Lake Constance (Bodensee) lies on the borders of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and is one of those European regions where you definitely won’t be bored during your holiday. The lake, historic towns, and Alpine panoramas take turns here, so we believe that literally everyone will find something they love.
Accommodation at Lake Constance in Bregenz
ACCOMMODATION IN BREGENZ AT LAKE CONSTANCE –HERE–
Lake Constance is one of those places where it really matters where you stay. The coastline is long, the towns each have a different character, and transport links don’t work equally well everywhere if you’re planning trips to the surrounding area. That’s exactly why Austrian Bregenz makes sense. It has a harbour, a nice waterfront, the option of taking a cable car up into the mountains above the city, and at the same time an excellent location for trips around the area.
Search for accommodation in Bregenz, Austria by map:
1. Apartment: Ferienwohnung nur 1 min vom See
- A great choice for us if you want a city apartment, close to the lake and at the same time don’t want to spend unnecessarily
- Great ratings and a central location, guide price starting from $118 per night
- Sufficiently equipped kitchen for self-catering
2. Hotel with breakfast: Hotel Messmer
- Hotel Messmer has a great location and is still reasonably priced
- Located in the centre of Bregenz, just a few minutes’ walk from Lake Constance and the station, approx. 5 minutes’ walk from the Festival Hall
- Excellent ratings and a guide price around 200 euros per night for 2 people.
- Practically across the street from the harbour and the station.
Holiday at Lake Constance in Bregenz, Austria
A holiday at Lake Constance in Bregenz, Austria offers a huge number of trips, but your itinerary could easily look something like this: in the morning you can head to the historic centre of one of the port towns, in the afternoon continue by boat or train somewhere further, and in the evening return back to the water, where you can treat yourself to a good dinner in one of the local coastal restaurants.
The Austrian town of Bregenz at Lake Constance
Bregenz isn’t a big city, which we think is more of an advantage. It doesn’t feel rushed to us, the centre can be explored on foot, and you can get to the lake after a short walk from the city, not after a long search for parking or bypassing busy roads. For a few days, it’s a very comfortable base from which to take many trips, including to Switzerland or Germany. Likewise, you’ll be close to our favourite mountain lakes in Vorarlberg:
Lake Stage in Bregenz
We also recommend visiting the lake stage in Bregenz, which this city is famous for. Tickets for performances tend to sell out early in the season, so keep that in mind.
- Körbersee, Vorarlberg: a tip for a relaxed trip to 2 mountain lakes
- Trip tip for Zürsersee: Lech and Zürs am Arlberg
- Trip tip for Lake Lünersee
Where to go on trips from Lake Constance from Bregenz, Austria?
Here are our 8 recommended trips that we think make the most sense from Bregenz, Austria. Bregenz has an excellent location. The surrounding area can be easily combined by train and boat, and in the season from April to October, regular boats run from the harbour via Lindau, Friedrichshafen, Meersburg, and Mainau all the way to Constance. For moving around the region, the Bodensee-Ticket for Austria, Germany, and Switzerland is also useful.
1. Cable car trip to Mount Pfänder from Lake Constance from Bregenz
Pfänder is a mountain rising directly above the city of Bregenz, which gives the city a unique character, and we reached the summit from the centre in about six minutes by the Pfänderbahn cable car. From the top, a view opens up over Lake Constance, the city, and the border triangle of Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, while in good visibility, it’s possible to see more than 240 Alpine peaks.
The place is worth a visit even for non-hikers, because in addition to a longer route, it also offers viewpoints and short walks or an Alpine wildlife park. We consider the best time to visit to be morning or late afternoon. If you don’t get up early in the season, queues form in the late morning.
2. Lindau at Lake Constance – by boat or car from Bregenz
The German town of Lindau is, for us, the easiest and most rewarding trip from the Austrian town of Bregenz. Lindau has an island historic centre and a famous harbour entrance with the Bavarian Lion and a new lighthouse. From the lighthouse, 139 steps lead to the viewpoint. We personally tried going here by car when returning from Vorarlberg and, to be honest, we recommend either visiting by boat or counting on parking in the main car park by the train station rather than in the city centre.
3. St. Gallen at Lake Constance
A great tip for a day when you want to enjoy city tourism and culture rather than trips into nature and to the lake. We consider the main attraction to be the local abbey, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, including the famous abbey library with around 170,000 volumes and 2,000 medieval documents. A good tip for any rainy days.
4. Dornbirn and Karren
When you want a short trip with breathtaking views, this is a very good choice. Karren is Dornbirn’s local mountain, and at the top is a viewpoint over the Rhine Valley, Lake Constance, and the Swiss mountains. The place is accessible by train and bus. It’s suitable when you don’t want to spend half a day travelling.
5. Feldkirch
For us, one of the prettiest historic trips in Vorarlberg. The town is worth a visit in its own right, but our main goal is Schattenburg, a roughly 750-year-old castle with a museum, which we rank among the nicest for trips from Bregenz.
6. Friedrichshafen
If you enjoy technology, transport history, or are travelling with children who enjoy it, then we wouldn’t miss this place. The Zeppelin Museum has over 1,500 original exhibits and its main attraction is a partial life-size reconstruction of the LZ 129 Hindenburg, and it’s also located right by the harbour.
You might also be interested in:
- Austria, Schlögen: a tip for a weekend trip to the trail and viewpoint by the Danube
- Holiday at Attersee: 7 tips on where to go on trips and where to stay
- 8 tips for trips in Austrian Styria
7. Insel Mainau at Lake Constance
This, on the other hand, is a trip for those holiday days when you want something quieter and picturesque. Mainau is a flower island in Lake Constance with a park and gardens over an area of 45 hectares, and you can visit it in any season. From Bregenz, you can get here by boat in the season. This island is close to our hearts, as photos of my parents when they visited here in the 80s to see my uncle were the first things I ever saw from Lake Constance.
8. Meersburg at Lake Constance
If you’re looking for the prettiest little town for Instagram photos on the German shore, we’d go here. Boats also head here from Austrian Bregenz in the season, and the biggest attraction is the old castle, which according to official materials is the oldest inhabited castle in Germany.
If we had to choose just three from this list for a short weekend at Lake Constance, we would choose Lindau, Meersburg, and Pfänder. For a shorter half-day, Dornbirn is best, for worse weather Friedrichshafen. Conversely, if you have plenty of time, I definitely recommend not missing the flower island of Mainau.
