Castles & Palaces
Mainau Island – a beauty spot in the lake
The Flower Island of Mainau in Lake Constance is home to a stunning array of flowers and trees across just 45 hectares. Other attractions include the baroque palace, the palm house and the largest butterfly house in Germany.
Mainau Island is located in Lake Constance deep in the south-west of Germany near the borders with Switzerland and Austria. More than one million visitors flock here every year, making it a major tourist attraction in the local area. It may only cover an area of 45 hectares, but its floral display is nothing short of impressive nonetheless. A number of very old trees are amongst the finest of treasures, including the Viktoria lime planted by the Grand Duke in 1862 to mark the birth of his daughter and the bizarrely knotted pagoda tree, which is also almost 150 years old now. And who could forget the mighty oaks and noble cedars standing proud and tall.
The impressively stunning baroque palace, dating back to the Teutonic Order of Knights in Germany, can be seen high above the treetops from far and wide. Other popular attractions include the palm house with its collection of 1,200 orchids and the largest butterfly house in Germany, where over 1,000 exotic creatures flitter and flutter. The Island of Mainau is also home to the Palace Church of St. Mary, a beautiful relic of the baroque style from the south of Germany, and the Italian rose garden created in 1871 under the orders of Grand Duke Frederick I.