Lindau and Meersburg: plan the towns separately
Lindau and Meersburg are on different parts of the German shore. Each deserves time on foot, and combining them depends on the actual transport service available that day.
Lindau: island old town and harbour
Lindau's old town occupies an island linked to the mainland. The New Lighthouse at the harbour entrance is Germany's southernmost lighthouse and Bavaria's only lighthouse; the nearby Mangturm is an older watch and signal tower. Regional trains stop at the island station, a minute's walk from the harbour, while long-distance trains use Lindau-Reutin on the mainland. Check local parking or public transport before entering the island area, then allow time for the old town beyond the harbour.
Lindau harbour Christmas market: choose the right days in 2026
Checked against Kulturamt Lindau's official listing on 24 October 2026: Lindauer Hafenweihnacht is scheduled at the Hafenpromenade from 26 November to 20 December 2026, Thursday to Sunday only, 11:00–21:00, with free admission. A Monday-to-Wednesday stay will miss the market. Confirm the event listing linked under Official checks before travelling; if visiting Meersburg too, plan the winter connection by bus and train rather than assuming a scheduled boat.
Official event details ↗Meersburg: two distinct castle sites
Meersburg rises above the lake around the medieval Altes Schloss and the baroque Neues Schloss. They are separate attractions with their own operators, access and opening information. The lower town, steep lanes, waterfront and vineyards give the visit its shape; verify current museum access rather than relying on superlatives about the castles.
Meersburg to Lindau: bus and train until the 2027 boat season
Checked on 21 October 2026: BSB’s 2026 scheduled season ended on 18 October, so no scheduled boat links Meersburg and Lindau until the next season. Internationale Bodensee Tourismus gives the scheduled ships’ winter break as 19 October 2026 to Easter 2027, and BSB had not published its 2027 timetable. In the 2026 season the through boat took about two and a half hours. Meersburg has no railway station, so take the RAB SeeLinie bus 7395 to Friedrichshafen (about 30 minutes) and a regional train on to Lindau, checking the full connection with Deutsche Bahn.
Check the two castles separately in winter
The New Palace operator’s calendar, checked on 21 October 2026, lists weekend and public-holiday opening from 2 November to 24 December, daily opening from 25 December to 6 January, and closure from 7 January to 19 March. Use the palace’s own calendar for your date and the separate Burg Meersburg website for the Old Castle; their winter visits are not interchangeable.
Do not mistake the car-ferry route
The year-round car ferry runs only between Konstanz-Staad and Meersburg. It does not continue to Lindau. Seasonal scheduled boats may provide useful connections elsewhere on the lake, but the exact route and travel time must be checked with BSB. Plan Lindau and Meersburg as separate stops unless a current timetable makes the combination practical. Checked on 21 October 2026: BSB’s low-water notice still says many gangways are steep and that wheelchairs and bicycles cannot currently be carried to or from Hagnau, Immenstaad, Langenargen or Kressbronn. Confirm the exact pier, vessel and assistance arrangements with the operator before relying on a crossing.
Common mistakes that weaken the trip.
These are practical cautions, not live availability claims. Current ferry and boat timetables, garden seasons, opening hours, and cross-border rules still belong to official sources.
Calling the Mangturm Lindau's lighthouse; the New Lighthouse is the active harbour landmark.
Treating Meersburg's two castles as one attraction with one ticket or schedule.
Assuming the Konstanz–Meersburg car ferry provides a through link to Lindau.
Keep the lake plan coherent.
Continue with the guide that matches your next question: base and shore, getting around, the islands, the postcard towns, cross-border day trips, and season. For a separate stop in Munich, use munichguide.app.
Where to stay on Lake Constance: five useful base towns
Choose between Konstanz, Meersburg, Überlingen, Friedrichshafen and Lindau by shore and transport, see lakeside and spa hotels, then compare live availability.
Getting to and around Lake Constance
Plan rail and air arrivals, BSB boat seasons, year-round car-ferry and catamaran timetables, and the 260-kilometre Bodensee-Radweg.
Mainau and Reichenau: gardens or World Heritage
Compare Mainau's ticketed gardens with Reichenau's three Romanesque churches, including current access checks and realistic transport planning.
Current details belong to official sources.
Ferry and boat timetables, garden seasons, opening hours, festival dates, and cross-border rules can change. This page gives the practical context; the sources below verify current facts.
- Lindau TourismLindau destination context: the island old town, the harbour with the Bavarian Lion and the New Lighthouse, the Mangturm, and current visitor information for the Bavarian corner of the lake.
- Lindau: Hafenweihnacht 2026The official 2026 Lindauer Hafenweihnacht dates, Thursday-to-Sunday opening hours, harbour venue and free admission.
- Stadt MeersburgMeersburg context: the Altes Schloss and the baroque Neues Schloss, the terraced vineyards and lakefront, and current visitor and event information.
- Bodensee-Schiffsbetriebe (BSB)Current route-specific timetables for the scheduled BSB passenger ships, low-water boarding notices and links to the operator's 2026 timetable downloads.
- Konstanz–Meersburg Car FerryThe Konstanz (Staad)–Meersburg car ferry, which operates around the clock throughout the year; current timetable and fares for cars, bikes, and foot passengers.
- Internationale Bodensee TourismusThe official cross-border tourism board for the whole lake region: shore-by-shore framing, the passenger-boat network and the scheduled ships’ winter break, the Bodensee-Radweg, and events across Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
- Burg Meersburg: Old CastleThe Old Castle’s own visitor information, history and event programme.
- New Palace: opening calendarThe separate New Palace operator’s seasonal opening and winter closure calendar.
- BSB 2026 timetable bookletThe 2026 scheduled season, whose low season from 14 September closed it on 18 October 2026, and the Meersburg–Lindau through-boat journey time.
- Meersburg: arrival and locationMeersburg has no railway station; trains to Überlingen, Friedrichshafen or Konstanz connect with the RAB SeeLinie bus 7395, ships and the ferry.
- Lindau: arriving by trainLong-distance trains at Lindau-Reutin on the mainland and regional trains at the island station beside the harbour.
- Deutsche BahnCurrent rail connections along the German shore and to Zürich, Munich, and Stuttgart, timetables, and tickets.
How we verify
We check changing boat and ferry timetables, tickets, garden access, and border details against the relevant official authority or operator.