Friedrichshafen: The Zeppelin Museum

The world’s first airship

Friedrichshafen was the birthplace of the rigid framed dirigible (airship) in general and the Zeppelin in particular. The inventor, German army officer, Ferdinand Zeppelin, flew the world's first untethered rigid airship, the LZ-1 in 1900, above Lake Constance. That’s why the museum’s centerpiece is the full scale model of airship LZ 129, the notorious “Hindenburg.” Authentically furnished, the cabins are open for visitors; go inside to soak up the atmosphere of a 1930s airship.

For car fans, there is another Zeppelin, the Maybach DS8, dating from 1938. The car weighs 3.6 tons and achieved a speed of 100 mph/170 km/h. As a four-door limousine, this Zeppelin was licensed for five passengers; the front and back seats were separated by a glass panel. The limousine is in prime condition, with very few new parts.