Lindau: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Lindau is a medieval town built on an island, joined to the mainland by a road bridge and a railway causeway. For over five hundred years it was a Free Imperial City, answering only to the emperor, and rich from trade across the lake to Italy. This walk crosses the island from the town hall to its oldest church. About an hour and a half, flat, all in the car-free old town.

A short history of Lindau

Lindau's old town is built on an island in Lake Constance, linked to the mainland by a bridge and a railway causeway. In the Middle Ages it grew up around a convent, and in the 13th century it became a free imperial city, a status it kept until it was annexed to Bavaria in 1805. In 1856 the lighthouse and the stone Bavarian lion were built at the harbour entrance, and they still greet the ships today. Since 1951 Nobel laureates have gathered in the city every year to meet young scientists.

The ten best sights in Lindau

1
Old Town Hall
The painted façade is the photo; the inside is council offices
2
Haus zum Cavazzen
Baroque mansion with the town museum and summer art exhibitions
3
St Peter's Church
Small and very old; the faded Passion frescoes are the reason to step in
4
Minster of Our Lady
Former church of a convent of noblewomen, on the market square
5
Lindau Puppet Opera
Marionette operas in the town theatre; book ahead in summer
6
Inselhalle
Conference hall of the Nobel laureate meetings held each summer
7
Harbour Lion and Lighthouse
The harbour mouth everyone photographs; the lighthouse can be climbed
8
Mangturm
The old lighthouse on the harbour promenade, with a coloured tile roof
9
Diebsturm
Round prison tower with turrets, the island's storybook corner
10
Römerschanze
Harbour bastion with benches facing the Alps

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Lindau →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Lindau:

Free walking tours in Lindau

A free city on an island

Old Town Hall · Built in the 1420s and 1430s, it hosted an Imperial Diet in 1496, when the emperor's assembly met in Lindau. The painted façade shows scenes from that diet.
Maximilianstraße · The island's main street follows the old trade route; the arcaded ground floors kept merchants' goods dry. Many of the tall gabled houses belonged to families who traded linen and grain.
Haus zum Cavazzen · Built in 1729 for a merchant family, it is often called the finest burgher house on Lake Constance. The painted façade imitates stone carving that is not really there.
Minster of Our Lady · It belonged to a convent of canonesses from noble families, whose abbess was a princess of the Holy Roman Empire. The town and the convent quarrelled for centuries over who ruled the island.
St Peter's Church · Dating to around the year 1000, it is among the oldest churches around the lake. The Passion frescoes inside are attributed to Hans Holbein the Elder; today the church is a war memorial.
Diebsturm · The Thieves' Tower, built around 1380, was part of the town wall and later its prison. Its four corner turrets made it one of the most drawn towers on the lake.

The harbour

Lindau's harbour is its front door: boats from three countries tie up under a stone lion. Behind it runs a promenade with the old lighthouse, a bastion and the theatre. This short loop follows the water around the south and east of the island and ends at the quiet park on its western tip. About an hour; at sunset the Austrian and Swiss Alps turn pink across the water.

Harbour Lion and Lighthouse · The six-metre Bavarian lion and the new lighthouse were both completed in 1856, when Lindau belonged to Bavaria. The lighthouse is the southernmost in Germany, and its steps climb to a view of the whole harbour.
Mangturm · Before the new lighthouse, this medieval tower guided boats into port. Its name comes from the cloth mangle, a press that stood nearby to smooth linen, the town's great export.
Römerschanze · Despite the name, the Roman Bastion has nothing Roman about it; it was a harbour fortification of the town walls. Today it is the best free bench on the island for the Alpine view.
Lindau Puppet Opera · Puppeteers perform full operas, Mozart among them, with marionettes to recorded music. It plays in the town theatre, a converted former church.
Inselhalle · Since 1951 Nobel laureates have met young scientists in Lindau every summer. The meetings began as a way to bring German science back into contact with the world after the war.
Hintere Insel Park · The western end of the island was long railway land and has been turned into a public park by the water. It is where locals swim and picnic while visitors crowd the harbour.

Riviera and mountain

Lindau sits where Germany's short Bavarian shore meets Austria, and the Alps begin a few kilometres away. West of town the shore is lined with villa gardens, the so-called Bavarian Riviera; east of it rises the Pfänder above Bregenz. This drive links a peninsula church, a lake beach and a mountaintop in one easy day. Allow half a day; take the cable car only in clear weather.

Wasserburg St George · Wasserburg means water castle: the village grew around a castle on what was once an island. Its onion-domed church at the tip of the peninsula is one of the most painted views on the lake.
Lindenhofpark · Wealthy families built summer villas along this stretch in the 19th century, and the mild climate let them plant exotic trees. The Lindenhof park is now public, with old trees running down to the shore.
Eichwald Lido · Lindau's biggest lake beach, on the mainland east of the island, with lawns under oak trees. A long wooden jetty runs out into the water for the views back to the island.
Lindau-Reutin Station · When the line to Munich was electrified, Reutin on the mainland became the town's main station in 2020, and the long-distance trains stopped running onto the island. It is the easiest place for a passenger to join the trip.
Bregenz Kornmarkt · Ten minutes over the border, the Austrian lake capital has its own old town and the floating stage of the Bregenz Festival. The road along the shore needs no vignette; only Austrian motorways do.
Pfänder · The summit stands at 1,064 metres, and the cable car has carried people up from Bregenz since 1927. From the top you see the whole lake and peaks in four countries, and a free Alpine wildlife park sits beside the station.

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Getting to Lindau and getting around

Lindau-Reutin Station · The main station on the mainland: long-distance trains to Munich and Zurich stop here
Lindau-Insel Station · Regional trains run onto the island itself, steps from the harbour
Lindau Harbour Pier · Lake boats to Bregenz, Meersburg and Konstanz leave here in season

Cheap eats in Lindau

Lindau is Bavarian, so the bakeries sell soft pretzels and the beer is from Bavaria, while the lake supplies whitefish and perch. Cafés on the harbour charge for the view, and the back lanes are cheaper by a third. A quick lunch from a bakery counter costs a few euros.

Bäckerei & Konditorei Hamma · Bakery on the main street; pretzel or roll about €1-4
Seehafen Café Graf · Coffee and cake facing the harbour, about €5-9
Café Mokka · Small café in the old town; coffee about €3-5
Café Collodium · Breakfast and light lunches, about €8-14
Eiscafé Cristallo · Italian ice cream near the market square, about €2-3 a scoop

Museums in Lindau

Haus zum Cavazzen · Town history and summer art shows
St Peter's Church · Holbein-attributed frescoes in a tiny old church
Old Town Hall · Painted façade from outside
Minster of Our Lady · Baroque interior on the market square
Diebsturm · Medieval prison tower, outside view

Nature and day trips near Lindau

Pfänder · Cable car summit over the whole lake
Lindenhofpark · Old trees and lawns on the shore
Wasserburg St George · Peninsula village for a sunset walk
Hintere Insel Park · Lawns and a swim at the island's west tip
Römerschanze · Alpine view from the bastion

Things to do in Lindau with kids

Harbour Lion and Lighthouse · Climb the lighthouse for the harbour view
Lindau Puppet Opera · Marionette operas; ask which shows suit children
Eichwald Lido · Beach, lawns and a jetty
Pfänder · Free Alpine wildlife park by the top station
Mangturm · Old harbour tower with a coloured roof

Where to eat in Lindau

Galerie und Weinstube Zur Fischerin · Wine room and gallery near the harbour
Großstadt · Café-bar-restaurant on the island, open into the evening
Restaurant Akropolis · Greek dinner for the family, good value
Seehafen Café Graf · Early evening drink facing the lion

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Frequently asked questions about Lindau

What is there to see in Lindau?

The top sights in Lindau are Old Town Hall, Haus zum Cavazzen and St Peter's Church. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Lindau?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Lindau without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Lindau?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Lindau, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: A free city on an island.

How do you get to Lindau and get around?

The main ways are Lindau-Reutin Station, Lindau-Insel Station and Lindau Harbour Pier. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Lindau, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Lindau that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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