Traveling in Germany

The city of Konstanz may be the godfather of Lake Constance, but the real pearl of this Swabian Sea is undoubtedly Meersburg, with its picturesque houses and castles on the hills. The name of the city means Castle over the lake. It turned out that there are two castles in it, and besides them many beautiful colorful houses that immediately impressed us.

First, we walked to the old castle erected on a hill in the 7th century. Its rooms revealed fascinating medieval furniture, various knight’s armours, numerous deer horns and many other beautiful exhibits. We visited the medieval kitchens, bedrooms, and made photo of several old weapons. I especially liked the terrace with a wonderful view of Lake Constance.  Today in the castle there was a nice restaurant, but we headed to the higher New Castle, erected in the early 18th century. Behind the white-pink Baroque façade visitors can see the lavish life that the archbishops who lived here had. We strolled in its gorgeous gardens, from where we took beautiful panoramic photos of Lake Constance and the city.

We continued our walk through the colorful market square and the town hall, the beautiful house with the vineyards, and the medieval tower. Along the fortress walls we reached an abbey. All houses on our way competing each other in beauty.

We went down the Steigstraße taking pictures of the other picturesque Unterstadttor tower, which had attached a huge clock. The tower took us to the main shopping and pedestrian street, along which we headed to the port. From the lowland we photographed the two castles, as well as the so-called Magic Column (Magische Säule) that represents in a comical way the famous characters from the history of Meersburg.

The town was small, but full of beautiful places. We felt as we were in a picturesque fairy tale. Meersburg impressed me and I sincere recommend everyone who has the chance to be nearby to visit it.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MEERSBURG::

Location: The city of Meersburg is located in southwestern Germany, in the Baden-Württemberg region, on the shores of Lake Konstanz.
Area:  12.08 sq.km
Population:  5 627 people (as of 2013)
Official language: German
Altitude: 434 m

Trip Tips for Meersburg:

Getting to the city: The nearest airport to the city is the one in Friedrichshafen (https://www.bodensee-airport.eu/ )  There is no train station in Meersburg but you can take a bus from Friedrichshafen or Uberlingen. Another very picturesque option is to take the ferry from the city of Konstanz.  
Best time to visit: all year round
Typical food and drinks: Germany is known for its beer and backed sausages, and Meersburg is no exception. However, we recommend that you try local seafood specialties such as Augustine salad with roasted white fish from Lake Constance or perch fillet from Lake Constance with baked potatoes.
Places to visit: Meersburg is one of the best preserved medieval towns with two castles and numerous colorful houses. The city is divided into a lower town (Unterstadt) and an upper town (Oberstadt), which are separated only for pedestrians and are connected to each other by two stairs and a steep street. The main attractions remain the New and Old Castles, several beautiful gates from the old fortress walls and the many wooden and painted houses.