Lindau

The island harbour, then Bregenz and the Pfänder cable car

Three days in Lindau give one day to the island itself, with the 33-m lighthouse, the harbour lion, Maximilianstraße and the painted Altes Rathaus, and the rest to the lake: a trip across to Bregenz in Austria and the cable car up the Pfänder for views over Lake Constance.

Day one, morning. Arrive at the island station and pick up a map at the tourist information opposite. Walk out to the harbour, climb the 33-m lighthouse for the view across the water, and look back at the stone lion on the opposite pier.

Afternoon. Walk up Maximilianstraße to the Altes Rathaus, admiring its painted facade on both sides. Continue to the market square, where the Haus zum Cavazzen holds the city museum in summer, including a collection of mechanical musical instruments shown on guided tours. Look into the Münster and the small Peterskirche, whose Passion frescoes are attributed to Hans Holbein the Elder. Walk the island's eastern end past the Pulverturm and the old walls.

Evening. Dinner on a harbour terrace as the sun drops behind the Swiss shore.

Day two. Take the morning boat to Bregenz, 22 minutes away. Ride the cable car up the Pfänder for a view over the entire lake, then explore Bregenz's upper town. In July and August you may be able to see the floating stage of the Bregenz Festival. Return by boat or train.

Day three. Rent a bike and ride west along the shore to Bad Schachen and the Lindenhofpark, then on to Wasserburg, whose church sits on a narrow peninsula, and the vineyards of Nonnenhorn. Alternatively, spend the day on a longer boat trip to Meersburg and Mainau. On a summer Friday, book the storytelling evening in the Mangturm.

Lake Felchen, Kässpätzle, Seelen rolls and Nonnenhorn wine

Lindau's food draws on the Allgäu, Bavarian Swabia and Lake Constance. Order Felchen, the lake whitefish, as a fillet on a harbour terrace, Kässpätzle with mountain cheese on a cool evening, Seelen rolls from Fidelisbäck for a picnic, and wine from the vineyards at nearby Nonnenhorn.

Lindau sits where Bavarian Swabia, the Allgäu and the lake meet, and its food borrows from all three. The Allgäu supplies the cheese, and Kässpätzle, egg noodles layered with mountain cheese and topped with fried onions, is the dish to order on a cool evening. Hearty Bavarian standards such as roast pork and dumplings are easy to find.

From the lake comes Felchen, the delicate whitefish that is the region's signature catch. In Lindau it is often served as a fillet with a light herb or butter sauce and salad, best eaten on a terrace by the harbour. Smoked fish is sold at stalls and shops along the shore. Perch and char appear when the season allows.

For breakfast or a picnic, go to Fidelisbäck on the Marktplatz, a bakery whose roots in nearby Wangen go back more than 500 years. Its Seelen, long, salty spelt rolls sprinkled with caraway, are a regional speciality. Note that it closes on Sundays.

Wine is grown just west of town in Nonnenhorn and Wasserburg, the small Bavarian stretch of the lake's vineyards. Look for crisp Müller-Thurgau and light Pinot Noir at the island's restaurants or in village wine taverns.

The island also has several ice-cream parlours, and an afternoon cone by the lion is a summer ritual. Restaurants cluster around the market square and the harbour; Wissingers im Schlechterbräu, on In der Grub, is a popular address for regional cooking. Expect higher prices on the waterfront than on the back streets.

Fasnacht, the Nobel Laureate Meetings, Kinderfest and Hafenweihnacht

Lindau's year runs from Fasnacht parades before Lent to the Nobel Laureate Meetings in early summer, held every year since 1951, then the Kinderfest children's parade in July and the Hafenweihnacht Christmas market in winter. Book rooms well ahead for the Nobel week, when hotels fill with researchers.

Lindau keeps a calendar of its own, and timing a visit around it changes the feel of the island.

The year opens with Fasnacht, the Swabian-Alemannic carnival, when masked guilds parade through the lanes in the days before Lent. It is noisy, local and fun to watch from the side of Maximilianstraße.

Early summer belongs to science. During the Nobel Laureate Meetings, held each year since 1951, dozens of prize winners and several hundred young researchers fill the Inselhalle and the hotels. Hotel rooms are scarce that week, so book well ahead.

In July comes the Kinderfest, a children's festival with roots in the 17th century. Schoolchildren parade through the old town with flowers and bands, and a fair follows. Find a spot on Maximilianstraße early in the morning.

Late summer brings the dahlia show in the gardens on the mainland, which carries on into autumn, and opera fans cross to Bregenz for the festival on the floating stage.

Finally, the Hafenweihnacht, the Christmas market on the harbour, lines the waterfront with stalls in Advent. Mulled wine by the lion, with the Alps lit pink at dusk, is the winter reason to come.