A pretty village on the Seerhein - Gottlieben

In terms of area, Gottlieben ranks among Switzerland's smallest communes. But with its pretty half-timbered buildings overlooking the Rhine, its splendid "Drachenburg" inn and its neo-Gothic castle, the picturesque village has plenty to offer. Gottlieben’s favourable location once made it an important trading place.

With buildings dating from between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, the village of Gottlieben lies to the west of Kreuzlingen on the “Seerhein” – the section of the Rhine linking Upper and Lower Lake Constance. A maze of idyllic squares, courtyards and gardens wait to be discovered. One of the most remarkable buildings is the "Drachenburg" inn with its magnificent half-timbered facade and two onion-dome-topped oriels. Equally striking is the riverside frontage, where imposing inns are juxtaposed with rather plainer residential buildings. At the eastern end of the village is a castle that was rebuilt in the nineteenth century by Prince Louis – later to be crowned Emperor Napoleon III – in the neo-Gothic style. It is privately owned, but can be admired from on board a riverboat on the Rhine.

The Swiss Confederation granted the village market rights as early as 1678. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, its favourable location on the Rhine enabled it to thrive as a trading place and transshipment hub for merchandise that included salt, iron and wine. Tourism started to develop after the Second World War. Today, apart from two boatyards and the bakery that produces the celebrated “Hüppen”, the catering trade accounts for the bulk of employment in Gottlieben.

Trip tip

Anyone visiting Gottlieben should take the time for a stroll through the village. Sampling the local speciality, the Gottlieber “Hüppen”, or wafer roll, is a must. The Drachenburg restaurant is due to be refurbished as of 2023. A trip to Gottlieben is best combined with a boat trip on Lower Lake Constance (the “Untersee”).

ISOS

ISOS is the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of national importance. The inventory is maintained by the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) and lists the most significant settlements in Switzerland. Today, some 1,200 places are included in the inventory, from hamlets right through to cities. The inventory provides information on the development and identity of the settlements listed in it, thereby contributing to the preservation of architectural diversity in Switzerland and promoting both sustainable planning and a high-quality Baukultur.