance.  The other side is the Lighthouse (the only one in Bavaria, apparently), which makes quite a narrow entrance for the cruise and ferry boats.  The Lighthouse was, unfortunately, closed when we visited, as we had read that the views from the top of the lighthouse of the bay and the city are amazing.

The harbour square is pretty lined with hotels and outdoor restaurants, which I can imagine would be lovely when the weather is nice.  The view of the mountains across the lake in Switzerland would look wonderful on a clear sunny day.  It’s such a shame, but it means that we will have to come back in the future and see it again on a better day.  It will be especially nice then to ride the Bodensee Radweg cycle path, which follows the lake’s circumference.

In the harbourside is the Diebsturm (Thieves’ Tower) erected in 1370, which looks a bit like how you would imagine Rapunzel’s tower to look.  This was a prison for a time.

There isn’t much parking in Lindau because the old town centre is car-free and a city wall surrounds parts of the city.  You have to park outside and walk in, but it is well worth it.

Camping Details:
Lindau Park Camping (Stellplatz outside the front of the campsite)

N47˚35’6”  E9˚42’22”
They only allow you to stay on the stellplatz one night for €10, including a shower.
Campsite €27,  Nice ride into Lindau along the cycle path.  Will visit again.