Lindau am Bodensee · Bavaria, Germany · October 2025
A road trip from München to the lake, a stone lion guarding the harbor, and an island town full of color.
GERMANYOn October 19, 2025, after our morning at the Motorworld, Philipp and I left München and drove west toward the Bodensee, Lake Constance. Our goal for the night was Meersburg, but on the way we made a quick stop in Lindau, the little island town in Bavaria's far southwest corner. It was only a short visit, but Lindau packs a lot into a small space.
Our day, step by step
- Drive München toward Lake Constance
- Stop Lindau harbor: the lion and the lighthouse
- Stroll The Mangturm and the waterfront
- Old town The Altes Rathaus and Maximilianstraße
- Onward Along the lake to Meersburg
From München to the lake
The drive takes you out of the city and across the Allgäu toward the lake. As you get close, the Alps start to rise on the horizon, and the sky over the autobahn that day was crisscrossed with long white clouds.
The lion and the lighthouse
Lindau's harbor entrance is one of the most famous views on Lake Constance. On one side sits the Bavarian Lion, 6 meters tall and weighing about 50 tonnes, carved by the Munich sculptor Johann von Halbig and set up in 1856. On the other side stands the New Lighthouse, 36 meters tall and finished the same year, with a clock face on its side. Across the water you can see the mountains of Austria, and on a clear day the Swiss Alps too: three countries around one lake.
Ships and the waterfront
The big white lake ships come and go right through the harbor entrance. We watched the Schwaben glide in, flags flying. From the water, the waterfront looks like a postcard: pastel hotels in yellow, orange and cream, red roofs, and the old Mangturm standing in the middle.
Mangturm, Altes Rathaus and Maximilianstraße
The Mangturm goes back to the 12th century, when it was part of the town walls and served as a signal and lookout tower. After the New Lighthouse took over in 1856, it got an extra floor and its fantastic roof of glazed green, yellow and red tiles. A few minutes away is the Altes Rathaus, the old town hall, built in 1422. Its whole front was painted in the 1880s with scenes, coats of arms, a sundial and a clock, under a stepped gable. It's one of the most beautiful buildings I've seen in Germany.
We finished with a walk down Maximilianstraße, the 230-meter cobblestone main street of the island, lined with old merchant houses, painted walls, arcades and café tables. On the square we even found another golden "living statue," this one with a guitar.
Tip: even a quick stop is worth it. Park on the mainland or at the island car park, walk to the harbor for the lion and the lighthouse, then loop back through Maximilianstraße. An hour or two is enough to see the highlights.
Good to know
- Where
- Lindau am Bodensee, an island town in the far southwest of Bavaria, near Austria and Switzerland
- Don't miss
- The Bavarian Lion and New Lighthouse at the harbor, the Mangturm, the painted Altes Rathaus
- The island
- About 70 hectares, the second-largest island in Lake Constance, and easy to walk
- How long
- 1–2 hours for a quick visit, or a whole day with a boat trip
- Budget
- $ Walking the harbor and old town is free
Next stop: Meersburg
Have you been to Lindau? Tell me in the comments, or send me a question if you're planning a trip to Lake Constance.
