EN: Shopping Trips from Zurich to Beautiful Konstanz in Germany

When we moved to Switzerland, we predicted that we would make regular shopping trips to Germany. That has not been the case, or at least not until now, when we have lived in Zurich for over a year. Going forward, however, we might make it a family tradition - not primarily for the low grocery prices but because Konstanz (Baden-Württemberg) is such an incredibly beautiful city, less than an hour away by car.

For 1.200 years, this used to be the seat of the Bishopric of Constance (Diocese of Konstanz), which made the town very important. At the same time it is located so close to Switzerland - literally on the border - that the Allies did not dare to bomb it during the World War II. As a result, tourists nowadays enjoy a historic centre full of winding streets and interesting architecture.

At one time, the residents of Konstanz actually wanted to belong Switzerland. The rural countryside south of the city (i.e. the canton Thurgau) had just been incorporated into the Confederacy, but interestingly enough the Swiss Eidgenossen chose to spare a minimal corner of land on the southern side of the Rhine and Lake Constance, since they feared that the city-state of Constance would claim a too dominant position.

In our time, however, the Swiss cannot disguise their love for the town. On Saturdays, parking spaces are dominated by Swiss registered cars and during our first visit here, our eldest son even happened to bump into one of his classmates from Zurich.

But where should you actually go shopping? First and foremost, I would recommend a walk through the pedestrian area, lined by both shops and restaurants on both sides. Should the weather be bad, the shopping mall Lago (down by the train station Hauptbahnhof) is a safe bet for clothing, footwear and sporting goods. For food, on the other hand, we for our part absolutely prefer Edeka, a few blocks closer to the historic nucleus.

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For those, like me, who have Czech ancestry, it is of interest to point out that it was here in Konstanz Czech reformer and nation builder Jan Hus was condemned for heresy by the Catholic Church and subsequently, in 1415, burned alive at the stake.

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Deutsche Version (kommt mit der Zeit) 
Svensk version