Mainau Island: a precious parallel universe in the heart of Europe

In this strange period we live in, it has become a difficult task to go to the supermarket or to take a walk at the seaside, although it is only a few kilometers away.

As a coping mechanism, I have, like many, resorted to travelling mentally. I imagine cities, nations or cultural contexts, most of which I have never visited. This has renewed and refreshed my fervor for travel, which I promise myself to return to as soon as possible.

I became overwhelmed by nostalgic thoughts, and so I have fell back on remembering my own past travels across Europe. Those trips belong to a time, which currently seems so distant, hidden in the past.

However not all my travel memories are grey and sad. I have recently recalled my sunny and exciting holidays in Switzerland, which I visited by train in 2016. During that trip, I visited a number of major Swiss cities, such as Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Luzern and Basel.

These cities serve as perfect microcosms for human life, because they are clean, tidy, perfectly sized, and highly attractive because of the impeccable nature.

My journey didn’t stop there. I continued beyond Swiss borders, arriving as far as Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, where I was very impressed by an unusual, hidden island filled with different flowers and trees.

Would you like to discover this amazing place virtually? Follow me!

(Credit: Getty Images)

Constance and its Lake

Before immersing ourselves in the final essence of our trip, I want to introduce the details that make the spot worth anticipating. The island is extremely colorful, and serves as one of the most important attractions. It’s positioned within a very diversified landscape which is at once rich in beautiful natural sights, but also filled with cultural locales.

Constance (Konstanz in German) is a frontier town, and is about 20 kilometers from Switzerland. The city is a major tourist destination, but also hosts a large student body as it holds an important university. The University of Konstanz has an extravagant architectural structure and design. It receives over 10,000 students annually, offering the city a young and lively student population.

The city is famous for its homonym Council, held in 1183, during which the peace between Federico Barbarossa and representatives of the Lombard League was ratified.

Thanks to its closeness to neutral territories, the city was spared from Second World War bombardments, so its historical centre (Altstadt) remains almost undamaged. The main monuments are the catholic cathedral (Münster), whose original Romanesque construction dates back to 1054. It holds a huge Gothic pointed bell tower, designed in a typically German style, and has Baroque elements.

You can also find the iconic Imperia’s Statue. It’s an authentic symbol which represents the atavic conflictual relationship between secular and religious powers.

The statue stands on the banks of Constance lake (Bodensee in German) and embraces three nations (Switzerland, Austria and Germany). Within its waters, Mainau and Reichenau Islands are fully preserved. Its surrounding lands are fruitful and verdant and rich in vineyards and forests. The area boasts a perfect climate for different flowers and plants which grow and flourish in what’s been described as an ecological niche.

Let’s explore together the Mainau Island, which is only 6 kilometers from Constance.

(Credit: Getty Images)

Mainau Island: History, Greenhouses and Other Buildings

This place can be considered a coffer as it contains naturalistic and cultural refinements. In this way, it is a precious treasure embedded in Constance lake situated at the heart of Europe. It’s been able to leave tourists  of every age and nationality bewildered by its beauty. The lake has the power to move visitors away from the dull and stressing reality of their everyday life, transforming them to a separate kingdom.

The island is in fact governed by Bernadotte Swedish Counts. Mainau has belonged to the Order of Teutonic Knights for almost 500 years now.

In 1853, Friedrich I Grand Duke of Baden bought the island and turned it into a magnificent botanical garden. He had a great passion for trees and planted seeds of some American giant sequoias, putting the basis for the Arboretum.

His daughter Victoria married Gustav V, King of Sweden, and the garden was later inherited by the couple’s son William of Sweden. When William died in 1923, it passed to Lennart Bernadotte and, from that moment, is under the jurisdiction of Bernadotte family. The family have made the location a luxuriant heaven. Bernadotte Counts manage the garden via a special private institution, whose aim is to protect this delicate environment.

The most important building in the island is the Baroque Palace, which is also the house of the Bernadotte family. It is partially visitable on the ground floor, where some temporary exhibitions are set up periodically. Near the mansion, we can find an old chapel with its interiors decorated with frescoed pastel colors. This small church is ideal for unforgettable wedding ceremonies.

Mainau Island hosts outside gardens instead of indoor ones and so there are two greenhouses only.

Butterfly house is simply incredible and is probably one of the most visited attractions of the island. It has been claimed as the second largest butterfly house in Germany. It looks like a paradisiac tropical corner and surprises guests thanks to its striking free flying butterflies of 120 species  hailed from all over the world. A multicolored miracle of biodiversity, most butterflies come from special breeding farms in their country of origin as pupae and lay their eggs and breed in a perfectly reproduced environment mimicking their natural habitat.

On the other hand, Palm House is a marvelous concentrate of palms species and is also enriched by various orchids, which cohabitate with the tall trunk plants.

It is very touching to visit this greenhouse and observe butterflies which feed on sugars through banana and peach slices, which are specially prepared for them.

Baroque Palace (Credit: Getty Images)

The wonders to be discovered on this trip aren’t finished yet and many other flowerings and botanical beauties await us.

Mainau Island: Variegated Gardens and Seasonal Blooming

This gracious enclave is filled with flowers and trees, which creates a unique landscape, among promenades, terraces and tiny woods. It is very easy to get lost in the gardens which are crowded with stems and corollas. From these, seductive scents spread naturally in the air, offering sublime moments of peace and relaxation.

The Arboretum is the most ancient and stately part of the park. It is dominated by giant exotic trees, such as redwoods, different types of cedars, metasequoia and tulip trees. Friedrich I started collecting plants in 1864 and his passion had an aesthetic purpose rather than a scientific one, so the island became famous for its big variety of conifers.

Nowadays, this section determines the skyline of Mainau Island, with about 250 species of shrubs and trees.

Another major site is the Dahlia Garden, often leaving guests speechless. It is a pure sumptuous spectacle of warm colors and represents the autumn attraction of the island. From the end of August until mid October, 12.000 dahlias bloom in the garden. These Mexican beauties show themselves in all imaginable shapes and sizes and during springtime are replaced by tulips, poppies and forget-me-nots.

It is possible to find a touch of Italian style in the Rose Garden, near the Baroque Palace. It has a typical geometric structure and invites visitors to lose themselves across pergolas, marble statues, fountains and over 1.000 varieties of roses, which continually change year by year. Following the same model, the Italian Flower-Water-Cascade is inspired by Renaissance architecture and it is decorated with pillar-shaped cypresses.

Not far from the Dahlia Garden lies the Mediterranean Terrace which is exalted in the summer atmosphere. During this season, many tropical and subtropical plants, such as palms, agaves, bougainvilleas and passion fruit flowers invade the space and this observation point offers a unique panoramic view of the Constance Lake and other parts of the island.

Amazement and beatitude, which pervade this enchanted location, are endless. Elegance and nature are everywhere and each plant makes the context special and alive, full of spontaneous energy.

Hydrangea path is another example of this pure floral magic. It is located near the harbor area, in a particular position, sheltered from the wind and faced north, and that is the ideal climatic condition for this kind of flower. Once again, this section of the park testifies the abundance of perfumes, colors, versatility and free insects which distinguish the entire island.

Italian Flower-Water-Cascade. (Credit: Getty Images)

Haven’t you got enough motivation to convince yourselves to spend an unforgettable time at Mainau Island?

This fine garden, where human beings and nature achieve a harmonic balance is the best place to rediscover the essential bond with mother Earth while listening to its regenerating voice.