Ravensburg is a well-preserved medieval town in Upper Swabia, about 45 minutes by train south of Ulm and a short hop from Lake Constance. The old centre is remarkably intact, with towers, gateways, and half-timbered houses that make it one of the more picturesque small towns in Baden-Württemberg.
The town is best known as the home of Ravensburger, the board game and puzzle company — a fact the locals embrace with pride. The Mehlsack, a distinctive 51-metre white tower, and the Blaserturm with its clock are the most recognisable landmarks. The Marienplatz, the main square, is a fine place to sit with a coffee and watch the town go about its business.
A short distance north, Weingarten Abbey is one of the grandest Baroque churches in Germany — and the site of the Blutritt, claimed to be the largest mounted pilgrimage in the world, which sets out every year on the Friday after Ascension.