Bregenz Oberstadt

Bregenz began as Brigantium, a Roman settlement of some size on the Lake Constance shore, and the Oberstadt occupies the terrace above the modern town where the medieval walled settlement stood. It is small - a few lanes, remains of the wall and gates, and the Martinsturm, a square tower carrying an onion dome added in 1601 that is claimed as the largest of its kind in central Europe, with a chapel inside holding fourteenth-century frescoes and a small military museum in the upper stages. The Deuring Schlössle and a handful of old houses complete it. It is quiet, five minutes' climb from the lakefront and the festival stage, and it gives the standard view over the town, the lake and across to Germany and Switzerland.

What you actually see

• The Martinsturm - the square tower and its 1601 onion dome over the old town.
• Medieval walls and gates - fragments of the enclosure on the terrace.
• Fourteenth-century frescoes - in the chapel at the base of the tower.
• A view over Lake Constance - the town, the water and three countries from the edge.

When to go

All year; the tower has seasonal opening. Two hours.

Honest expectations

It is small - an hour covers the lanes. The tower museum opens seasonally and is modest. The climb from the lakefront is short but steep. Festival season fills the whole town.

Nearby

The Bregenz lake stage and the Kunsthaus are below; the Pfänder cable car is east.