Konstanz sits right on the Swiss border at the western end of Lake Constance (Bodensee), and it has a rare distinction among German cities: it was not bombed in the war, because the Allies could not tell it apart from Switzerland at night. As a result, the medieval old town survives intact — a tangle of narrow lanes, painted facades, and half-timbered houses that runs from the cathedral down to the harbour.
The harbour is dominated by the Imperia, a nine-metre rotating statue of a courtesan holding the Pope and the Emperor in her hands — a cheeky reference to the Council of Constance (1414–1418), when the city hosted a church council that deposed three rival popes. The Konzilgebäude (Council building) on the waterfront is where much of it happened.
The lake itself is the main attraction. Ferries connect Konstanz to Meersburg, Friedrichshafen, and the flower island of Mainau, a subtropical garden owned by the Bernadotte family that draws visitors year-round. The university gives the city a young, lively atmosphere, and the Niederburg quarter near the Rhine outflow is full of small bars and restaurants. On clear days the Alps are visible across the water.