Lake Constance is the third largest freshwater lake by surface area in Central and Western Europe, after Lake Geneva and Lake Balaton.
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River water of the regulated Alpine Rhine flows into the lake in the southeast near Bregenz, Austria, then through the Upper Lake Constance hardly targeting the Uberlinger See, into the Seerhein in the town of Konstanz, then through the Rheinsee virtually without feeding both German parts of the Lower Lake, and finally feeds the start of the High Rhine in Swiss town Stein am Rhein.
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Lake Constance itself is an important drinking water source for southwestern Germany.
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Lake Constance was formed by the Rhine Glacier during the ice age and is a Zungenbecken or tongue lake.
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Lake Constance played an important role as a trading post for goods being traded between German and Italian states.
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Present-day shape of Lake Constance has resulted from the combination of several factors:.
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The silting up of the entire Lake Constance is estimated to take another ten to twenty thousand years.
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In Lake Constance there are several peninsulas which vary greatly in size:.
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Climate of the Lake Constance area is characterised by mild temperatures with moderate gradients, thanks to the balancing and retarding effect of the large body of water.
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Lake Constance is considered to be a risky and challenging lake for water sports because of the danger of gusty winds which can whip up waves as the weather changes suddenly.
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Ships and ferries on Lake Constance indicate a gale warning by hoisting a Sturmballon up the mast.
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Until the 19th century, Lake Constance was a natural lake.
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Lake Constance is the home of numerous bird species, many of which nest in its nature reserves, such as the Wollmatinger Ried or the Mettnau peninsula.
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In spring, the Lake Constance is an important breeding ground, especially for the coot and great crested grebe.
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Lake Constance is very important as a staging post during the bird migration.
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Today, according to the Institute for Lake Constance Research, the zebra mussel is an important food for overwintering waterfowl.
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Today, in western Lake Constance are found: the North American spinycheek crayfish, which was introduced into European waters in the mid-19th century to increase the yield, occasionally the Chinese mitten crab, and in the lake's tributaries, the signal crayfish .
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Lake Constance is the location for the annual Bregenzer Festspiele, a well-known arts festival that, among other venues, takes place on a floating stage in Bregenz.
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Lake Constance is a hub for long-distance hikers and pilgrims.
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The Lake Constance trout was almost extinct in the 1980s due to pollution, but thanks to protective measures they have made a significant return.
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Lake Constance is the home of the critically endangered species of trout Salvelinus profundus, and formerly the now extinct Lake Constance whitefish .
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