Salem

Salem is a municipality in the Lake Constance region that spans eleven districts within the Salemer Valley and is surrounded by hills reaching up to 600 meters. Salem Castle stands as a defining structure at the center, housing a school and various cultural institutions.

A Cistercian abbey was founded in Salem in 1137 and developed into an imperial abbey under direct papal authority. After secularization, the castle later became the seat of various institutions and continues to shape the identity of the place.

Salem Castle hosts a school founded in 1920 that operates according to reform pedagogy principles, making the castle the center of school life. The institution shapes how the place sees itself and draws visitors interested in progressive education.

The place is easily reached by trains on the Friedrichshafen-Überlingen-Basel route and multiple regional buses serving neighboring towns. The surroundings invite walks through the valley and surrounding hills, especially for visitors who want to explore nature.

The Affenberg is a nature reserve where around 200 Barbary macaques live freely among visitors alongside fallow deer and storks. The place offers the rare experience of watching wild primates in a semi-open setting.

Location: Bodenseekreis

Location: Salem GVV

Elevation above the sea: 440 m

Shares border with: Überlingen, Uhldingen-Mühlhofen

Website: http://salem-baden.de

GPS coordinates: 47.76667,9.29583

Latest update: December 17, 2025 10:27