Lindau

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Lindau

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Lindau: The linden tree island

Lindau is a major town and a visually appealing island on the eastern side of Lake Constance. It is the capital of Lindau County, Bavaria in Germany. The town is famous for being covered with Linder trees hence the origin of name Lindau. Being on the eastern edge, the island is bordered by Switzerland and Austria on either side.

Lindau is located next to the meeting point of three countries namely Austrian, Germany and Switzerland Border and is settled calmly on the lake in front of Austria’s Pfander Mountain. Lindau is famous amongst sightseers and tourists for its medieval town center and picturesque location on Lake Constance. Lindau is also famous for its Nobel Laureate Meetings, which began in 1951 and since then has brought many Nobel Prize laureates to Lindau each year.

Location:                              

Split into several districts the island, capital of the Lindau County or the Landkreis in Bavaria to the east of Lake Constance (Bodensee) in front of the Pfänder mountain of Austria at a latitude of 47°32’50”N and 9°41’E longitude, happens to be 0.68 square kilometers in size. The island is also well connected with an extensive network of roads and rail tracks. It is situated close to the Austrian boundary in Vorarlberg and the Swiss border in Thurgau and St. Gallen.

Weather:

Lindau favors a pleasant climatic zone with four different climates dominating the area all around the year. The Island is surrounded by mountains and fresh water lake. Winters are mostly cold with temperatures dropping to -20 `C in the months of December and January. In some exceptional cases, winters could be so cold that most parts of the lake freeze, making crossing the lake by car impossible. However, this is a once in 50-100 years event. Summers are typically warm and usually humid due to the lake, reaching an average high temperature of 22 degrees Celsius in July.

Heavy storms, rains, and thunderstorms are common in summers in the months of March, June, July, August and November, and the island also mostly suffers heavy winds during winters. Being surrounded by mountains from all corners, snow is all year round sight for the visitors.  Lake Constance is located roughly 400 m above the sea level.

History:

In 822 a monk from St. Gallen documented the word Lindau for the first time while stating that Adalbert, the count of Raetia, had found a nunnery on the island. Over the years many old artifacts resembling the early Roman settlement of the 1st century have been found in the district of Aeschach.

The island became the foundation for the church of St. Stephen in 1180 and a monastery by the Franciscans in 1224. After few years, Lindau became a Sovereign Free City under King Rudolf I in 1274-75. The Protestant Reformation was accepted by this island in 1528, adhering to the Tetrapolitan Confession, followed by the Augsburg Confession. Being one of the worst war torn areas for nearly over a decade, in 1655 for the first time a Children Festival was conducted on the Island after the Thirty Years’ War. Introduced by Lindau’s then councilor Lindauer Kinderfest, it has now become the identity of this small town.

Then for a long period of time, many big empires tried to empower the island thus resulting in a massive revolution of development in and around the city. After the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved, the city of Lindau remained an Imperial Free City no longer, but was handed over to the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1804 and returned to Bavaria the next year. The end of the World War II saw Lindau falling under French administration, but it found its way back to Bavaria once again in 1955.

City:

Lindau is the most popular tourist attraction in South Germany. With beautiful Gardens, especially during spring and summer seasons, Lindau is also famous for its architecture and an excellent range of outdoor attractions such as sailing, hiking, camping to name a few.

Lindau Stadt is divided into a number of districts – Zech and Reutin in the east, Unterreitnau and Bad Schachen in the west, Hochbuch, Oberreitnau, Schönau and Hoyer in the north, and Aeschach and Island in the central region. The city of Lindau has still very well preserved its old traditions, architecture and the style of living. While walking through the alleys and places, one can still get the essence of the historical flavor sprinkled around the city. The “Pulverturm” and the “ Diebsturm” were a part of the ancient wall which has protected its citizens since some centuries now. Many big lighthouses were constructed around the city to protect its borders from the surrounding nations.

The museum of Lindau, initially built as a residence, was converted into a museum in 1929. Till today it is considered the most beautiful Estate on the island, one could find its architecture to be both of Gothic and Baroque style.

Lindau, with its 6,000 lights illuminating the harbor, modifies an average island into a picturesque portrait of a landscape and leaves the visitors under a mesmerizing spell. Being an Island there is no doubt that the local fisheries of the region have flourished over the years but not just this, Lindau is also known for its famous textile industries and with good sightseeing options the tourism of the region has also flourished thus resulting in a majorly low unemployment rate over the years.

Lindau is also famous for its Vineyards and has become one of the major exporters of some exquisite vines across Germany.

Traveling In the city:

With a good transportation system connecting the town with the help of a diverse range of trains, planes, and buses it is very convenient to reach the island from the main cities like Munich. So, Lindau is a very well connected city, and you can easily reach this place anytime of the year.

However, if one wants to have a soothing experiencing while traveling to the town of Lindau, visitors should choose to travel via boat or a cruise ship. Nestled on a lake, it gives visitors a serene traveling experience and one enjoys the actual beauty of nature surrounding the Island.

While in the city roaming around on foot is preferably a better option as taking a stroll down the harbor or just merely walking around in the city while cool winds whistling in your hair makes it a peaceful experience for visitors. Other than that one could also bike around the city.

Why Visit?

Lindau has had been the residence of several notable persons, including German astrologer and physician Achilles Gasser, Lutheran reformer and theologian John Marbach, and famous painter Jacob Ernst Thomann von Hagelstein. Also, the supermarkets, shopping centers and the major shopping mall in Lindau, called the Lindaupark, make this city a favorite shopping destination for everyone.

The city of Lindau also hosts prestigious Nobel Laureate meetings, where students from different parts of the world can meet Nobel Laureates to exchange their views on scientific innovations and developments. Psychotherapists, graduates in Psychology and physicians can undergo training in psychosomatic medicine, psychiatry, and psychotherapy during the “weeks of psychotherapy” conference titled “Lindauer Psychotherapiewochen” every year, to be held from 9th to 16th April in 2017. The annual sailing competition known as “Regatta Around the Lake Constance” (Rund Um den Bodensee) is a must-watch, while you can stroll through the decorative greenery and enjoy cultural programs and lectures during the Gartentage or Garden Days between 5th and 7th May 2017. And, of course, there’s the Lindauer Kinderfest or Children’s Festival, the city’s most important carnival-like festival! People from all over the world attend this festival in millions, making it one of the most famous things to watch out for.

Major Attractions:

 Harbor entrance with a lighthouse and a Bavarian Lion Sculpture is the most visited attraction of the Island district in Lindau.

  • Church of St. Peter, which is a war memorial church since 1928, was founded in the year 1000.
  • Church of St. Stephan, an Evangelical Church, was built in 1180 and remodeled in 1782.
  • Minster ‘Unserer Lieben Frau,’ which was the former church of the “Maria Himmelfahrt” (Assumption of Mary) monastery built on the Island, together with St. Marien or Stiftskirche.
  • Historic town hall of the city of Lindau, inside which, you can find books dating back to the 15th and 18th centuries at Lindau’s Old Book Archive.
  • Beautiful gardens and parks of the city of Landau, such as the Lindenhofpark.
  • Historic city theater of Lindau.
  • Marketplace of the island of Lindau has shops and traditional cuisine restaurants on Maximilianstraβe, the main street through Lindau.
  • Numerous exotic boat trips across the Island offered by the Bodenseeschifffart, the network of ships and vessels on the Lake Constance.
  • Other small and big lighthouse surrounding the Island.
  • Numerous water sports like paddleboat are also available near the harbor.
  • The island also has a good ice skating arena where visitors could enjoy the sport.
  • Island famous golf club is also a major tourist attraction.
  • The island also offers the camping experience in its parks, where travelers could sleep under the stars.

Other famous tourist attractions in Bavaria:

  • The Bavarian Alps
  • Zugspitze
  • The Bavarian Forest
  • Munich
  • Berchtesgaden and Konigssee

Really amazing places to explore, Lindau is truly a delightful place to visit during your vacations. With a more or less flourishing economy, a good transport network, and several attractions for tourists, the island of Lindau is certainly worth a visit. Go ahead and pack your bags for this exciting trip to Lindau – you won’t regret it!