One of the most important historical sights in Constance’s old town is the Constance Council. Originally built as a warehouse for traveling and local merchants, the massive stone building was used for almost 500 years as a transshipment point for trade goods at the port of Constance. The structure gained worldwide attention as the site of the conclave for the election of Pope Martin V in 1417. Since 1912, the largest secular building in southern Germany from the Middle Ages has housed a restaurant, a banquet hall and a congress center. Due to its more than 600-year history, the Constance Council is very popular with tourists from all over the world both as a location for events and celebrations and as a photo motif.
