The Cavazzen Museuem – Museum Lindau

Cavazzen – now open again!

Centrally located on Lindau Island’s market square, the museum now presents itself as an open house for everyone with its fresh concept, changing special exhibitions, and café in the courtyard. Those who want to delve deeper into Lindau’s history will discover that this small town has always been more than just a tranquil island in the Swabian Sea.

As early as the 15th century, the “Lindauer Bote” was traveling between Lindau and Milan, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe also used this transport service on his way back from his trip to Italy. Lindau’s patrician families were networked throughout Europe, members of the Bavarian royal family spent their summer holidays here, and since 1951, Nobel Prize winners have been gathering on the island in Lake Constance every year. The world met and continues to meet in Lindau.

All these stories are now being retold at the Cavazzen, while the building itself is also a precious exhibit. Built in 1729/30 by Swiss master builder Jakob Grubenmann, the Cavazzen impresses from the outside with its magnificent façade and impressive three-story roof. For around 200 years, it was home to the bustling patrician and noble Seutter von Loetzen family. About a century ago, the palace came into the hands of the city through a foundation and has since been the museum of the people of Lindau, impressing visitors from far and wide in recent years with art exhibitions on classical modernism.

Most recently, the baroque beauty was in a desolate state—the basement was damp, the foundation had sunk, and the roof truss was dilapidated. But now, after extensive renovation, the Cavazzen is more beautiful than ever: long-forgotten and whitewashed ceiling paintings have been rediscovered, gilding has been uncovered, and the building has been upgraded with a modern museum concept. Interactive stations allow for a variety of approaches, offering an exciting and varied journey through time across the centuries. In 2026, the successful art exhibitions will also return to the Cavazzen.

The Cavazzen is now more than just a museum: a charming café in the courtyard invites visitors to linger, and concerts and parties are planned in the vaulted cellar. An extensive educational program aims to bring people together and spark conversation. This will make the Cavazzen a place for Lindau residents and their guests to enjoy throughout the year. Look forward to a unique historical and contemporary experience at the Cavazzen!

The most beautiful Baroque town house on Lake Constance

It is considered the most beautiful Baroque town palace on Lake Constance: the Cavazzen. Probably the most beautiful house on Lake Constance, the “Haus zum Cavazzen” stands on Lindau’s market square. With its mighty hipped roof and fascinating facade painting, the magnificent Baroque building is one of the most striking structures in the island town of Lindau. After six years of extensive renovation, the historic building with its unique curved roof now shines in new/old splendor and, with its completely redesigned exhibition, invites visitors to take a journey through the centuries since May 18, 2025.

This Baroque gem was built between 1728 and 1729 according to the plans and model of Swiss architect Jakob Grubenmann after a devastating city fire. In addition to the elaborately painted facades, the unusually high curved roof, a masterpiece of the building technology of the time, immediately catches the eye. It is not without reason that art historian Georg Dehio describes it as “one of the most beautiful Baroque town houses in the Lake Constance region.” The name Cavazzen probably comes from the “de Kawatz” family, who lived on this property in the 16th century and had moved there from Lombardy.