Ravensburg

Ravensburg grew rich on linen and on the Great Ravensburg Trading Company, one of the largest trading partnerships in fifteenth-century Europe, and the money went into towers: the town keeps a dense group of medieval towers and gates, including the Mehlsack, a white round tower of 1425 that gives the skyline its landmark. In 1883 Otto Maier founded a publishing house here that became Ravensburger, now among the largest producers of jigsaw puzzles and board games in Europe; a museum in the town covers games and puzzles and lets visitors play. The old town is largely intact and compact.

Background

The town appears in writing for the first time in 1088. A fire in 1131 burned it to the ground, yet it was soon rebuilt and by 1138 had a wall around it, and a market is first recorded in 1152. In June 1276 Rudolf I made it an Imperial Free City, adding ten years later a Saturday grain market. The merchant families Humpis, Mötteli and Muntprat founded the Great Ravensburg Trading Society around 1380, and in 1402 paper joined the town's goods when a mill opened, among the earliest north of the Alps. After the Society was wound up in 1530, the economy stagnated. The Mehlsack, or Flour sack, stands 51 metres tall.

Source: Wikipedia, "Ravensburg"

What you'll find

• The Mehlsack - a white round tower of 1425 above the old town.
• The tower group - a dense cluster of medieval towers and gates.
• The games museum - a Ravensburger museum where exhibits are played.
• The trading history - the linen wealth behind the medieval fabric.

When to go

April to October; the Rutenfest, a children's and civic festival, is held in July. The games museum is popular with families in school holidays.

Practical notes

The Mehlsack is climbed only on limited open days. The old town is small. The games museum is aimed at families.

Nearby

Lake Constance lies south; Ulm is north.