Imperia

Konstanz


At the end of the pier, giving ferry passengers a come-hither look from her rotating pedestal, stands Imperia. Peter Lenk’s 9m-high sculpture of a buxom prostitute, said to have plied her trade in the days of the Council of Constance, was inspired by a short story by Honoré de Balzac, La Belle Impéria. In her clutches are hilarious sculptures of a naked (and sagging) Pope Martin V and Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, symbolising religious and imperial power.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Konstanz attractions

1. Zeppelin Monument

0.11 MILES

The Zeppelin Monument shows airship inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in an Icarus-like pose. He was born in 1838 on the Insel islet.

2. Konzilgebäude

0.14 MILES

Look out for the white, dormered Konzilgebäude, built in 1388, which served as a granary and warehouse before Pope Martin V was elected here in 1417…

3. Stadtgarten

0.16 MILES

With its landscaped flower beds, plane trees and children’s playground, the Stadtgarten is a fine place to kick back and enjoy dreamy views out over Lake…

5. Sea Life

0.27 MILES

Running a dragnet through your wallet, the borderline-kitsch Sea Life immerses you in an underwater world. Highlights include a shipwreck where you can…

6. Rosgartenmuseum

0.3 MILES

The one-time butchers’ guildhall now harbours the Rosgartenmuseum, spotlighting regional art and history, with an emphasis on medieval panel painting and…

7. Münster

0.3 MILES

Crowned by a filigreed spire and looking proudly back on 1000 years of history, the sandstone Münster was the church of the Diocese of Konstanz until 1821…

8. Römersiedlung

0.33 MILES

The glass pyramid in front of the Münster shelters the Römersiedlung, the 3rd-century-AD remains of the Roman fort Constantia that gave the city its name…

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