Summer romance: Austria and Switzerland (part 2)
Day 4. Lake Constance. Bregenz. Lindau. Mainau Island. Meersburg.
The mere pronunciation of the names of the years causes pleasure. linguistic music. Anticipation. Expectation. For the sake of such a "non-tourist" Europe, I went on tour. In many cities, throughout the tour, the guides told us that we were the first Russian-speaking group with them. These are Columbus from Accord))))
Lake Constance is located in the Pre-Alps on the border of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. So we traveled, diving from one country to another, getting lost in the geographical course and tugging at the guide - we are now in what country? ! )))
Bregenz is an old city with over 2000 years of history. At the end of the First World War, the inhabitants of the city voted to become part of Switzerland.
The fact is that local residents, due to their geographical position, were more closely connected with the Swiss by trade and cultural relations than with Austria, located beyond the mountains. But the fate of Bregenz was determined by the victorious powers, and the city went to Austria. So here we are in Austria.
The city is divided into two parts - Upper and Lower City. The upper town is the oldest part of Bregenz and here is the largest number of attractions. Unters-Tor gates serve as a kind of border between the Old and New Towns. The lower city is located on the shore of the lake. This is a more modern and contrasting part of Bregenz.
The main symbol of the New City has recently been the Lake Stage. The huge stage was built right in the lake on 200 piles, there are seats for 6.300 spectators on the shore. Every year it hosts the Opera Festival, which is visited by tens of thousands of connoisseurs of theatrical art.
The stage is completely rebuilt every two years.
Sightseeing tour. Photo. Little streets. Houses as in the picture. Postcard views. How many more such sightseeing morning and evening excursions will I have around the city of Bregenz ...But then I didn’t know about it yet)))
Lindau. One of the oldest cities in Germany. Attention, already Germany))) The very name of the city comes from Linde - linden, a sacred and beloved tree of the ancient Germans. Every summer Lindau hosts a week of meetings between Nobel laureates and young scientists.
The port complex Lindau, built in 1856, is still considered the most beautiful on Lake Constance. On one side of the entrance to the harbor is the Bavarian Lion - a 6-meter-high monument by the sculptor Johan von Halbing, proudly looking at Lake Constance, on the other - the New Lighthouse.
How to describe in words this special atmosphere of small European towns?
You wander through their streets, look into the courtyards, look at the paintings of houses, you are surprised at the contemplatively relaxed energy that is amazing for us, which envelops you and does not let you go into the usual gallop behind the guide)))
Mainau Island. Located right in the heart of Lake Constance, Mainau Island is part of the city of Konstanz. Territory of Germany. The island belongs to the ancient noble family of Bernadotte - the ruling family of the kingdom of Sweden. The late Count Lennart Bernadotte called his beloved island the “ship of flowers”, indeed, with a length of 1100 meters and a width of 610 meters, Mainau could well pass for a giant ship.
The main feature of the island of Mainau is its tropical and subtropical climate, uncharacteristic for Europe, in which rare Mediterranean plants grow like mushrooms after rain.
The tropical pavilion "Palmenhaus", which has a collection of 1200 orchids, and the largest glass butterfly aviary in Germany with exotic specimens, and there are about 1000 of them, are very popular.
May Mainau forgive me, but I was in Keukenhof))) Although these two parks are put on the same scale, for me, Mainau, subjectively, did not outweigh the Dutch miracle, did not overshadow, did not interrupt those feelings ...But I also really liked it!
But the butterfly pavilion really fascinated ...The feeling when a butterfly sits on your hand, easily tickles you with its paws and proboscis, and you look at this natural miracle very close - akin to those feelings of absolute children's delight, which somehow I haven't experienced for a long time)))
But what struck from the flower theme was the orchid pavilion! They pulled us out of there, and would have lived there))) Sublimated beauty. Just an incredible amount of beauty per square meter. Admired. Amazed.
Conquered)))
Meersburg. City in Germany, Baden-Wü rttemberg. Meersburg is located on the coastal terrace, which divides it into two parts: Upper and Lower Town. The latter was traditionally inhabited by fishermen and carriers of people and goods to the opposite shore of the lake, where the city of Konstanz is located. Monumental buildings are located on the upper terrace. The historical center of the city is small and worth a leisurely walk around all its streets and squares, which now and then offer amazing views of the lake and mountains.
I really liked the city. Authentic. Some native feeling. Very harmonious. Lock. Paving stones. Wisteria gently wraps around the walls of houses. Palm trees on the embankment. The sun lazily sinks below the horizon. I don't want to rush.
It is here that the cliché that the national German cuisine is beer, sausages and sauerkraut is shattered.
A chic fish menu and quality local wines are something really worth trying. At what the wine is poured into a glass 250 ml mug, for which they take a deposit. I liked the container - take it for a souvenir. Yes, now I have another euro mug))))
On the embankment is the strangest monument I have ever seen. What does it symbolize? Uh ...At least the rich imagination of the author ... )))
Bus. Road. Hotel. Evening walk around Bregenz.
