Ravensburg popped up on my radar when I met a friend through work who grew up there. She has lived many places around the world alongside her husband. I liked listening to her stories about the places she lived and her stories about Ravensburg popped up from time to time. I love hearing about where people grew up, especially when they grew up so far from where I grew up. Once her and her husband moved back a couple of years ago, we started talking to them about going to visit them. We were very sad to see them go since they have always been such good friends to us. On the bright side, we had people to visit in Germany now. They mentioned they weren’t far from Lake Constance and how a short ferry ride got you into to Switzerland. Switzerland has been on my list for a very long time. We had plans over the last couple of years to go see them since they left but some personal emergencies and weather kept us from finalizing plans each time. We knew spring would be one of the better times to go, even if it isn’t exactly predicable. With my husband, JD’s birthday being in May, we were torn between three trips. Since I work with two other travel agents, my schedule is dependent on their schedules. Our one week option eliminated one of the trips for us since it was a cruise. It was now down to Germany and Hawaii. JD has roots from Germany, and even before our friends went back, we talked about going to Germany for many years. Hawaii was naturally very expensive. Flying into Brussels was half the price of flying into Hawaii, and we would get to see our friends again. I never say things like such and such place will always be there like a lot of people say because I don’t think any place on Earth is guaranteed to be anywhere and it’s a dangerous game to excuse not taking any trip, but in this particular case, everything was adding up to us touring Germany and surrounding areas. I was very excited to visit Ravensburg, see our friends and get a personal tour of this city, and see Lake Constance, as well as cross the border into Switzerland.

Now that you know why Ravensburg was a major draw to Germany for us, let me tell you more about it. Ravensburg is a town in the region of Upper Swabia, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Ravensburg dates back to 1088. It was an important trading center. It is a very clean city, and the buildings are so clean that you would almost think they were new buildings just built to look old. The “Great Ravensburg Trading Society” was founded here around 1380, which owned shops and trading companies around Europe. While Ravensburg is filled with lots of history, the beautiful part is that it’s all still intact. The city center survived WWII because it was of no relevance, and did not suffer any air raids. The neighbor city Friedrichsafen, however, was hit very hard because it was home to a large aircraft industry. Because of Ravensburg not being hit very hard, the history is still standing and well. There are three town gates and 10 towers from medieval fortification.

Ravensburg is home to Ravensburger Puzzles and games. It is likely you have put a Ravensburger puzzle together in your time. Ravensburger was founded in 1883 by Otto Maier. He began as a publisher but made his first board game in 1884 called “Journey Around the World” which he named after Jules Vernon’s “Around the World in 80 Days.” Personally, I want to find and even play an original version of this game. He would go on to produce a wide variety of children-focused books with a focus on learning as well as board games. Before WWI, Ravensburger had somewhere around 800 products. The building took a bit of damage in WWII but they didn’t let reconstruction keep them from making games. in 1964, the company started making jigsaw puzzles. Ravensburger broke the Guinness Book of World Records for largest jigsaw puzzle, topping Educa’s record of 24,000 pieces with a 32,256 piece puzzle and measuring at seventeen feet by six feet. I am told they proudly display their puzzle on the wall of their now-warehouse. Educa and Ravensburger both make the largest commercial puzzles with more than 40,000 pieces each. Ravensburger’s is a Disney moments puzzle. I could not wait to check out the building where it all began. Stories like these and history like this, actually any history at all is why I love to travel so much. I love to stand where significant things have happened and see what people of significance saw. Even if they aren’t necessarily people who made the history books for any reason at all, there is just something about standing within walls that have seen centuries, not just decades of stories, that I can’t get enough of.

On that note, there is a castle located at the top of a hill in Ravensburg. It is now used as a youth hostel but you are able to make a small hike to the top of the hill and take in the view, as well as take pictures of the grounds that were once a castle that Guelph dukes and Hohenstaufen emperors used. The view is pretty incredible at the top and what is left up there of the castle is very cool.

In the picture below, oriel windows are a form of a bay window that have been part of building architecture for centuries, and around the world. Oriel windows do not stretch the entire length of the building. They are windows that stick out from the building but only look like bigger windows. In Islamic cultures, these windows are used for women to observe what is going on outside while remaining invisible. Churches developed bay windows because churches were getting big enough, that the windows were designed as smaller chapels within the chapels where their donors could worship in private. In Renaissance times, bay window/oriel windows were built for the king to sit high above.

In the early morning hours, especially on Sundays, you can catch lots of opportunities to photograph the city, quiet and deserted feeling. In the town square, the Rathaus makes for some good photo-ops. You read that right, Rathaus. Not an actual house for rats (although, I am a rare person who actually loves rats), but Rathaus translates to Town Hall. I mean…it’s a little funny. The Blaserturm is the clock tower in Ravensburg that makes for a great photo-op more often than not.

While walking around the town, you will see more history than you will probably realize what everything signifies. There is a commemorative art statue dedicated to the Swabian children who were “rented.” Peasant children from Austria and Switzerland were often sold or “rented” to farmers in Swabia for seasonal labor by their parents. They would have to march, with a priest as their guide and caregiver, over the snowy and cold Alps. The children were usually taken in the spring and sent to Germany. The market where they would go was located in Ravensburg. The children were most commonly around five or six years old, and because they didn’t have money, they wore rags, and would still be wearing rags during the march. The American press began a campaign in 1908 that exposed this. In 1915 the child markets were abolished, and by 1921, the trade of children was over. The children were not always looked after, treated well, or kept safe. Every country has a stain or two that they look back on with regret, and after knowing more about this, seeing the statue, and speaking with locals, this is a pretty nasty stain they will not repeat.

The food is nothing short of delicious in Ravensburg. It may be difficult to find places that are open on Sundays, especially in the morning hours. There are places though. In all of my posts about Germany thus far, I have failed to mention how cold soda is a rare thing in Germany. They typically serve their beverages room temperature. You can request them to be cold but don’t expect them. Since Ravensburg is not a main tourist town, English is not as widely spoken. We were lucky enough to have our local there with us, but knowing at least basic German is good in towns like this. It is certainly worth a stop because it is so well preserved. It is clean. It is also true Germany.

Packing list: Check weather before you go but you will likely need a good jacket or coat, a camera and accessories such as battery, SD card, etc., comfortable shoes for walking around the city since some of the walkways are still cobblestone, it is heels level: Expert, sunglasses, euros, types C and F power adapters, comfortable clothing (it’s a myth that people in Europe still don’t wear blue jeans), an umbrella if you don’t like to be rained on or a rain coat

DO: Get out early on a Sunday morning to photograph the city, learn as much German as possible, bring euros, walk around the city to take it all in, find parking on the map before going, bring a jacket or dress appropriately as it can be chilly, enjoy the pastries, watch out for bicyclists when walking and bicyclists and pedestrians when driving, watch your step! as mentioned, the streets are still cobblestone in places and the uneven layout can make for plenty of tripping hazards, be prepared to walk, mind other people’s picture moments and try not to ruin their photos

DON’T: Expect English, expect your sodas to be cold, be rude, litter, yell or speak very loudly while walking around