Free Walking Tour Lindau: Harbor, Lanes and Lighthouse

From the harbor into the island lanes and back to the water: Bavaria's only lighthouse, a Baroque merchant house and a medieval main street in 2.4 km.

8 Stops 2.4 km ~32 min walking
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Route map for the Lindau walking tour
Stop 1 of 8
230 m·3 min
Lindauer Hafen
Head south-east along the breakwater toward the Neuer Leuchtturm
Grüß Gott, welcome to Lindau. I'm Alex, and one quiet church protects an artist's work exactly where he left it.
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The Island Loop at a Glance

Eight stops lead from the Lindauer Hafen past the Neuer Leuchtturm, the Diebsturm, the Peterskirche, the Stadtmuseum (Haus zum Cavazzen), the Maximilianstraße and the Bayerischer Löwe to the Mangturm. That is 2.4 km and 32 minutes of pure walking; with the lighthouse and the museum, plan a little over three hours.

The harbor, the church, the street and the lion are free; the lighthouse and the museum charge admission, and the Mangturm is currently closed. The GPS route in your browser costs nothing, and the AI Tour Guide is an optional extra.

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View of Lindau

The Route

Walking Map of Lindau's Island Old Town

8 stops 2.4 km 32 min walking
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The 8 stops along this route

  1. Lindauer Hafen, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour
    1Lindauer Hafen
  2. Neuer Leuchtturm in Lindau, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour
    2Neuer Leuchtturm
  3. Diebsturm in Lindau, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour
    3Diebsturm
  4. Peterskirche in Lindau, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour
    4Peterskirche
  5. Stadtmuseum (Haus zum Cavazzen) in Lindau, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour
    5Stadtmuseum (Haus zum Cavazzen)
  6. Maximilianstraße in Lindau, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour
    6Maximilianstraße
  7. Bayerischer Löwe in Lindau, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour
    7Bayerischer Löwe
  8. Mangturm in Lindau, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour
    8Mangturm
  9. That's the full route.

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Your Lindau Walking Tour from Harbor to Mangturm, Stop by Stop

  1. 1

    Lindauer Hafen

    Lindauer Hafen, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour

    Start at the water. The Lindauer Hafen, locally the Seehafen Lindau, is public space, open around the clock and free, and it is the hinge of the whole loop. Three of the stops you are about to see belong to this harbor world: the lighthouse at the end of the west mole, the Bayerischer Löwe at the harbor entrance and the old Mangturm on the harbor square, where the walk ends.

    Take a minute to use the harbor as your map. The new lighthouse took over in 1856 from the Mangturm, which had stood here since 1230, so you are looking at more than six centuries of guiding boats into the same basin. The harbor grounds also have a story of their own: for years they belonged to the railway's lake shipping department, were then sold to the Stadtwerke Konstanz, and only returned to Lindau at the beginning of 2010 after years of negotiation.

    One practical thought before you set off: the lighthouse opens only when the weather allows, so if the sky looks doubtful, head there first while it is still open. It is the nearest stop anyway, just 230 m and 4 minutes along the mole.

    Local name
    Seehafen Lindau
    Hours
    Open 24/7
    Price
    Free
  2. 2

    Neuer Leuchtturm

    Neuer Leuchtturm in Lindau, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour

    The Neuer Leuchtturm stands at the end of the west mole, right at the harbor entrance, and it carries a handful of titles: the only lighthouse in Bavaria and the southernmost lighthouse in Germany. It is 36 m tall with a viewing platform at 33 m, and at 428 m above sea level its light is the highest in the country. Look up at the facade: it is one of the few lighthouses anywhere with a clock built into it.

    Construction began in 1853, and the light went into service on 4 October 1856, which is why it is called the new lighthouse: it replaced the Mangturm. For its first six years the light came from an oil fire. The keeper had to tend the flames in large pans himself and work the fog bell or the bellows of the fog horn. Petroleum and gas followed, electricity arrived in 1936, and in the early 1990s the tower was fully automated. Today ships switch the light on by radio when they need it, and it flashes every three seconds from two rotating parabolic lamps. In 1945 the old keeper's room became a VHF radio station for ship to ship and ship to shore traffic.

    Is it worth the admission fee? If you want the view from the platform and enjoy lake shipping history, yes; inside you also find information on the local flora and fauna and the weather. It only opens in season, weather permitting.

    From here the route turns inland: 600 m and 7 minutes to the Diebsturm, where the old town lanes begin.

    Local name
    Leuchtturm Lindau
    Hours
    Daily 10:00–18:00 (seasonal Mar/Apr–Oct, weather permitting)
    Price
    5 EUR full, 3 EUR reduced
  3. 3

    Diebsturm

    Diebsturm in Lindau, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour

    The Diebsturm, the thieves' tower, is the first door on this route that will most likely stay shut for you. Its interior is a dungeon, and visits inside are reserved for booked school and children's groups. Unless you are leading one, this is a stop for the name and the outside, and a few minutes are enough.

    Still, it is a good place to pause and notice the change around you: the open harbor is behind you, and from here the walk becomes a matter of lanes and facades. The next stop is only 20 m away, a minute's walk at most.

    Hours
    Daily: 08:30–18:00
    Price
    Free
  4. 4

    Peterskirche

    Peterskirche in Lindau, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour

    Right next to the Diebsturm stands the oldest church in Lindau. The Peterskirche no longer serves as a parish church; it is now the town's war memorial, and that shapes what you see. This is a memorial that happens to be a church, so come in quietly and take your time.

    Going in costs nothing, which makes it the one interior on the loop that is always worth a look if the door is open, and a morning start gives you the best chance of that.

    From here it is 410 m and 5 minutes to the Marktplatz and the museum.

    Hours
    Mon–Tue: 09:00–12:00, 14:00–17:00 | Wed: 09:00–12:00 | Thu–Sat: 09:00–12:00, 14:00–17:00 | Sun: 09:00–12:00
    Price
    Free
  5. 5

    Stadtmuseum (Haus zum Cavazzen)

    Stadtmuseum (Haus zum Cavazzen) in Lindau, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour

    The Stadtmuseum (Haus zum Cavazzen) fills a Baroque townhouse on the west side of the Marktplatz. Its story starts with a disaster: in 1728 a fire destroyed most of the houses around the square of what was then a free imperial city. In 1729 and 1730 the architect Jakob Grubenmann from Appenzell built this house for the wealthy merchant family Seutter von Loetzen, and he also drew the plans for its neighbor, the Haus zum Baumgarten. Look at the facade and you see the confidence of a town rebuilding in style.

    The museum has a longer history than the house's role as one. A museum association, founded in 1889 and led by the Protestant pastor Gustav Reinwald, set up the first local museum in 1890 on the upper floor of the Old Town Hall. In 1929 the owner Ludwig Kick donated the Haus zum Cavazzen to the town on the condition that it become the museum, and it opened on 19 July 1930.

    Recent years brought a complete overhaul. The federal government pledged 8.6 million euros in 2015, the house closed for renovation in 2018, and a new depot with room for some 6000 objects opened the same year. After a thorough redesign the museum reopened on 17 and 18 May 2025, so even repeat visitors find it new.

    Go in if you want the town's story behind the facades: it is the stop that explains everything else on the loop. Admission is charged, with a reduced rate available. Allow at least an hour. Then it is 310 m and 4 minutes to the Maximilianstraße.

    Hours
    Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, Mon closed
    Price
    8 EUR full, 6 EUR reduced
  6. 6

    Maximilianstraße

    Maximilianstraße in Lindau, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour

    The Maximilianstraße is the main street of the island old town, running east to west between the former convent district around today's Marktplatz and the harbor. Walk it slowly and look at the proportions: its medieval ground plan has largely survived, and many houses still keep their original scale in height and width, which means they came through the great fire of 1728.

    Halfway along, on the central square once called the Reichsplatz (Lindau was an imperial city until 1800), stands a stately civic building that combined town hall and trade. Its showpiece facade faces south toward the harbor. The ground floor held the market hall, the council chamber sat above, so commerce and government literally shared one roof.

    Notice that the street does not run straight on toward the mainland. The likely reason is the old split of the island into a convent district and a secular village. The result is a self-contained promenade rather than a through road, a remarkable luxury for a town on the north to south trade route through the Rhine valley and over the Alps. Parallel to it run the Ludwigstraße to the south and the Grub to the north; their curves still trace the medieval fortifications, and both have houses from the 15th and 16th centuries.

    From here the route bends back to the water: 440 m and 6 minutes to the lion.

    Hours
    Always open
    Price
    Free
  7. 7

    Bayerischer Löwe

    Bayerischer Löwe in Lindau, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour

    Out on the pier at the harbor entrance sits the Bayerischer Löwe, the Bavarian lion. This is the easiest stop of the day: a statue on a public pier, free, open around the clock, nothing to decide.

    After a church and a museum that both asked something of you, use it as the pause it is. Most of the loop is behind you now, and from the pier you can look back at the lighthouse you started with. The last stop is 380 m and 5 minutes back along the water.

    Hours
    Open 24/7
    Price
    Free
  8. 8

    Mangturm

    Mangturm in Lindau, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour

    The Mangturm closes the circle on the harbor square, right where you began. Built in 1230, it was Lindau's lighthouse for more than six centuries until the Neuer Leuchtturm took over in 1856, so you end the walk at the beginning of the harbor's story.

    The tower is currently closed, so this is a stop from the outside. Take it as the closing marker of the loop: everything you just walked lies only minutes away, and if going inside matters to you, check on site whether it has reopened.

    Status
    Currently closed
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Lindauer HafenNeuer LeuchtturmDiebsturmPeterskirche+4
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AI Tour Guide

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Press start wherever you are, even hundreds of kilometres from Lindau, and the guide begins telling its stories right away. In the city, pick any of the 8 stops to start from: it leads you there, then talks with you the whole route, asking, listening, remembering, and shaping the tour around your answers.

8stops 2.4km 32 minwalking 13languages
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Three Ways to Walk the Island

The loop is short, so the real choice is not distance but how many doors you go through.

The full loop with both tickets

Stops: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

For first visitors with a morning to spare. All eight stops, 32 minutes of walking, and admission at the lighthouse and the museum, both with reduced tickets.

The free outside loop

Stops: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

For a short stay or a tight budget. Same 32 minutes of walking, but you look at the lighthouse and the museum from outside; the only interior you enter is the Peterskirche, which is free. Under two hours in total.

The old town core

Stops: 3, 4, 5, 6

For a rainy hour or a second visit. From the Diebsturm through the Peterskirche and the museum to the Maximilianstraße: 740 m and 10 minutes of walking. The museum is the only ticket.

How Long This Lindau Tour Takes, With and Without Tickets

Pure walking time is 32 minutes for 2.4 km, and no single leg takes longer than 7 minutes. What stretches the walk is the two interiors: give the lighthouse about half an hour and the museum well over an hour, and the full loop lands at a little over three hours.

A start at 10:00 works neatly: you reach the Peterskirche around 11:00, spend roughly 11:15 until 12:30 in the museum and stand at the Mangturm at about 13:15. The free outside loop fits in under two hours, the old town core in about an hour and a half with the museum.

Before You Set Off in Lindau

  • Start and finish: The recommended start is the Lindauer Hafen, the finish is the Mangturm, back at the harbor square. You can join at any stop, and the GPS navigation in your browser takes you back to the start if you want it.
  • Best day and time: Start in the morning, when you have the best chance of finding the Peterskirche open, and pick a day when the museum is open. The lighthouse only opens in season, weather permitting.
  • Costs: The lighthouse and the museum charge admission, both with reduced tickets. Everything else on the loop is free, and the Mangturm is currently closed.
Walking tour route map of Lindau
AI Tour Guide

Your guide is ready when you reach the harbor.

Press start and a voice AI Tour Guide takes it from here: leading the route through Lindau, telling the stories, and turning your walk into a real back-and-forth conversation. No app or download is needed; it runs in your browser.

8stops 2.4km 32 minwalking 13languages
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What the AI Tour Guide Adds in Lindau

On a loop this compact, the AI Tour Guide fills the space between the facades. It greets you at the harbor, tells the stories of each place as you arrive, asks what caught your eye and remembers it, so a lighthouse fan hears more about lake shipping and a history buff more about the imperial city. You can interrupt any time, for example to ask how the fire of 1728 started or what life looked like in the convent district. You get 100 free credits to start; after that, this tour costs 19.99 EUR all-inclusive with no time limit, or 5 EUR per hour.

A Real Conversation A voice AI Tour Guide greets you, leads the whole route, and tells the stories and facts as you walk, asking what you want to see and keeping a real conversation going. Not a recording you press play on.
Map Navigation Follow the route on the map and walk at your own pace. You choose where to start and when to move to the next stop.
Ask Anything Curious about a building you pass? Ask your AI Tour Guide on the spot and the conversation carries on.
13 Languages Switch language anytime. No separate tour needed.
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Common Questions About Visiting Lindau

Can I combine Lindau with Bregenz on the same day?

Yes. The Lindau loop takes a morning at most, and Bregenz is only 7 km away with its own route: Bregenz walking tour.

Does the tour work on a rainy day?

Partly. The museum and the Peterskirche are indoors, but the lighthouse opens only when the weather allows, so on a wet day the old town core is the better choice.

Which other towns on Lake Constance can I walk the same way?

Across the lake there are routes for Constance and Meersburg, and inland St. Gallen is 27 km away.

Is Lindau worth a visit outside the lighthouse season?

Yes. The museum and the Peterskirche stay open outside the lighthouse season, and the harbor, the lion and the Maximilianstraße are always open.

Is the tour really free?

Yes. The whole tour is free: the route, the interactive map and the navigation cost you nothing. Only the voice AI Tour Guide is optional and paid: you test it with 100 free credits, then you pay either €5 per hour or €19.99 for this whole tour, with no time limit. Admission to 2 of the 8 stops is not included: Neuer Leuchtturm and Stadtmuseum (Haus zum Cavazzen) charge their own entry fees.

Do I need to download an app?

No. Everything runs in your phone browser. Open the route and start walking, no download and no sign-up required.

Do I need to book the walking tour in advance?

No booking needed. This self-guided tour is available anytime. Open the route in your browser and start walking. The AI Tour Guide works instantly, no app, no reservation required.

What languages is the AI Tour Guide available in?

The AI Tour Guide speaks 13 languages, so you take the tour in your own language and can switch at any time.

Can I skip stops or change the route?

Yes. Skip any stop, spend extra time at places you like, or start the route from any point. It is your walk, you set the pace.
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