In the Middle Ages, the Upper Lake was called Bodamicus Lacus, or Bodensee in German.

Bordering the Lower Lake Constance are the Swiss cantons of Thurgau and Schaffhausen and the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

Municipalities on the Swiss side are Gottlieben, Ermatingen, Salenstein, Berlingen, Steckborn, Mammern, Eschenz and Stein am Rhein.

Municipalities on the German side are Öhningen, Gaienhofen, Moos am Bodensee, Radolfzell, Reichenau, Allensbach and Constance.

Three parts in the north of Lower Lake, surrounded by German territory, have names of their own: Zeller See (lit.

According to legend, the name Gnade (English: Mercy or Grace) of the lake comes from the time when the court house was located on the Island of Reichenau.

Therefore, the condemned man was brought by boat to the mainland in the direction of Allensbach, where the sentence could be Gnade.

Now, if the abbot wanted to pardon the condemned, he would ring a bell before the offender arrived on the other shore.

A more probable theory is that the lake is named after Maria, "Our Lady of Mercy", as the church of the abbey on the island was dedicated to St. Mary and St.

The mainly Swiss section of the lake south of the Island of Reichenau and its southwestern arm is known as Rheinsee (lit.