Coverage · Germany
Constance
Constance sits at the western tip of Lake Constance, straddling the German-Swiss border, and carries more medieval history per cobblestone than almost anywhere in southern Germany. The city hosted the Council of Constance from 1414 to 1418, the only papal election ever held north of the Alps, and its old town survived the Second World War intact because residents kept their lights on to look like neutral Switzerland from the air.
16+ researched places in the app
Places researched in this city
A selection of the 16 places we've researched in this city. The full set is in the Parroo app.
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Konstanz Minster
Worship has taken place on this spot since at least 615 AD, and the current Romanesque and Gothic structure, consecrated in 1089, served as the main venue for the Council of Constance. Climb the 78-metre tower for a panoramic view over the city and the lake.
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Council Building
Built between 1388 and 1391 as a warehouse for Milanese merchants, this Gothic hall became the site of the only papal conclave ever held north of the Alps, electing Pope Martin V in 1417 and ending the Great Western Schism. It rests on oak piles driven into the lakebed.
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Constance Harbour
Standing at the harbour entrance since 1993, the 9-metre Imperia statue by Peter Lenk depicts a courtesan holding a tiny pope and emperor in her hands, a pointed commentary on the power games of the 1414-1418 Council. The spot has been a strategic trade point since Roman times.
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Mainau Island
The Teutonic Order acquired this 45-hectare island in 1271 and eventually built a Baroque palace completed in 1746; today it draws over a million visitors a year to its gardens, which hold more than 500 tree species. A causeway connects it to the mainland.
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Reichenau Island (UNESCO)
Founded in 724 by Saint Pirmin, this island monastery became one of the most important scriptoriums of the Holy Roman Empire, producing illuminated manuscripts that are now UNESCO World Heritage. The mild microclimate still yields up to three vegetable harvests a year.
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Rheintorturm
On 6 August 1548, citizens of Konstanz used this 35-metre sandstone tower to repel an attack by Spanish mercenaries sent by Emperor Charles V to force the Protestant city back to Catholicism. It is one of only three towers left from a medieval ring that once included around 25 gates and towers.
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Emperor's Fountain
The original bronze emperors were melted down for armaments during the Second World War; when artists Gernot and Barbara Rumpf redesigned the fountain in the 1990s, they added a three-headed peacock to symbolise the papal schism debated just a few streets away six centuries earlier.
Good to know
- How many places does Parroo cover in Constance?
- 16 researched places, from the Konstanz Minster and Mainau Island to lesser-known spots like the Rheintorturm. Each one has a short summary, a full article, and a ~3-minute audio story.
- Is there an audio guide?
- Yes. Every place has a ~3-minute audio story, written from the perspective of a guide standing next to you and produced with premium narration, not the article read aloud.
- Which languages is Constance available in?
- German, English, and French. Pick whichever you'd rather read or listen in.
- Do I need to book anything or be online?
- No booking, no signup. It's a self-guided walk you start whenever you like. You do need a connection for now to stream the audio and load articles; offline support is something we're still building.
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Updated: 2026-05-29