Where does the leash stay on, where can your dog get to the water, and what applies on Mainau, buses and the ferry? The rules from Konstanz's police ordinance at a glance.
Dog-friendly Konstanz mostly means: leash in the old town, on Seestraße, in the Stadtgarten and in the Hörle-Park, plus dogs ride buses and the ferry for free. That comes from the city's Umweltschutz- und Polizeiverordnung (environmental and police ordinance). There is no leash requirement for the whole city, but no free pass either: outside the listed zones someone must be able to control your dog by voice.
onstanz sits on Lake Constance, right on the Swiss border. This guide covers German rules only. For an overview of places, see the directory of dog-friendly places in Konstanz (in German).
Baden-Württemberg has no general leash requirement for all dogs. Cities set their own rules. In Konstanz this happens in section 10 of the Umweltschutz- und Polizeiverordnung, which the city council passed on 17 March 2022.
The ordinance names:
Everything else falls under the last sentence of the paragraph: dogs may not roam free unless a person is present who can influence the animal by calling. That is not a promise of off-leash freedom. If your dog does not reliably come when called, keep it on the leash. Nature reserves and protected areas can have their own rules that this ordinance does not list.
Two fixed rules apply on top. Dogs may not be taken to weekly markets or playgrounds, except guide dogs and other assistance dogs. And you must remove dog waste immediately anywhere in the city. At the city's barbecue sites, dogs must also be leashed according to the city.
State law covers dangerous dogs: under the Interior Ministry's police ordinance on keeping dangerous dogs, fighting dogs over six months old and other dangerous dogs must be leashed and muzzled in public. On fines, the Konstanz ordinance only says that violations can be punished with a fine. No amount is given there.
We did not find an official list of dog off-leash areas on the City of Konstanz website. We therefore do not name any dog meadow as designated. A park called a dog meadow does not automatically mean off-leash either, that depends on the signs. How to recognise safe areas is covered in our guide finding a dog park (in German). Meadows and paths nearby are listed under parks and forests in Konstanz.
According to our research the city does not list designated dog swimming spots. The tourism portal bodensee.de names three places on the Konstanz side where dogs may go into the water: on the Seerhein by the Stromeyer beer garden, in the Hörle-Park between Strandbad Horn and the ferry, and the Schmugglerbucht, which you reach only on foot. The portal itself notes that signage changes. In the Hörle-Park the police ordinance also requires a leash.
So check the signs on site. Be considerate of other bathers, watch for broken glass, and in summer give your dog shade and breaks. More in our guide to swimming with your dog in lakes and the sea (in German).
According to the island, dogs may come along but must be on a leash. The butterfly house and the palace exhibition rooms are closed to dogs. The island is a botanical garden, so stay on the paths.
The path along the lake is the classic Konstanz walk. It runs through the Stadtgarten, Seestraße and the Hörle-Park, which means straight through the leash zones. Plan it with a short leash.
On the Seerhein between Fischenzstraße and the Neue Rheinbrücke a leash is required from 1 May to 15 September. Outside that period the general rule of the ordinance applies: your dog must be controllable by voice.
We found no fixed statewide leash requirement for the breeding and rearing season in Baden-Württemberg. Under section 51 of the Hunting and Wildlife Management Act, disturbing wildlife is prohibited. The lower hunting authority can order a leash requirement for specific areas, for example for a period in spring and summer. We have not confirmed whether and where such an order applies around Konstanz. So watch for signs in forest and fields, and keep your dog leashed from spring to high summer to be safe.
In the area of the Bodensee-Oberschwaben Verkehrsverbund (bodo), dogs ride free. You only need a ticket yourself, which also holds with the Deutschlandticket. Your dog must be leashed during the ride and stay on the floor. A muzzle is required if it could endanger other passengers. Dogs with heightened aggression and danger generally may not ride at all.
On the Konstanz-Meersburg ferry run by Stadtwerke Konstanz, dogs also ride free according to the fares. We found no dog rule for the Bodensee-Schiffsbetriebe ships. Ask them before you sail.
How does this compare elsewhere? The city comparison of dog rules covers leash rules and public transport for 31 large cities, and the study dog parks per capita covers the areas. Konstanz is not part of either.
Confirmed as dog-friendly in the Souldog map data in Konstanz are, among others:
Ask briefly before you go whether this also applies indoors, because house rules can change. You can see all confirmed places in the Souldog app, and more venues in the directory of cafés and restaurants in Konstanz (in German). Tips on choosing are in our guide cafés with dogs.
Pick a loop by the lake and plan it on the leash. In the Souldog app the Discover map shows places near you. For more ideas in the southwest, see our guides to dog-friendly Freiburg and dog-friendly Stuttgart. For trips beyond the city, the overview of dog-friendly day trips in Germany helps.
Souldog