You are now at the palace pier (Schlosssteg) on the south-eastern side of the palace. This is one of the most photographed sights in Friedrichshafen. The water here is clearly too shallow for mooring ships and boats. King Charles I had the pier built out of sandstone as a walkway he could stroll out on to, to present himself or to welcome guests arriving from afar.
On the south-western side of the palace, a similar construction protrudes, which is used as a viewing platform and swimming area, and unfortunately it is not freely accessible. After the monastery was converted into the summer residence of the House of Württemberg, many prominent guests came to Friedrichshafen to visit the royal family by the lake: dukes from Baden, members of the French and Austrian nobility and even the Russian Tsar family.
The Duke and his family still reside today in the south and west wings of the palace, and the administration is situated in the east wing. If you continue along the cast-iron pier, you will reach the Schlosshorn, the former harbour of Hofen. Following secularisation and the Coalition Wars, Hofen was relinquished by Austria in 1806 to the Kingdom of Württemberg, while Buchhorn belonged to Bavaria.
King Frederick expanded the harbour in Hofen and offered affordable services for long-distance traffic. Thus, at this time, both harbours competed for trade opportunities with Swiss ships and customs duties. When the two areas merged in 1811 to form one city, this was no longer an issue. The quay by the palace continued to become less and less important until 1932 it was no longer in use. Today, you can see the upright wooden posts in the shallow water; the remains of the old harbour.
The audioguide Friedrichshafen is intended exclusively for use on smartphones. A correct representation on your device is therefore not given.
