Auto & Traktor Museum Bodensee

The Auto & Traktor Museum Bodensee does something most car museums never attempt: instead of parking 350 vehicles in rows, it builds the world around them. Cars, motorcycles and one of Europe's great tractor collections stand inside walk-through scenes of German town and country life, period shops, workshops and living rooms included, so you wander through 100 years rather than past them.

The tractor side runs from 1915 to the 1960s with German, British, French, Italian and American machines, Lanz and Porsche Diesel among them. The automotive side grew serious in 2017 when the museum absorbed the renowned Fritz B. Busch collection, and ranges from Hanomag Kommissbrot trucks to a cult BMW Isetta and a dedicated VW Beetle display spanning the 1930s to the 2000s.

It sits in the hills above Lake Constance near Uhldingen, minutes from the Pfahlbauten lake dwellings and Meersburg, with an old farmhouse restaurant on site. One of the region's best family outings.

Allow 1.5 to 2 hours to walk both worlds, town and country, arranged by era with the everyday objects of each decade around the vehicles.

Look out for:

• The diorama streets: period shopfronts, workshops and homes built around the vehicles, the museum's signature.

• The tractor halls: 1915 to the 1960s, from Lanz Bulldogs to Porsche Diesel, one of Europe's strongest agricultural collections.

• The BMW Isetta, the cult bubble car, and Hanomag's Kommissbrot trucks.

• The VW Beetle display, examples from the 1930s to the 2000s.

• The Fritz B. Busch collection cars, absorbed from the famous journalist's museum in 2017.

• For kids: pedal tractors to ride through the museum itself.

• A rotating special exhibition alongside the permanent halls (currently "Groß & Klein", American giants versus European miniatures, through January 2028).

Finish at the Jägerhof, the on-site restaurant in an old farmhouse, and pair the day with the Pfahlbauten lake dwellings down the hill or Meersburg along the shore.

• Seasonal: open May 1 to October 31 only, daily 9:30 to 17:30. Closed November through April.

• Tickets: €14.50 adult, €8.50 child (6 to 15), €31 family (2 adults plus children), €11.50 students and visitors with disabilities. Bodensee Card PLUS accepted.

• Getting there: in the hills above Uhldingen on Lake Constance, easiest by car; free parking at the door.

• Dogs welcome on a leash, including in the restaurant.

• Families: pedal tractors for kids, family ticket, and the Jägerhof restaurant from 11:30.

• Luggage: a limited number of lockers for rucksacks and large bags; they fill on busy days. Large camera bags are not allowed inside.

• Fully wheelchair accessible: two lifts, accessible restroom, two free loan wheelchairs at the desk.

• Public guided tours run about 90 minutes.

Last updated: 1 September 2026