Reichenau Island, UNESCO Heritage Site in Lake Constance, Germany
Reichenau Island sits in Lake Constance in southern Germany and is known for its medieval churches and monastery buildings, with a population of around 5000 today. A narrow causeway links it to the mainland, while the interior holds farmland with vegetable fields alongside the church structures.
Benedictine monks founded a monastery here in 724, and it soon grew into a center for religious scholarship and book production. The three Romanesque churches were built between the 9th and 11th centuries and show how important the abbey was during the early Middle Ages.
The three medieval churches – St. George, Sts. Peter and Paul, and the Minster of St. Mary and Mark – preserve wall paintings that show how Christian imagery changed from the early Middle Ages through the Romanesque period. These frescoes attract visitors interested in art history who walk through the quiet church interiors to see how religious painting developed over time.
The causeway is open to cars, buses and cyclists, so you can explore the island easily by bike. The churches are usually open during the day, while you can see the vegetable fields anytime from the public paths.
The monastery gardens have been farmed continuously for over a thousand years, with many families passing down their growing methods from generation to generation. Some farmers manage to harvest three times a year, which is unusual for this latitude.
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