Experience the best of Lindau

Lindau's old town stands on a small island in the eastern end of Lake Constance, joined to the Bavarian shore by a road bridge and a railway causeway. A stone lion and a lighthouse stand at the harbour entrance, and the medieval Mang tower rises beside the water. Maximilianstrasse, the main street, runs between arcaded houses, past the Old Town Hall with its stepped gables and painted facade.

The Peterskirche is one of the oldest churches in the region and holds frescoes by Hans Holbein the Elder. Across the bay, Bregenz in Austria is about ten kilometres away, with the Pfänder mountain above it, and on clear days the Swiss Alps appear across the lake. Friedrichshafen and its airship museum lie to the west, and cycling paths follow the shore all around the lake.

Whitefish and perch from the lake come grilled or fried, and the Allgäu hills behind supply cheese for Käsespätzle, a dish of egg noodles baked with cheese and onions. Orchards of apples and pears line the shore, and local wine and fruit brandy complete the table. The lake keeps the air mild, and summer and early autumn bring sailing boats and long sunsets over the water.