ReichenauArticle Free Pass Reichenau, island in the Untersee,
the western arm of Lake Constance (Bodensee) in Baden-
Württemberg Land (state), southwestern Germany. Belonging to the
city of Konstanz, it is 3 miles (5 km) long and 1 mile (1.6 km)
wide and is connected to the mainland by a causeway 1.25 miles
(2 km) long. Reichenau (meaning “Rich Pasture”) is a lake resort
where flowers, fruit, and grapes are still cultivated. The
island is known for the richly endowed Benedictine monastery
founded there in 724 and secularized in 1803; it was the
artistic and literary centre of southwestern Germany during the
9th–11th centuries, known for its excellent book illustration
and a college that produced many archbishops and bishops of the
period. The abbey church at Mittelzell (10th–11th century, with
a late Gothic choir) contains the tomb of Charles III (the Fat),
who retired to Reichenau after being dethroned. In 2000 the
island was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for its
monastic architecture and for its si