Überlingen: Historic Old Town, Lakeside and Garden Culture

Minster, museum and town history

St. Nicholas Minster is Überlingen’s landmark and the largest Gothic church on Lake Constance. The Municipal Museum is dedicated to the history, culture and art of Überlingen and the region, from the Stone Age to the 20th century. Its collection includes one of Germany’s largest collections of dollhouses. The museum garden also features Jewish gravestones, which are among the oldest in Baden-Württemberg.

You can also explore the town’s history while out and about: the free Zeigmal.App accompanies a walk through Überlingen with short audio stories and historical photographs. It offers insights into more than 1,250 years of the town’s history. As the app’s availability may change, check before your walk whether it is currently offered.

Lakeside paths, gardens and green corridors

Überlingen’s lakeside promenade runs for more than two kilometres along Lake Constance. Another waterside highlight is the roughly six-hectare Uferpark. Among the projects that remain from the 2021 Garden Show is this park, with its naturally landscaped waterfront, open access to the lake and play areas.

The roughly four-kilometre Garden Culture Trail passes selected parks, gardens and green spaces around the town, offering a close-up experience of garden culture. In the upper town garden, a cast-iron pavilion dating from the 19th century stands on a rocky outcrop, with panoramic views. The former town fortifications also shape the urban landscape today: they form a green belt around the old town and have become an inner-city green corridor and recreational area.

For a short urban walk, you can distinguish the Garden Culture Trail from a longer regional route: the premium SeeGang hiking trail connects Constance and Überlingen over a distance of just over 50 kilometres. Check local conditions before setting out.

Guided tours, cycling and thermal baths

A guided tour lasting around 1.5 hours introduces Überlingen’s main sights, including St. Nicholas Minster, the historic council chamber and the former trading and granary building, the Greth. Check current dates and booking arrangements in advance. For exploring the old town independently, there is also the outdoor escape experience “1643 – Konradin’s Escape”: the route leads through winding lanes, over walls and towers, and along the old town moats. Contact the provider to find out whether the experience is currently available.

Leisurely cycling routes in Überlingen follow the waterfront with almost no inclines, passing lidos, parks and viewpoints. The Bodensee-Therme Überlingen offers indoor and outdoor pools as well as various saunas; the sauna garden has direct access to the lake. As the thermal baths’ offerings may change, contact the operator for current details.

This gives you several different options for planning your visit: culture and town history, paths through gardens and along the lake, or cycling and thermal baths. The length of the Garden Culture Trail and the considerably longer SeeGang route also offer a helpful point of reference when choosing between a walk around town and a regional hiking route.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Nußdorf, Hagnau Am Bodensee, Friedrichshafen, Sipplingen, Uhldingen-Mühlhofen, Daisendorf, Oberteuringen, Roggenbeuren.

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