Bad Schachen is the historic starting point of the Bavarian Riviera in Lindau. From the mid-19th century onwards, a landscape of villas and parks developed along the Schachen shore. For those choosing a culturally focused destination, this combination offers a clear point of interest: the focus is on both the landscape and the individual villas. Bad Schachen can thus be explored through two closely related themes—the development of a lakeside landscape and the architectural history of the houses there.
Landscape of Villas and Architectural Styles
The landscape of villas includes Villa Wacker, Rasteck, Seewarte, Tannhof, Daumer and Villa Elena. Together, they illustrate neoclassicism, Italian-influenced Neo-Renaissance, Art Nouveau and Heimatstil (regionalist style). The period from 1870 to 1910 refers to this architectural diversity; the development of the Bavarian Riviera had already begun in the mid-19th century. These two time frames help distinguish the landscape’s broader historical context from the range of styles found in the individual villas. If you are particularly interested in architecture when choosing a destination, this diversity can help guide you within the broader historical context.
The Garden Culture Trail through the Bavarian Riviera connects green spaces, publicly accessible parks and villa grounds; the places mentioned include Lindenhofpark. Garden culture thus complements architectural history as a distinct way of viewing the landscape.
Culture in the Wider Destination of Lindau (Lake Constance)
The wider destination of Lindau (Lake Constance) offers other cultural highlights. The Cavazzen is a patrician townhouse dating from 1729/30 on Lindau Island, built by the Swiss master builder Jakob Grubenmann. The Haus zum Cavazzen is a Baroque patrician palace in the middle of Lindau’s market square. The Cavazzen has housed the Lindau City Museum since 1930; the Cavazzen Museum also offers children insights into the region’s history.
The Former Imperial City Library of Lindau offers a different historical focus. Founded in 1538, it contains around 13,000 volumes from the early modern period and is the largest historic council and citizens’ library on the northern shore of Lake Constance. The Lindau Library Museum is located in the Old Town Hall and displays the library.
The classic guided tour of Lindau takes visitors to landmarks on the island, including the harbour entrance with its Bavarian lion and New Lighthouse, the Old Town Hall with its historic murals, Maximilianstraße with its magnificent houses, the Diebsturm tower and St Peter’s Church. More than 1,000 years old, the church is one of the oldest on Lake Constance. The friedens räume at Villa Lindenhof are an interactive forum inviting visitors to engage with themes of peace through sight, sound and touch. For cyclists, the Lindau Panorama Cycle Tour is another option: it is 26 kilometres long and passes six viewpoints on Lake Constance. At Gerberschanze on Lindau Island, there is a small stone beach with steps leading down to the water.
Discover more destinations: Unterreitnau, Aeschach, Reutin.
Go to the overview of the wider destination: Lindau.
