Konstanz Off The Beaten Path

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The little palace, rather a manor, is located above the village of Mannenbach on the southern, Swiss bank of Untersee. It is standing on a hilltop above the vineyards which offers a wide view of the lake, Reichenau island and the surrounding landscape. The manor was founded in the 16th century but made history in the early 1800s as home of Napoleon's relatives.

After Napoleon's fall and the reorganization of Europe in the Vienna Congress all those relatives of his who had been married and installed as rulers in conquered territories had to seek an exile home. Hortense de Beauharnais, the former Queen of Holland, daughter of Josephine and wife of Napoleon's brother Louis, bought the manor in 1818. Her son, the later French Emperor Napoléon III, grew up here. The palace became a meeting point of the Beauharnais and Napoleon family. It was redesigned for Hortense in Parisian splendour. She also had a landscape garden planted on the premises. This park has in recent years been reconstructed.

The palace is a museum about the Napoleon family and their lives. The interior has preserved its original furniture. All details on the museum website lionked below.

How to get there: Take the Seehas train to either Mannenbach or Ermatingen and walk up. From Mannenbach it is not far, just a short walk uphill through the vineyards. If you get off the train already at Ermatingen you can combine your visit with a pleasant little hike along the lake.

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Hardly to visit for the average tourist is the Inselhotel run by the Steigenberg Group, a former Dominican monastery. It is located at the northeastern corner of the old town of Konstanz on a small island, separated from the town only by a small ditch.

The monastery was established 1235 and closed 1785. It served as cloth factory later and from 1874 on it has been a first-class hotel. Church and cloisters are well preserved but unfortunately only accessible for hotel guests. In case your wallet co-operates you can have a fancy dinner in their restaurant and this way might snatch a quick look into the historic rooms ...

Quite annoying is that both railway and road that are between old town and hotel are VERY busy. It can take quite a while until you can cross.

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The centre of Petershausen is the area around St. Gebhardt square. This is totally off the beaten path for tourists, here you can dig into everyday life in Konstanz.

The dominating building is not St. Gebhardt church but the plain ugly highrise that was erected for telecommunication in 1971 (back then for Deutsche Bundespost, now Telekom). It is 15 storeys tall, 96 m.

St. Gebhardt church was built 1929/30 and it also is a bit overly large for my taste. The proportions are just not right compared to the surrounding townhouses. Anyway, it is open during the day and worth a short look inside. Quite nice are the mosaic in the apse and the stained-glass windows. The other modern interior is interesting, too, but not overly beautiful IMO.

Bus stop Zähringerplatz (many lines)

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Petershausen is the district of Konstanz that is right north of the Rhine. Right in the centre of Petershausen once had been a Benedictine abbey, founded in 983 and closed 1803. From 1813 on the complex served as garrison. Sadly enough the state of Baden decided to tear down the Romanesque church of the abbey in 1836.

In 1871 the infantry regiment 114 took hold of the complex. The soldiers put up a monument for the regiment's leader, Emperor Friedrich III in 1892 (pic 4). From 1945 on French troops were stationed here and only after they moved out in 1977 the area could be used publicly.

Several buildings are used by the city's and county's administration but there is also an archeological museum (no time to go in) and a music school (in the remaining structure of the Baroque abbey along Spanierstraße) - concerts from time to time here. Quite nice is also the small, quiet formal garden in the courtyard.

Location: right be the Rhine bridge, turn left coming from the old town.

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Allmannshausen is a northern suburb of Konstanz, actually a pretty old village. The church St. Georg looks back at a tradition of 750 years. Its interior appearance is modern, though, as it was destroyed a couple of times. The wooden steeple is a leftover from 14th/15th century, the church itself was rebuilt 1745 in Baroque style and enlarged 1962 (thus the modern interior). Quite interesting is the altar painting in a side chapel (pic 4). Entrance to the church is through a glass passageway between the church and the vicarage - open during daytimes.

The church, vicarage and cemetery form a picturesque complex together with the former town hall, erected 1903. When Allmannsdorf became part of Konstanz the town hall lost its function and is now home of several local clubs (I guess the carnival club, too).

Allmannsdorf is right on the bus line to Staad where the ferry to Meersburg departs. Bus #1 from Konstanz old town.

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The University Konstanz was founded 1966 but only in 1972 they could move into the completed buildings on Gießberg hill, a few kilometres outside the city. It is a compact campus, beautifully located with great panoramic views of the lake and even the Alps (weather co-operating). On the other hand, the architecture is 1970s ... plain ugly IMO. The students live either in the city or in an apartment complex in little distance below the university right on the edge of the city. Buses frequently connect the university with Konstanz proper (#9A and #9B).

The campus is freely accessible. I had a business seminar there, thus got an ID card for free use of the library which includes free internet access - a big plus. If you want you can get an ID card, too, but have to pay a small fee (10 Euro, I think).

I liked the views of the landscape from the university a lot. It hurt the eyes, though, to get to the viewing platforms ... not only is the architecture ugly, it is also in urgent need of renovation (not to say reconstruction).

Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz

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The Dominican convent is located in the so called "Niederburg", the northern part of the old town. It was established 1257. Since the nuns opened a school in 1775 the convent was not closed in the 19th century, thus is the only remaining one in Konstanz. The church was built around 1300 and redecorated in Baroque style in the 18th century. You are free to enter the small courtyard and have a look into the church.

Brückengasse 15, 78462 Konstanz

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If you happen to change trains in Radolfzell, invest an hour and take the next train to do a quick walk of the town. It is three minutes to Münster church and the main square from the train station, and one minute to the lake promenade. I suppose the people of Radolfzell now wish they had built their railway line and station elsewhere than right between old town and lake, but for short-term visitors this is very convenient. The old town centre is small, so in one hour you can walk round and get an idea of the town, including the interior of the big church and a quick walk along the harbour and lake.