Lake Constance Gardens
A journey trough time
Lake Constance has ten gardens and a whole lot more. Take a trip through the history of garden culture: gardens and parks with breathtaking views bring to life the region’s rich history. Experience first-hand gardens from the Stone Age, the Ancient World and the Middle Ages through to the 19th century and on to the present day. And there is no need to travel great distances.
Gardens such as the island of Mainau, the park at Arenenberg Castle and the new Medieval garden, Reichenau Island, Salem Monastery and Palace, the New Castle Meersburg, Überlingen horticulture path, Ittingen Charterhouse and the garden rendezvous at the Lower Lake all join together to form a network: the Gardens of Lake Constance.
“The Gardens of Lake Constance – A Journey through Time” – A discovery of green oases
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A journey through time around the gardens of Lake Constance
The history of landscape gardening is visible from all around Lake Constance.
Reichenau – the birthplace of Western horticulture
Almost 1,200 years ago, the Reichenau monk Walahfrid Strabo wrote Europe’s first gardening book “Hortulus”. Its 24 verses describe the same number of plants and make the World Heritage island of Reichenau the birthplace of Western horticulture. A herb garden based on the Hortulus model recalls the long tradition of gardening on the island.
Travel through time from park to park
Mainau is possibly the world’s most famous ‘flower island’. This is where the Bernadotte family created a real flower paradise from 54 hectares of a historical 19th century tree collection. A top landscape architect, Fürsten Pückler, was hired in 1840 to work on the English garden at Arenenberg Castle. Just a short distance away, you will find the site of the former Carthusian monastery of Ittingen, featuring a Baroque rose garden, vineyards, herb garden and monk’s garden. The archaeobotanical gardens in Frauenfeld and Hemmenhofen demonstrate how the earth was ploughed as early as the Stone Age.
Magnificent palaces on the German lakeside
Just a short boat ride away on the other side of the lake, you will find an unforgettable garden with stunning views. Besides Baroque garden architecture, the park at the New Castle Meersburg boasts a majestic view of the lake. Just a stone's throw away from here is the former monastery and palace of Salem. Upon arrival, guests are welcomed by glorious Baroque gardens.
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Individual discoveries
Suggested tours for visiting individual gardens – whether by boat, bike, bus or train – are available to guests from April 2014. Bicycle tours can also be booked individually through “Radweg-Reisen”. At the Lower Lake, discover the history of gardens on your own and follow four different routes, each a maximum of 30 kilometres. On the island of Mainau, gardening enthusiasts can even step into the shoes of a Mainau gardener for a day (or longer on request). The “Grüne Schule” (Green School) on Mainau offers children's gardening activities on specific dates.
‘Green’ group offers
Groups of 20 people or more can book a Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque tour with “art cities Reisen”. More offers can be found at www.bodenseegaerten.eu.
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Lake Constance Gardens
Internationale Bodensee Tourismus GmbH
Hafenstraße 6
D-78462 Konstanz
phone +49 (0)7531 90 94 90
Fax +49 (0)7531 90 94 94
www.bodenseegaerten.eu
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