Lindau Island: Harbour and Old Town Circuit

Stops along the route

1. 1

   Mangturm

   bei km 0.2 · show on map

   The colourful tiled roof and yellow upper storey make a striking landmark on the harbour. This square stone tower was built in the 12th century as part of the town fortifications. Once surrounded by water, it served as a watchtower and signal tower. Fire baskets mounted on a pole conveyed signals to vessels on Lake Constance. When the new lighthouse was completed in 1856, the tower lost this role. It was subsequently given an additional storey and its distinctive roof of glazed tiles. Its appearance today thus also tells the story of the harbour’s changing role. (lindau.de)

2. 2

   Stadttheater am Barfüßerplatz

   bei km 0.6 · show on map

   This building incorporates a former monastery church. Franciscans founded a monastery here in the 13th century; the name Barfüßer, meaning ‘barefoot friars’, recalls the order. After the monastery was dissolved during the Reformation, the building changed use several times. Parts of the church interior served as a salt store, and later uses included a barracks and a gymnasium. A theatre auditorium was established here as early as the 19th century. The Stadttheater took on its present form during alterations around 1950. The former church can still be recognised in the exterior. (kultur.lindau.de)

3. 3

   Münster Unserer Lieben Frau

   bei km 0.8 · show on map

   The relatively plain façade belongs to a church with an elaborately decorated Baroque interior. The present building was constructed between 1748 and 1752 to designs by the architect Johann Caspar Bagnato, after the town fire of 1728 had destroyed the earlier church. It was associated with Lindau’s community of canonesses. Opposite stands the Protestant church of Sankt Stephan. Two different Christian traditions thus face each other across the Marktplatz. Inside the minster, colourful frescoes and richly decorated columns are among the highlights. (lindau.de)

4. 4

   Haus zum Cavazzen

   bei km 0.9 · show on map

   A vast, sweeping roof rises above the painted façade. This Baroque merchant’s mansion was built after the great town fire of 1728 for the Seutter von Loetzen merchant family. The Swiss master builder Jakob Grubenmann designed the house. It served as a residence, warehouse and business premises for trade in goods including salt and wine. Later, the industrialist Ludwig Kick acquired the building and donated it to the town on condition that it be turned into a museum. The Cavazzen has housed Lindau’s municipal museum since 1930. (kultur.lindau.de)

5. 5

   Altes Rathaus Lindau

   bei km 1.2 · show on map

   The painted façade brings the town’s history into public view. Behind it stands a Gothic building whose construction began in 1422 and took 14 years. In 1496, the Imperial Diet convened by Maximilian I met in the wood-panelled council chamber. Another detail offers a glimpse of everyday civic life: decisions and new regulations were announced to the townspeople from the Verkünder-Erker, the herald’s oriel window. Its painted panels depict the Ten Commandments. The covered wooden staircase faces Bismarckplatz and is a defining feature of this side of the town hall. (lindau.de)

6. 6

   Diebsturm

   bei km 1.5 · show on map

   The small corner turrets and colourful roof tiles belong to a building with a sombre past. Built around 1380, this round tower served as a prison for many years. Its position at the highest point of the island gave the guards far-reaching views. In 1817, master mason Johann Jacob Götzger bought the tower and saved it from demolition. During roof restoration work in 2013, new tiles were fired to a historic design and glazed in 14 colours. Together with the neighbouring Peterskirche, the Zeughaus armoury and the former bell foundry, it forms a historic ensemble. (lindau.de)