Markdorf: Town History Between Markets and Hiking Trails

Markdorf combines local history and hiking: market rights, the market square, and remnants of the medieval town wall tell the story of the town’s development; GuckinsLand and the Fürstenberg Tour add a variety of landscapes along the way. This lets you plan your stay around historic traces in town and outdoor experiences.

Market Square, Town Wall, and Local History

Markdorf was granted market rights by 1236 at the latest. In 1354, Emperor Charles IV confirmed the grant. The great fire of 1842 is also an important part of the town’s history. Afterward, Markdorf decided to preserve the market square as a larger open space for markets and other events. This decision connects the square’s history with its intended role in town life.

Remains of the medieval town wall can be found in houses on Ulrichstraße, on Stadtgrabenstraße, and at Schlossscheuer. The traces are therefore spread across several named locations. The Chapel of the Protective Mantle in St. Nicholas Church is also well worth seeing: it is distinguished by its three Madonnas. Together, the market square, remnants of the town wall, and the chapel offer various ways to explore Markdorf’s history.

A historic guided tour of Markdorf introduces the Bishop’s Castle and the Witch’s Tower and includes puzzles and prizes. This playful approach adds another way to engage with the historic buildings. If you enjoy discovering places together as a family, the puzzles can spark conversations that go beyond dates and architectural history.

Hiking Trails with Different Landmarks

On the GuckinsLand circular trail, woods and open stretches shape the second half: it runs mostly through picturesque woodland, past clearings, a wooden bridge, and another rest area. In places, it passes directly through isolated farmsteads; there are also views of the hinterland and the Alps. This section alternates between wooded passages, open views, and distinctive landmarks along the way.

Alternative starting points for GuckinsLand are Markdorf’s market square, the Hohreute car park, Gangenweiler, and Wirthshof in Steibensteg. If you have a particular starting point or parking in mind, it is worth checking the latest information beforehand.

The Fürstenberg Tour follows a sequence of named stops. It runs from Markdorf via Möggenweiler, the Vogelsang hiking car park, the Gehrenberg Tower, and the Schweppenen barbecue hut, then back to Markdorf. This makes it possible to distinguish the two tours by their described features: GuckinsLand focuses on woods, clearings, farmsteads, and views; the Fürstenberg Tour passes a series of specific places before returning to Markdorf.

Plan Your Market Visit and Journey

The large regional market on Marktstraße takes place every Thursday from 07:00 to 12:00. If you would like to plan your visit around market day, check the latest times in advance. Markdorf is also on the Friedrichshafen–Überlingen–Basel railway line. For a specific rail journey, check the connections and travel times for your travel date.

Markdorf in the Bodenseekreis District

Markdorf is part of the Gehrenberg-Bodensee holiday region. The Bodenseekreis district provides the broader regional setting: it stretches along almost the entire northern shore of Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg and extends into the Upper Swabian Hills and, to the east, the West Allgäu Hills. The Bodenseekreis has 57.7 kilometers of Lake Constance shoreline. Its landscape is shaped by Lake Constance and the adjoining hills, with fruit orchards, vineyards, meadows, and forests. This broader perspective complements the specific focus on Markdorf. When choosing your accommodation, you can consider whether your stay will focus mainly on Markdorf’s town history and the hiking trails described here, or whether you would also like to explore more of the Bodenseekreis landscape.

Discover more destinations: Beuren, Frickingen, Daisendorf, Friedrichshafen, Baitenhausen, Billafingen, Neukirch, Deggenhausertal.

See the broader travel overview: Lake Constance.