German beer is not only part of the German culture but thanks to the Reinheitsgebot (purity order) one of the best beers in the world.

According to the Reinheitsgebot German beers only contain of water, hops and malt and beers such as Weissbier, not using only barley-malt must be top-fermented.

Pils © leah.jones/flickr.com

Beer was first mentioned in Germany in the Bavarian town of Geisenfeld in 736 and a document from 766 says that beer was delivered to the abbey of St Gallen in Gaisingen on the banks of the Danube River.

In Germany you can get about 5000 different beers many of them produced in small regional breweries. So if you wanted to try a different beer every day, it would take more than 13 years to try them all.

The most popular certainly is Pils or Pilsener, a pale lager with a light body and a prominent hop character. Export is maltier and less hoppy than Pils. Weissbier (wheat-beer) is very popular in the south. In Cologne the most popular beer is the Kölsch a pale beer with a light body too, whereas in Düsseldorf people drink Altbier, dark amber, hoppy beer.

Typical for Berlin is the Berliner Weisse, a pale and sour wheat beer. In Bamberg you can get the so called Rauchbier with a dark colour and a smoky taste as it is made of smoked malt.  But as you can imagine these are only a few German beers. Wherever you are, you will for sure find the right beer to suite your taste.

The town and island of Lindau, Bavaria are located on the eastern shore of Lake Constance. On the island you can find the town’s landmark, a lion sculpture, and Bavaria’s only lighthouse.

In Lindau you can see all kinds of fountains, as in ancient times they were the town’s water supply. Today they are still very popular with tourists and locals.

Town Hall © Stefan Munder/flickr.com

The most famous probably is the Lindavia Fountain at the Old Town Hall. The base is made of marble with a sculpture of the town’s patron Lindavia holding a lime twig on top. The basin’s sculptures show the former wealth of Lindau based on shipping, fishing, winegrowing and agriculture.

Another beautiful fountain is the Narrenbrunnen (fool’s fountain) with its sculptures.

About every part of the town has its own fountain and at Easter they are beautifully decorated.

But besides the fountains there are also the towers of Lindau. The most famous probably are the lighthouses at the harbour. The Old Lighthouse with a height of 37 metres was built in the 13th century. Its colourful roof dates back to the 19th century. At the entrance of the harbour there are the statue of the lion and the New Lighthouse built in 1856. If you climb up the 139 steps you have a stunning view of Lindau , Lake Constance and the Alps. You can even look as far as Bregenz, Austria.

Very popular at dusk is the promenade at the Pulverturm, the former magazine dating back to 1508. Standing on the western tip of the island, it was integrated into the town wall in the 16th century.
The Malefizturm or Diebesturm (thief‘s tower) was built during the Middle Ages and served as a prison. The coloured roof tiling dates back to the last century.

St Peter’s Church next to it is Lindau’s oldest church and was built around 1000 AD. Having been the town’s parish church until 1180 it has been a war memorial since 1928. Inside the church you can see frescos created by Hans Holbein the Elder at the end oft he 15th century.

There are a few more towers waiting to be discovered as well as the Stadgarten (town gardens).
And there are many more historical buildings to be explored as the historical town centre is well preserved.

The Old Town Hall was built between 1422 and 1436 and is the most impressive building in Maximilianstrasse. In 1496 the German Imperial Diet took place in the town hall which today is the home of 23,000 books of the Free Town Library that dates back several centuries. Besides the town hall there are also many patrician homes in Maximilianstrasse.

Lighthouse © vauvau/flickr.com

The most beautiful houses can be found at the market square. The former house of the Kawatz family with beautiful paintings on the front now is home of the Lindauer Stadtmuseum (town museum). Inside the building you can also see paintings and sculptures from the 15th to 18th century and collections of porcelain, tin and pottery.

And of course you shouldn’t miss out on a boat trip on Lake Constance. An excursion with on the MS Bayern is not only very informative but also a culinary trip. The ship is sailing from April to October and also around Christmas.
Swimming, surfing and sailing are of course only a few of the water related activities you can do at Lake Constance.

In the area you can also go cycling and even cycle around Lake Constance. Bett & Bike will provide you with accommodation and you can of course hire a bike.

Perfect destinations for a great day out with all the family also are Legoland and Connyland.

And Lindau has great shopping facilities to offer. You can buy regional foods on the farmer’s markets and also find old shops that have been there for many generations. Discovering them is like a step back in time.