One of the Continent's secret offshore gems

If you crave offbeat travel superlatives ("the largest Ferris wheel on the Black Sea," etc.), a visit to Lindau will allow you to boast that you've been to Bavaria's only island—which also happens to be one of Germany's loveliest resorts. Tiny Lindau, tucked away in the northeast corner of Lake Constance (Bodensee in German), is connected to the Bavarian mainland by a causeway, and has a charm that derives from its past as a thriving imperial city on a strategic north-south trade route. With stunning views of the Swiss Alps and an immaculately groomed lakefront promenade brightened by geraniums, shaded by pollarded lime trees, and lined with cafés, this island exudes genteel attitude and the leisurely rhythms of a prewar resort (you might even hear an oompah band). Its nostalgic atmosphere notwithstanding, Lindau is a great place for water sports, and you can rent a row- or paddleboat. The island also has a surprisingly large assortment of sights—chief among them Holbein the Elder's frescoes of the passion of Christ, in the Peterskirche. The beautiful Baroque Haus zum Cavazzen, next to the old Markt in the northeast corner of the island, has seemingly three-dimensional murals that are pretty superb, too. There are also day-trips by boat to the Austrian town of Bregenz, or pleasure cruises that take in a garland of pretty German villages running along the lakeshore.

Go with the nearly schmaltzy but ultimately sincere romance of the island by staying at the Lindauer Hof, which opened in 1876 and was recently renovated to assure Mitteleuropean comfort. Just be sure to get a room with a view of the Bodensee, to time your trip to coincide with a full moon (so that the snowy peaks of the Alps stand out at night, of course), and to plan a leisurely dinner of fresh-caught lake perch and the local white wine on the hotel's open-air terrace (49-83-82406403; www.lindauer hof.de; doubles, $130–$190; w).