Since the early Middle Ages, monasteries and churches around Lake Constance have linked architecture, spirituality and nature and shaped the landscape in a unique way. This heritage can be experienced at first hand in the project "Inspiration Lake Constance - Churches, Monasteries, World Culture" by tourism associations and churches.
The project focuses on the monastic World Cultural Heritage "Reichenau Island" and "collegiate district of St. Gallen", the numerous pilgrims' and St. James' paths in the region, the great importance of the Council of Constance and the impressive buildings of the Upper Swabian Baroque Route. The spiritual offers of monasteries, churches and retreat houses are aimed equally at guests and locals.
The Interreg project "Inspiration Bodensee: Kirchen, Klöster, Weltkultur in der Vierländerregion" is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Further information on the funding programme is available at www.interreg.org
Historical building plan with inspirations for the modern age
One of the first architectural documents to document social, scientific and economic coexistence is the St. Gallen monastery plan. Drawn on the island of Reichenau in the 9th century, it served as a template for many later monastery buildings. Since April 2019, the plan, which is over a thousand years old, has been on display in its original form for the first time in the St.Gallen monastery courtyard. On the medieval building site of the Campus Galli in Messkirch, it is being rebuilt – with the means of the time. Visitors and helpers are very welcome!
Lively experiences at the "Klostererlebnistage Bodensee" (Lake Constance Monastery Experience Days)
From 7 to 10 October 2021, the "Lake Constance Monastery Experience Days" will offer multi-faceted insights into the important history of monastic life in the four-country region. Whether guided tours on cultural history, inspiring talks in and about monasteries, eventful overnight stays in monasteries or participation in monastic life: Across borders, interactive and lively, the Monastery Experience Days show how extraordinarily landscape, architecture and spirituality are interlinked.
New: Pilgrimage by bike
The so-called "MeinRadWeg" is dedicated to Saint Meinrad, the "martyr of hospitality". The bicycle pilgrimage trail leads past the stations of the saint's life from the 9th century. The tour starts at the "Sülchenkirche" near Rottenburg am Neckar, leads via the Archabbey of Beuron to the monastery island of Reichenau and from there via the Benedictine monastery of Fischingen to the monastery of Einsiedeln, the largest place of pilgrimage in Switzerland. The cycle path was ceremonially opened in the bishop's town of Rottenburg on May 6, 2019.
Numerous exciting offers
In cooperation with the Lake Constance Gardens Network, experiences are being created invlving monasteries and their gardens. Other offers include the ecumenical lake services on the "church ships", the "BodenseeKirchenbesucher" travel guide with church visitor pass, the guided tours "Pilgrimage in Baden" by the Protestant Regional Church in Baden and the overnight package "On the Trail of the Monks" by the hotel in the Kartause Ittingen. Further offers: The Upper Swabian Baroque Route with over 50 churches along 750 kilometres of road, the Martinus Way, the Upper Swabian pilgrimage routes and the numerous St. James' paths in the Lake Constance region.
