Meersburg, Germany

With a foreboding and wonderfully ramshackle castle looming over a narrow lakefront strip of half-timbered houses, MEERSBURG, 17km to the west of Friedrichshafen, is something of a living snapshot of a fairytale Germany. Small wonder then that in peak season, coach parties and day-trippers crush in. But arrive early or linger till dusk to watch the town watchman do his rounds and you'll certainly appreciate the magic. There are also a couple of quirky sights – the Pfahlbauten open-air museum and Basilika Birnau – that are worth exploring in the area. Good local festivals include the Winzerfest in the first weekend in July when wine, food and song enliven Meersburg's streets and the Bodensee Weinfest, the second weekend in September, when you can sample the latest vintage.

Impressively entered from the modern town and main road via the medieval Obertor gate, almost all Meersburg's Altstadt is pedestrianized. A short way downhill from the gate is the small Marktplatz, from where Steigstrasse runs down past rows of touristy shops to the lakefront and pleasant Seepromenade. Meanwhile a lane parallel to Steigstrasse leads to the Altes Schloss and Neues Schloss, the formidable old castle and Baroque palace that dominate the upper town.