Southeast of the centre, in an idyllic location on a headland named Tribschen projecting into the lake, is a villa that was Richard Wagner’s home from 1866 to 1872, and is now a museum to him (March–Nov Tues–Sun 10am–noon & 2–5pm; Fr.5; SMP; boat to Tribschen, or bus #6/7/8 to Wartegg, then 5min walk). After many visits to Switzerland, the composer and his partner Cosima – Franz Liszt’s daughter, who was still legally married to the pianist and conductor Hans von Bülow – spotted the derelict Tribschen villa in early 1866, made arrangements to rent it for an extended period, and moved in on April 15. “Nobody will get me out of here again,” Wagner said, and it’s generally agreed that this was the happiest and most productive time of his life, not least because Cosima’s long-dead marriage was finally dissolved in 1870 and the couple were able to marry. The tranquillity of the house, in a gorgeous lakeside setting, is still tangible today, as you wander through the rooms laid out with Wagneriana of all kinds – letters, pictures, original furniture, instruments and even his death mask – with Wagner compositions playing in the background.