Radtour zum Jubiläum 1.300 Jahre Insel Reichenau

Explore the monastery island of Reichenau on its 1,300th anniversary by bike and then visit the major state exhibition to mark the anniversary at the Archaeological State Museum in Constance.

A major anniversary will be celebrated on Lake Constance in 2024. This is because 1300 years ago, itinerant bishop Pirmin founded the monastery on the island of Reichenau, which became an important source of inspiration for art, culture and politics in the early Middle Ages. "We forge a bond" is the motto of the anniversary year with its series of festivities, exhibitions, spiritual offerings and civic projects. These include open-air plays staged as a journey through time, the "An island makes music" festival, a monastery market and the "Neighborhood Day". In addition, the major state exhibition "Reichenau Monastery Island - World Heritage of the Middle Ages" in Constance from April to October tells the story of the island's important medieval history through precious exhibits.

Both Reichenau Island and the Archaeological State Museum in Constance can be easily visited from Überlingen via the well-signposted Lake Constance Cycle Path.
Start at Überlingen Landungsplatz, where the MS Seegold takes you to Wallhausen on the opposite side of the lake in 15 minutes. From there, follow the signposted Lake Constance cycle path uphill towards Dettingen. The route then descends from Bodanrück down to Untersee and Allensbach. With Reichenau already in view, you cycle past Hegne Monastery to the dam that takes cyclists to the island. Once on the island, keep to the right and cycle past St. George's Church to the monastery grounds.The newly designed monastery gardens on the northern flank of the cathedral are reminiscent of the cloister garden in the center of the former cloister and are also based on the garden areas depicted in the famous St. Gallen monastery plan created on Reichenau. To mark the anniversary, the cathedral treasury was also redesigned and the precious treasures, such as house-shaped reliquaries from the Middle Ages, vestment crosses and important sacred works of art, are now presented in a new and modern way. The Reichenau Museum has also been upgraded. As one of the exhibition venues for the national exhibition, it has been given a new permanent exhibition. During the anniversary year, a new, modern tour system connects the three medieval church buildings with the completely renovated cathedral treasury and the newly designed monastery gardens.

During the walk around the monastery and vegetable island, numerous cafés and restaurants - many with a view of Untersee - invite you to take a break. You then return to the mainland via the dam, where you follow the Lake Constance cycle path parallel to the railroad tracks in the direction of Constance.

Shortly after Petershausen station, turn right and follow St. Gehbard-Straße and Spanierstraße to the indoor swimming pool in Constance. After crossing the road here, you reach the Archaeological State Museum via Benediktinerplatz.The highlight of the anniversary year is the major state exhibition "Reichenau Monastery Island - World Heritage of the Middle Ages". It will take place from 20 April to 20 October 2024 on Reichenau and in neighboring Constance. Outstanding works of art illustrate the glorious history of the abbey. These include magnificent and rarely exhibited manuscripts, which the Reichenau monks copied letter by letter and decorated with artistic images long before the invention of printing.

After visiting the exhibition, keep to the right and pass through a small passageway to Sternenplatz. You reach Seestraße through the cycle and pedestrian underpass (signposted Autofähre). Along the Seerhein, where the Rhine leaves Lake Constance again, you then follow the signposted Lake Constance cycle path to the car ferry in Meersburg. The route leads through housing estates and the Loretto forest.The ferry takes you to Meersburg every 15 minutes. From there, the Lake Constance cycle path leads via Unteruhldingen, the Birnau monastery church and Nußdorf along the lakeshore back to Überlingen.