Lindau: Bavaria’s Corner of Lake Constance

Lindau is what happens when Bavaria runs out of land and hits a lake instead, and it is a genuinely strange feeling after a week of beer halls and mountain towns: palm trees in planters, sailboats, and a horizon with Switzerland and Austria both visible across the water on a clear day. It belongs on the list in my guide to Bavaria by train as the westernmost stop, and it pairs naturally with a longer Alpine loop if you are already covering the Allgäu or Neuschwanstein on the same trip.

The island old town

The old town of Lindau occupies its own small island, walkable end to end, with the harbor as its obvious center¹. The entrance to that harbor is guarded by two landmarks facing each other across the water: the New Lighthouse, which you can climb, and a large stone Bavarian Lion, the same lion that shows up on the state’s coat of arms, standing watch on the opposite mole¹. A short walk around the water from the harbor is the Mangturm, the older of Lindau’s two towers and the one that predates the lighthouse by centuries¹.

Resi says Bavaria puts its lion everywhere the state wants to remind you it is still the Free State and not just another German region, and Lindau’s harbor lion is the most photogenic version of that habit I have seen. Climb the lighthouse for the view of it from above; it is the better angle, and the lion does not mind being looked down on for once.

Getting there

The rail connection to Lindau has been getting better rather than worse, which is not something you can say about every regional line in Bavaria: the town’s own tourism office describes faster and more frequent services now running from both Munich and Zurich¹. That makes Lindau workable as a long day trip from Munich, though its position at the far southwestern corner of Bavaria means it rewards an overnight more than most of the other day trips on this site, if your schedule has the room.

Coming from the Allgäu rather than straight from Munich also works, since Lindau sits at the western edge of that region, and travelers who have already spent a day around Neuschwanstein or Oberstdorf can fold it in on the way through rather than backtracking into the city first. Either approach lands you in the same harbor; it is only the order of the trip that changes.

Where to stay: island or mainland

Lindau’s charm is concentrated on the island, and that is also where the choice gets made. Stay on the island itself and you are inside the postcard: a few minutes from the harbor at any hour, with the lake and the lighthouse the first thing you see stepping outside. Stay on the mainland side, in the newer districts across the causeway, and you trade that immediacy for more ordinary prices and easier parking, at the cost of a short crossing back into town every time you want the view. I would pick the island for one night and not think twice about it; for anything longer, the mainland side is the more sensible base and the walk in is part of the routine rather than a chore.

What to do with an afternoon

Climb the lighthouse first, while the light is still good for the view back over the harbor. Walk the promenade past the lion and the yacht moorings, then loop around to the Mangturm on the quieter side of the island. Lindau does not demand a long list the way a city does; it rewards slowing down, a coffee somewhere with a lake view, and time spent simply looking at water that is not the usual sight on a Bavarian itinerary.

The old town streets behind the harbor are worth the wander too, narrow and arcaded in the way lake towns on this stretch of border tend to be, closer in feel to a small Swiss or Austrian town than to Munich. Shops and cafes fill the ground floors of buildings that have clearly been doing exactly that for a very long time, and the pace of the place matches: nobody on the island seems to be in a hurry, which after Munich’s tempo is close to the whole point of coming.

A different corner of Bavaria

What makes Lindau worth the detour, more than any single sight, is the reminder that Bavaria is not only mountains, beer halls and Baroque churches. This is the state’s water corner, and the culture shifts with the geography: sailing rather than hiking, wine grown along the lakeshore rather than hops in a beer garden, and a border so close that a single afternoon can put you across it. If you are working through a longer Alpine itinerary and want one stop that feels genuinely different from the rest, put it here rather than at the start, so the contrast actually lands.

Lindau also makes a sensible hinge point if you are continuing on rather than looping back to Munich, since Austria and Switzerland are both reachable across the same lake the town sits on. That is a bigger trip than a single day allows, but it is worth knowing the option exists if Lindau turns out to be the town where you decide to stay an extra night.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lindau in Bavaria?

Yes. It is the Bavarian town on Lake Constance, at the state’s southwestern corner where Bavaria, Austria and Switzerland meet.

Is Lindau's old town on an island?

Yes, a small island connected to the mainland, with the harbor and its lighthouse and lion statue at the center of town.

How do you get to Lindau from Munich?

By train; service has recently gotten faster and more frequent, making Lindau workable as a day trip or an easy overnight.

What is the Bavarian Lion statue in Lindau?

A large stone lion facing the New Lighthouse across the harbor entrance, matching the lion on Bavaria’s own coat of arms.

Is Lindau worth visiting?

Yes, for the lake setting alone; it looks and feels different from the rest of Bavaria, which is most of the appeal after an inland itinerary.

Should you stay on Lindau island or the mainland?

The island puts you inside the view for a premium; the mainland side is cheaper and easier for parking, with a short walk back into the old town.

Can you see Switzerland and Austria from Lindau?

On a clear day, yes, across the lake, which is part of what makes the town feel different from the rest of Bavaria.

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