Friedrichshafen

Friedrichshafen  is a city at the northeastern corner of Lake Constance (Bodensee), near the lake's widest point in the German federal-state of Baden-Württemberg. The city has played a vital role in the history of aviation, as this is where Graf Ferdinand von Zeppelin developed and built his famous airships which dominated the skies in the early 20th century, and where similar smaller airships are made to this day. Friedrichshafen features a wealth of aviation-related attractions and museums. This city of 61,000 people (2019) has one of the longest waterfront promenades along the Bodensee.

Understand
This mostly modern city was almost completely rebuilt after bombing in World War II. It also has a nice view of Austria and Switzerland and the Alps across the lake on a clear day. In addition, the town's other highlights are three interesting museums and the dome-capped Schlosskirche, the premier remaining reminder of Friedrichshafen's baroque past. Friedrichshafen also was a major player in aviation history with the world-famous Zeppelin company, that still produces small airships. It is also home to the Dornier company, which, after several mergers and acquisitions, forms a part of the Airbus company.

By plane
You can also to fly to Zürich Airport in Switzerland and take one of the hourly trains to Romanshorn, and then take the ferry across Lake Constance. Since the last ferry during the off-season departs around 19:30 this is not an option for late arrivals. Alternatively take a train to Zurich main station and take Flixbus from there.

Another option is to fly to Allgäu Airport Memmingen and taking the train from Memmingen to Friedrichshafen. The train ride takes between 2 and 3 hours.

By bus
The private bus company Flixbus serves Friedrichshafen from Berlin, Munich, Zurich and other large cities. The buses arrive/depart at the.

By car
22 km (14 miles) west of Lindau, 20 km (12 miles) south of Ravensburg.

By ferry
There is a ferry port in the very centre of Friedrichshafen with many frequent services to other ports on Lake Constance shores:
 * A 45-minute car ferry service links Friedrichshafen to Romanshorn on the Swiss side of the lake. From there, you can board express trains to Swiss cities like Zürich, Lucerne and Berne.
 * A 40-minute Speedboat (Bodensee Katamaran) (pedestrians and cyclists only) links Friedrichshafen and Konstanz. There is a train station close to where the speedboat docks in Konstanz, where trains from many Swiss destinations, including Basel and Zürich, call.

By train
There is a regular train service from Stuttgart and Ulm to Friedrichshafen. Another train line runs along Lake Constance (though mainly inland and not very scenic) from Lindau via Friedrichshafen to Radolfzell, Schaffhausen and Basel. The main train station is, but there is also a small train station very close to the ferry terminal called. Both train stations are within walking distance of the city centre. In summer time, the trains to and from Friedrichshafen might be crowded with groups of cyclists.

Get around
The town of Friedrichshafen covers a fairly large area along the lake side and the hinterland. There is public transportation, including a fairly priced night-bus system, but the best way to get around is by bike or car. During high-season in summer and large exhibitions (e.g. Eurobike or Interboot) roads can get quite crowded and traffic jams getting in and out of Friedrichshafen are frequent. In particular on the B31 (Lindau-Friedrichshafen-Immenstaad-Hagnau-Meersburg-Überlingen).

There are plenty of opportunities to rent bikes in Friedrichshafen.

See
The at the square next to the main station could be a good starting point before venturing to explore the city.





Do






Go next

 * Meersburg
 * Ravensburg
 * Bad Schussenried
 * Lindau
 * Romanshorn (Switzerland)