Introduction to Reichenau

10km (6 1/4 miles) NW of Konstanz

In the more southerly of the two arms that stretch westward from the Bodensee, Reichenau is a small historic island that was only recently connected to the mainland by a causeway. By the end of the 800s, it was the site of three separate monasteries, the oldest of which had been established in 724. Later, Reichenau became a political force within the Holy Roman Empire. Today, much of the island is devoted to cultivating vegetables and salad greens, and consequently has a sedate aura, much prized by escapists looking for a quiet getaway.