Page 242 - (DK Eyewitness) Back Roads Travel Guide - Germany

240 BACK ROADS GERMANY

Above left Vineyard topped by 18th-century
Basilika Birnau Above right Meersburg 4 Meersburg summer residence from 1268, were
harbour, an important ferry port Below Lakeside Baden-Württemberg; 88709 inspired to build a cheer ful-looking
café in the town of Meersburg Nestled between vineyards and palace in the 18th cen tury. Baroque
with an atmospheric castle loom ing architect Balthasar Neumann built
over its half-timbered pedestrian the pastel-pink Neues Schloss, but
centre, Meersburg is fairy-tale Germany this could only be enjoyed until
come to life. From its main street, seculariza tion in 1802. It provides
Unterstadtstrasse, which runs parallel great views of the Bodensee.
WHERE TO STAY to the lakefront, Steigstrasse leads ª Turn left on to B31/Unteruhildingen,
to the gates of the austere Burg then on to Meersburger Strasse. In
MEERSBURG Meersburg, or Altes Schloss (open daily). Unteruhildingen, turn right on to main
Gasthof zum Bären moderate With foundations laid by Merovingian car park. Follow signs to the museum.
A romantic 13th-century inn, with
small rooms, enjoying a perfect King Dagobert I in AD 628, this is
location in the heart of the old town. Germany’s oldest castle. The Prince- 5 The Pfahlbauten Museum
Marktplatz 11, 88709; 07532 432 20; Bishops of Konstanz, who used it as a Baden-Württemberg; 88690
www.baeren-meersburg.de A reconstructed prehistoric hamlet,
FRIEDRICHSHAFEN Annette von Droste-Hülshoff the Pfahlbauten Museum (closed Dec–
Gasthof Rebstock inexpensive (1797–1848) Feb) features open-air re-creations of
Located a short walk northwest of the Perhaps the greatest ever German Stone and Iron Age dwellings based
centre, this family-run guesthouse has female poet, Annette von Droste- on archaeological remains found
clean and comfortable rooms. It has a Hülshoff spent her later years in here. These suggest that structures
beer garden and offers bike rentals. the Altes Schloss in Meersburg. The were built by driving huge stakes
Werastrasse 35, 88045; 07541 950 16 dank castle was the perfect muse into the ground. The interiors provide
40; www.gasthof-rebstock-fn.de
for her tortured Romantic verses, a glimpse of what life was like here
Buchhorner Hof moderate but it was probably the cause of between 4000 and 850 BC.
This traditional hotel provides bright her death too, for she died of
rooms with Bodensee views and pneumonia here in 1848. Her flowery ª Turn right out of the car park toward
modern facilities. Oberuhldingen and turn left for Birnau;
Friedrichstrasse 33, 88045; 07541 20 Biedermeier quarters have been park in Basilika's car park.
50; www.buchhorn.de well preserved and remain intact.
Hotel Maier moderate 6 Basilika Birnau
The elegant Hotel Maier is 5 km Uhldingen-Mühlhofen; 88690
(3 miles) west of central Friedrichshafen. The Rococo Basilika Birnau (open Wed
Rooms are of the bold boutique
variety and have a satellite TV & Sun) was built between 1747 and
and other facilities. 1750 by a celebrity cast of desig ners,
Poststrasse 1–3, 88048; 07541 40 40; including architect Peter Thumb,
www.hotel-maier.de sculp tor Josef Anton Feuchtmayer,
LINDAU ISLAND who crafted the altar, and fresco
painter Gottfried Bernhard Göz. To
Bayerischer Hof expensive
This luxury hotel in a Neo-Classical the right of the main altar is a side
building has a prime position on the altar dedicated to St Bernard of
lakefront beside the harbour. Its Clairvaux, whose words were said to
spacious rooms are decorated with be sweet as honey, as depicted by
19th-century style furnishings. The the statue of a cherub who sucks a
hotel has fitness and spa facilities,
which include a pool and a sauna. finger he has dipped in a beehive.
Seepromenade, 88131; 08382 91 50; ª Return to Birnau and then
www.bayerischerhof-lindau.de take the B31 to Friedrichshafen.
Where to Stay: inexpensive, under €70; moderate, €70–€150; expensive, over €150

240-241_175705_BR_GER.indd 240 25/07/16 2:09 pm
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