On the western shores of Lake Constance, numerous castles, fortresses, and ruins stand side by side within a stone's throw. When were these mysterious witnesses to former power dynamics created, and what fates have they experienced? Many of the castles and palaces served as prestige objects, sources of income, and secure retreats for regional nobility and powerful urban patricians. Some estates also housed eccentric recluses, war veterans, and even revolutionaries. This volume tells the story of picturesque old structures and the often equally remarkable lives of their inhabitants. It offers an entertaining and enlightening cultural history of noble residences between Constance and Schaffhausen, on the Höri peninsula, and around Lake Überlingen.