Friedrichshafen, Germany

Lying at the lake's widest point and with the longest promenade of any Bodensee town, FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, 22km west of Lindau, has the feel of a seaside resort. But the town leads a double life, as both a rather showy resort and the lake's only industrial town. It was bombed to smithereens during World War II thanks to its aviation industry, but this also made it the setting for one of the world's most intriguing aeronautical events, for it was here that Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin manufactured and launched his cigar-like airships. On July 2, 1900, his LZ1 first drifted over the lake and three decades later, Friedrichshafen promoted itself as a hub of international travel. Airships made scheduled flights to Stockholm, Rome, Cairo and Leningrad; a Zeppelin buzzed to New York every three weeks; and the truly rich could leave Friedrichshafen to step off at Rio de Janeiro after twelve days in the clouds.