Lake Constance's Hagnau offers delicious culinary specialties

By Frank Heidmann May 25, 2010, 15:11 GMT

Stuttgart - As soon as Heike Winder puts out her sign, the quiet part of her day draws to a close.

The words 'Fresh Smoked Fish' are emblazoned across it and, when Winder says fresh, she means it. The whitefish she sells were swimming freely that morning.

'Lots of people wait for this moment,' says the young fisherwoman, who sells fish smoked in her house cellar in the village of Hagnau on the northern shore of Lake Constance in southern Germany.

'I only use sea salt and beechwood,' says the mother of two daughters when asked about her recipe. Winder is the personification of the 'Fisherwoman of Lake Constance,' sung about in a German folk song.

Not much has changed in the Lake Constance fishing community since the song was composed 60 years ago.

'I know six women who fish on Lake Constance. Two of them live in Hagnau,' says Winder, whose busy working day prevents her from getting too wrapped up in the song's imagery. Winder also takes care of the three holiday apartments in her house. And there are restaurants waiting for fresh char, brown trout and whitefish.

Hagnau's tradition of serving fish in a wine sauce made from Mueller Thurgau grapes goes back to a rebellious local pastor. Hagnau, which lies on Lake Constance's sunnier side and has about 1,400 residents, has much to thank that man for.

The pastor was called Heinrich Hansjakob, a politically active man, who was sent to Hagnau in 1869 as a punishment. At that time the region's winemakers were very poor and earned very little for their produce.

Hansjakob encouraged them to unite together and institute cooperatives. The first wine cooperative was founded in the region on October 20, 1881 and went on to become the heart of the community.

Now, Hagnau lies is in a vineyard region which makes wines that have gained in reputation in recent years, thanks to modern storage methods and a focus on quality.

Two popular places to visit for holidaymakers are the winery on Strandbadstrasse and the large cellar opposite. Highlights of the local calendar are the culinary events that take place there. 'There are long waiting lists for the fish and wine evenings,' says Anita Schmidt from the wine cooperative.

A climb to the vine slopes and orchards takes walkers to the Wilhelmshoehe observation point, where the cities of Bregenz, Friedrichshafen and Constance can be seen in the distance. Hikers or cyclists may even pick some apples from Ludwig and Hedi Meichle's trees, if they ask nicely.

The Meichles are winemakers and fruit growers who also own their own store. 'It's important to have another leg to stand on,' says Ludwig Meichle. Most people in the village of fishermen, winemakers, and fruit growers make their income the same way.