From Radolfzell via the Mettnau to Markelfingen

Stops along the route

1. 1

   The Schiesser Villa

   bei km 0.5 · show on map

   This industrialist’s villa tells the story of Radolfzell’s textile industry. It was built in 1878 for the entrepreneur Jacques Schiesser. The 2-storey building has a gently sloping hipped roof and a façade articulated by cornices. Side extensions and an elaborately decorated veranda complement the house. Jacques and Malwine Schiesser had founded their company in Radolfzell 3 years earlier. Production began on 9 circular knitting machines in the rented dance hall of Gasthaus Schwert. The villa symbolises the commercial success that followed these early beginnings.

2. 2

   Frieda Armbruster

   bei km 1.7 · show on map

   This site commemorates a victim of the Nazi murder programme targeting people with disabilities and mental illnesses. Frieda Armbruster was born in Wilferdingen in 1890. From 1927, she lived as a patient at the Reichenau psychiatric hospital. Her family later lived on Güttinger Straße in Radolfzell. On 17 June 1940, she was taken to Grafeneck with other female patients and murdered there. The perpetrators concealed the crime: her family was given a false place and date of death. The surviving records restore part of Frieda Armbruster’s story.

3. 3

   Strandcafé Mettnau

   bei km 4.2 · show on map

   Ahead of you lies the southern shore of the Mettnau peninsula on the Zeller See. The peninsula extends between 2 parts of the Untersee: the Zeller See to the south and the Markelfinger Winkel to the north. Strandcafé Mettnau stands right by the water, with a terrace overlooking the lake. Its menu focuses on regional, seasonal food. Alongside its lakeside landscapes, Mettnau is also characterised by the spa park and the town of Radolfzell’s medical rehabilitation facilities. This stretch of lakeshore brings together relaxation, spa treatments and dining.

4. 4

   Frosch-Graben

   bei km 5.9 · show on map

   This spot within Radolfzell’s town boundaries is known as Frosch-Graben. It lies between the Mettnau peninsula and the Markelfinger Winkel.

5. 5

   Lakeshore at NaturFreundehaus Bodensee

   bei km 9.6 · show on map

   Here on the lakeshore, the view opens out over Markelfinger Winkel, the bay north of the Mettnau peninsula. It forms part of the Markelfinger Winkel und westlicher Gnadensee nature reserve. As well as the open water, the reserve protects shoreline habitats with reedbeds, meadows traditionally cut for animal bedding, and low-growing lakeshore grassland. The bay is a breeding, moulting and resting area for waterbirds. During the moult in particular, the birds need undisturbed areas, as they are temporarily unable to fly while replacing their feathers. The NaturFreundehaus combines a setting on Lake Constance with overnight accommodation and a restaurant.

6. 6

   St. Laurentius in Markelfingen

   bei km 11.5 · show on map

   The tower, with its octagonal upper section and curved dome, reveals several phases of construction. Substantial parts of the church date from the Late Gothic period; it was considerably enlarged in 1612. The tower received its Renaissance upper section at that time, while the dome was added in the 18th century. Inside, wall paintings from the period of the enlargement have survived. They depict Jesus, Mary and the 12 apostles. Each apostle is associated with a passage from the Creed. Other features include Baroque side altars and carved limewood medallions in the chancel.

7. 7

   Radolfzeller Münster

   bei km 15.4 · show on map

   The 82-metre-high tower dominates the town’s skyline. It only acquired its present appearance in 1902 and 1903. The church itself is much older: construction of the Late Gothic pillared basilica began in 1436, and the chancel was consecrated in 1488. Later generations raised the nave and added vaulting and furnishings. The minster stands on the site of the religious foundation established by Bishop Radolt in the 9th century. He is associated with the origins of Radolfzell and the veneration of its 3 patron saints, Theopont, Senesius and Zeno.