Each year, a new theme is chosen to promote Mainau Island. In 2009, it is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Lennart Bernadotte, the Swedish count who transformed the island into a horticultural wonder. Mainau has a long history of aristocratic involvement and an incomparable appeal - with majestic palace buildings set harmoniously in one of the prettiest parks in Europe. From spring to autumn, its sea of brightly coloured flowers provides the ideal backdrop for numerous events. Click here to take part in our quiz competition, answer the ten questions and experience a weekend on the Mainau island!
Travel information
Mainau Island is easily accessible by ferry, train, road, bus or bike. Plenty of spaces are available in the large car park.
By train
Take the train to “Konstanz Hauptbahnhof” (Constance main station), then the no. 4 bus to Litzelstetten/Wallhausen, which stops at Mainau Island.
By road
From the west and the north, take the A81 towards Constance (German signs will say Konstanz) and continue to the Singen intersection. From here, take the B33 and exit just before Constance then follow signs to Mainau. From the east take the A7 or A8 to Ulm. In Ulm change to the B30 towards Friedrichshafen. Follow signs to Ravensburg then take the B33 to Meersburg. Follow the ferry signs in Meersburg then enjoy a scenic and stress-free journey to Constance. When you arrive, follow signs to Mainau.
Airport
The nearest airports are Friedrichshafen in Germany (25km) and Zurich (75km) and St. Gallen-Altenrhein (55km) in Switzerland. All have excellent road and public transport links to Mainau Island.
Highlights
Castle Church The palace church of St. Mary on Mainau island is a gem of south-German baroque. Built in 1733 by Johann Caspar Bagnato, it was furnished by three great artists of the time, including the Italian Francesco Pozzi. The sculptor Joseph Anton Feuchtmayer created the pulpit, the three altars and numerous statues.
Rose garden
The Italianate rose garden was laid out for Grand Duke Friedrich I in 1871. From June to August, it displays approx. 9,000 flowering roses in almost 400 varieties. If you include the rest of the island, these numbers rises to around 30,000 roses and 1,200 varieties! There is an abundance of bed and climbing roses to see and a symphony of colour, fragrance and form to enjoy.
Japan on Wednesday welcomed the first Chinese tourists travelling individually rather than on tours, under visa changes that aim to lure more wealthy foreigners amid the recession.
Until now, Chinese tourists had to travel in groups escorted by tour guides from both countries, a rule meant to prevent illegal immigration.
But in response to growing demand, Tokyo started issuing visas to individual Chinese tourists this month.
At Tokyo's Narita Airport, Japan Airlines arranged a warm welcome for the 19 tourists from Beijing and Shanghai. They were greeted by a person dressed as Hello Kitty wearing a traditional Japanese kimono.
Several children arriving from China were given stuffed toys of the cartoon cat, which Japan has chosen as a "friendship ambassador" to promote tourism, especially from the Hong Kong and China markets.
"Welcome to Japan," said Yoshiaki Hompo, head of the Japan Tourism Agency.
"There are no more worries about swine flu. Please enjoy your travels in Japan."
Japan expected 65 individual tourist arrivals from China on Wednesday, flying in on JAL, All Nippon Airways and Air China to several airports throughout the country, the tourist agency said.
"The Chinese market has great potential for tourism, especially for wealthy people to come here and boost consumption," said Hompo.
"Japan and China have had a complex history, but the exchanges of people could enhance mutual understanding," he added. "I want them to enjoy shopping and walking around freely in Japan."
Fan Chengyan, a 51-year-old businesswoman who arrived with her four children, said she would spend five days travelling around Japan.
"If I had time, I would like to see Kyoto, Mount Fuji and many areas of Tokyo. I heard Japan is a very environmentally friendly country. So I want to experience that," she said.
Under the new visa rules for China, applicants for individual tourist visas need "good references in terms of occupation, financial resources and other factors," the government has said.
The annual number of Chinese arrivals in Japan -- including both business visitors and tourists -- reached one million last year and is projected to hit 1.25 million in 2010.
MADRID (AFP) - – Real Madrid's recruitment of star players like Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazil's Kaka will lead to in increase in visitors from Asia to Spain, a tourism trade body predicted Wednesday.
Juan Melian, the head of the Tourism Panel which groups about 30 major tourism-related companies, said the arrival of players "with an extraordinary media impact in the Asian market would boost the appeal of Madrid and the rest of the country as a holiday destination to thousands of football fans."
"Sports serves as a great promotional showcase for any country," he added in a statement.
Last month Real signed Ronaldo from Manchester United for a record of around 94 million euros and Kaka from AC Milan for 65 million euros as the Spanish giants returned to the era of the "galacticos" or "superstars".
Club president Florentino Perez, who was restored at the helm of Real in June elections, was also responsible for a similar policy from 2000-2006 and is splashing the cash again to restore the team's fortunes.
During his first stint at the club Perez signed Portugal's Luis Figo, England's David Beckham, France's Zinedine Zidane and Brazil's Ronaldo who drew large crowds during the tours of Asia which Real carried out during the period.
The museum at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium with its trophy room where all the club's championship cups are displayed is one of the Spanish capital's key attractions.
About 700,000 people visit the museum each year, according to Real.
Melian also predicted that the role which Spanish forward Pau Gasol played in helping the Los Angeles Lakers win the NBA championship this season would help increase the number of visitors to Spain from the United States.
Spain has slipped to third place in the ranking of most-visited countries in the world, behind the United States and France, according to the UN World Tourism Organisation.
The country received 57.4 million tourists in 2008, a 2.6 percent decline over the previous year and the first fall in over a decade, according to national statistics institute INE.
Europe accounts for the bulk of all visitors to Spain. The tourism sector accounts for about 11 percent of the country's jobs and gross domestic product.
