Four-day trip through three countries and around Lake Constance

Our tour starts at the Constance Rhine bridge. We follow the Mainauerstraße in the direction of Staad to the ferry. However, just before we arrive at the ferry, we turn left into Hoheneggstraße and follow the lakeside path. While doing so, we enjoy the beautiful view of the lake. At the end of the path we come across Bachgasse, which we follow to the left and then turn right into Mainaustraße. From here we can also see the Constance University in the distance, which has a futuristic-looking architecture. If we follow the road straight ahead, we will pass the famous "Mainau Island", also called "Flower Island". The visit of the island is very worthwhile, but the bicycles can not be taken. You can get to the flower paradise on foot or by island bus via a causeway.

If we continue our way by bike, we follow the shore path straight ahead, passing through the villages of Litzelstetten, Dingelsdorf and Wallhausen. In Wallhausen we follow the main road to Dettingen, which leads away from the lake. Only for pedestrians the further way to the Marienschlucht is free.We follow the main road further through Langenrain, Liggeringen to Güttingen. Behind the village center we turn left into Buchenseestraße and pass the country road. Here we can make a detour straight ahead to the nice Buchensee. Later we follow the country road in northern direction through Stahringen and then in a wide right turn to Bodman. The village of Bodman is one of the oldest settlements on the lake, as remains of pile dwellings from the Stone and Bronze Ages prove. Between the double municipality of Bodman-Ludwigshafen, which has existed in this form only since 1975, there is a very beautiful nature reserve that can be explored on foot.

We leave Bodman again on the main road ("Im Ried") and then change to the Radolfszeller Straße, on which we drive in the direction of Ludwigshafen. Shortly before reaching the lake shore, we cross the railroad line on the right and cycle directly along the lake shore. We cycle to Sipplingen and turn left into the street "In der Breite" shortly after entering the town. Via Schulstraße and Rathausstraße - which in its course becomes "Morgenstraße" - we cycle through the village.

Sipplingen is a former fishing and wine-growing village, which nestles elegantly against the steeply rising and tree-covered slopes of the Sipplinger Berg. In the village there are also strikingly beautiful half-timbered houses to look at.

Behind the village, the lakeside path leads us through Goldbach and finally to Überlingen. The town is a popular tourist destination, as it is, among other things, a Kneipp spa and a center of therapeutic fasting. But you can also sit here very comfortably in cafes near the shore and enjoy the sun.Further on, the path leads us below the railroad line out of the village in the direction of Nußdorf. Here we always orient ourselves on the paths that lead along the shore. Behind Nußdorf, we can see the Birnau Basilica perched on the hill from afar, which is considered the most beautiful baroque church on Lake Constance. It is surrounded by vineyards and its interior is decorated by beautiful ornaments, frescoes and colorful paintings. A visit to the Birnau is really worthwhile.

Continuing near the lake through the very small villages of Maurach and Seefelden, we circle the mouth of the Seefeld Aach River and finally reach Unteruhldingen. Here we recommend a visit to the Lake Dwelling Museum: with several reconstructed houses from the Stone and Bronze Ages, it is the largest open-air museum in Germany. Here you can get a very real picture of how people lived and worked at that time.Finally, we reach Meersburg, the destination of our stage, on the shore path. Here we can end the day in the Meersburg thermal baths with sauna area. Three pile-dwelling saunas based on historical models have been created in the beautiful sauna garden with a view of Lake Constance.

Stage 2 - from Meersburg to Lindau (north side of Lake Constance) - 45 km

We start today's stage at the Uhldinger Straße and then drive through Meersburg on the Uferstadtstraße. On the way we can make a detour to Meersburg Castle. A guided tour takes you into more than 30 rooms of the castle, including the old castle kitchen, the hall of arms, the knights' hall, the castle dungeon and the living and death rooms of the famous German poet Annette von Droste-Hülshoff. She spent the last seven years of her life at Meersburg Castle.We leave Meersburg and continue cycling along the lakeshore to the wine village of Hagnau. Here we should take a bottle of wine from the region, it is very worthwhile.

At the end of Seestraße, we turn left onto Strandbadstraße, which zigzags us to the main road. We follow the bike path next to the Bundesstraße in the direction of Immenstaad. Here we can take a swim break at the lido. We continue on the Meersburger Straße, which leads us through Immenstaad. In the very well-kept village center we can take another break and look at the half-timbered building opposite the parish church, the oldest house in Immenstaad. We continue along the main road through the villages of Manzell and Seemoos. Before reaching Friedrichshafen, we cross the railroad lines on the right and then ride parallel to them for a while until we turn towards the lakeside promenade. In Friedrichshafen itself, we can stroll along one of the most beautiful and longest lakeside promenades on Lake Constance. Afterwards, we can look over the lake from the viewpoint on the jetty and visit the Zeppelin Museum. The museum takes us back to the time when the giant "flying cigar" - that is, the zeppelin - took to the skies. A visit is highly recommended, especially because of the detailed replica of the promenade deck of the "LZ Hindenburg".

We leave Friedrichshafen on the large Ecker road. After crossing the river we turn right and follow Seewiesenstraße through a park. Then we turn right and come very close to the lake shore again. On our way to Eriskirch we cycle through the most important nature reserve of the northern shore: the Eriskircher Ried, which is an ideal resting and feeding area for native and migratory birds. Finally, we cross the stream "Schüssen", then turn right twice to get back to the lakeside path ("Untere Seestraße"). At the end of the road we turn left into Bleichweg, meet the country road and follow it in an easterly direction over a bridge to Gohren. We cycle the second street to the right into Tunauer Weg, ignore the two turn-offs to the left and then turn left in the residential area towards Tunau. There we turn diagonally right into Bodanstraße, whose course we soon follow along the shore to Nonnenhorn. Here we reach Seestraße, Conrad-Forster-Straße and Wasserburger Straße in the direction of the actual Wasserburg. We continue on the peninsula road through the village of "Wasserburg". We then turn right into Höhenstraße and immediately right into Reutenerstraße and cross the village of Reute on this road. Straight ahead the road becomes Lindenhofweg, which winds through Bad Schachen. On the road closest to the shore, we reach the "Wasserau", Lindau's peninsula. It juts deep into Lake Constance and is a particularly idyllic spot. More than 1200 years ago the island was already settled and for a long time it was only accessible via a drawbridge. Here we can find some sights to visit like the "Zeughaus", the Minster "Zu unserer lieben Frau", the Old Town Hall or we just enjoy the beautiful view from here over Lake Constance.

Stage 3 - from Lindau to Constance (south side of Lake Constance) - 80 km

Our third stage starts in Lindau at the bridge to Lindau Island. We cycle along the road "Aeschacher Ufer", continue straight on the narrow path and finally reach the Bregenzer Straße. We follow the path, which first runs near the shore and then parallel to the railroad tracks. As we continue, we cross the German-Austrian border and at the same time a narrow river course. In Austria we turn right onto the unpaved bike path, we go around the sports field near the shore and stay on the narrow bike path with a view of Lake Constance. To the left is the community of Loch, which seems downright restful against the hustle and bustle of Lindau. We pass a harbor and then reach a long bathing area. Here we should not miss to make a bathing stop, because in Bregenz the mountains reach so close to the lake that there was no more room for a nice bathing corner.We continue along the shore to Bregenz, which was conquered by the Romans in 15 BC. Today, the city is one of the most important cities on Lake Constance, together with Constance and Friedrichshafen. Here you can find some cultural highlights like the festival on the lake stage or the Kunsthaus Bregenz. Its location is also unique, because here the lake merges directly into the Alps. The "local mountain" of Bregenz is the 1064 m high Pfänder, from which you can enjoy a wonderful panoramic view over the expanse of the lake.

From the harbor we continue in a westerly direction along the shore and past the Mehrerau Monastery. Finally we reach the mouth of the Bregenzer Ache. We follow the path upstream and finally cross the Bregenzer Ache on a bike path next to the main road. On the other side we turn right in the direction of Hard. We follow the course of the road and turn left in front of the harbor into Hafenstraße. We ignore all outgoing roads until we reach the Seepark on the right. Here we turn diagonally right into Uferstraße and continue straight ahead until it is later called Allmendstraße. After a while we meet the "Landstraße", which we follow to the right. Again we turn right onto the Swiss federal road ("Rheinstraße") and over a long bridge we pass the railroad line and the Rhine. On the other side we turn right into "Seestraße", follow the course of the Rhine and turn left a few streets further into "Kanalstraße". This becomes "Rohrstraße" and takes us out into the field. The road makes a long left turn and we cycle further and further near the shore. We pass through the Rheinspitz nature reserve. Behind the camping site "Im Rohr" we turn left ("Rohrstraße") and cycle in zigzag direction Höchst. Shortly before the district Unterdorf we turn right into Stillestraße, which brings us to the larger main road. We follow this to the right for a few hundred meters and then turn left into the narrow Dammweg, which follows the course of the Rhine bank in Gaiß. We cross the Rhine and the Austrian-Swiss border on the motorway bridge and then turn directly right into Bahnhofstraße. After a short time we continue to the left into Thalerstraße, which in its course becomes Rheineckerstraße, makes a long left turn and after the following right turn is called Dorfstraße. Behind the small village "Buechsig Schl." the narrower Warenseestraße leads off to the left, at the same time we cross the railroad line and continue straight on Hofstrasse through the villages Hof and Hohriet. If the road divides, we choose the right way ( St. Anna-Schloss-Strasse) over the highway. We cycle on this road through the village Loch and at the big crossroads we turn right into Goldacherstraße. In Goldach itself we cross the railroad tracks on the right and cycle along the main road to the shore of Lake Constance. We continue close to the shore until we reach Arbon. The name dates back to Roman times: They called their military and postal station "arbor felix" - translated: "happy tree" - which in the course of time became "Arbon". For those who would like to take a break here, the beautiful old town with its neat houses on the fish market square is worth a visit, as well as the town hall, Arbon Castle and the Gallus Chapel.

We cycle around Arbon near the shore and continue next to the railroad line to Egnach. Here we turn right into Kehlhofstrasse and follow the course of the road to Romanshorn harbor. It's worth taking a detour by bike to the top of the harbor to enjoy the view of the lake. After that, the route continues more or less close to the shore through the half-timbered villages of Uttwil and Kesswil. Behind them, we ride parallel to the railroad tracks through Güttingen, Ruderbaum and to Münsterlingen. Here we change to the left side of the track, behind the village again to the right. In Bottighofen we pass the "Schlösslipark" on the right and continue on the path behind the beautifully laid out and very well maintained park, which stretches to the German-Swiss border. Later, we orient ourselves in the direction of the train station "Keuzlingen Hafen". Kreuzlingen is the sister city of Kostanz. Here, in the middle of the 19th century, there are said to have been only about 13 houses, meanwhile the Swiss border town has more than 17000 inhabitants and basically merges directly into Konstanz.

The Seestraße leads over the border with its old, unmanned guard post to Konstanz. Here we cycle down the harbor road, which is bustling with tourists and locals on warm days. We pass a large beer garden on the left, shortly thereafter we see one of Constance's landmarks on the right, the Imperia statue, and behind the underpass on the left we reach the Constance train station and the old town. Here, a walk through the old town of Constance is worthwhile: its historic city center was hardly destroyed during the wars, and so the Mediterranean way of life, the mild Lake Constance climate and the small alleys of the student town mix to make it a very popular vacation destination. On a clear day, the lakeshore offers an unforgettable view of the lake and the snow-capped Alps behind it. During the bathing season, a jump into the refreshing water is always a good idea during our tour. The ascent of the cathedral tower is also highly recommended.

Stage 4 - around the Untersee from Constance via Stein am Rhein to Radolfszell and back to Constance - 70 km

This stage starts in Constance. We cycle along the southern bank of the Rhine from the Rhine bridge in the direction of Schänzlebrücke, turn left behind the sports hall and zigzag along Europastraße. After a while we turn right into the "Alter Graben" to pass the German-Swiss border. We cycle straight ahead on the Konstanzer Straße in the direction of Tägerwilen and then turn right onto the main road. On this road, close to the shore, we pass Triboltingen, Ermatingen - one of the oldest documented villages in the area and known, among other things, for its numerous vineyards - and Mannenbach-Salenstein. Mannenbach, like many manor houses in the surrounding area, was founded by the abbots of the Reichenau monasteries. From here, we look out over the Gnadensee lake and also recognize Reichenau, which lies behind it. We continue through Berlingen and Steckborn, where the cycle path leads directly along the lake and the narrow Untersee opens up to the Gnadensee. Pleasantly, we pass through Mammern and Eschenz until we finally reach Stein am Rhein.

Stein am Rhein would be the perfect place for a movie set, because it is not for nothing that it is known as one of the most beautiful places on Lake Constance. Numerous colorful half-timbered houses adorn the medieval townscape. The town hall and the monastery on the shore, which also dates back to the Middle Ages, should not be missed either. In a "Käslädle" on the market square we buy a typical Swiss cheese fondue and afterwards we can stop in one of the many restaurants or cafés. If you like it a bit quieter, you will find a nice place on the other side of the bridge opposite the old town. Just after the bridge, we can turn left into a small alley and park our bikes after a few meters.

If we go back to Konstanz, we follow the Oehningerstrasse out of the town and shortly after we pass the German-Swiss border. On our further way to Radolfzell we cycle through nature reserves, past small harbors, beach resorts, orchards, through vineyards, along beautiful half-timbered houses and many expansive and sometimes very colorful fields. Along the way we pass the villages of Endorf, Kattenhorn, Wangen, Marbach, Hemmenhofen, Gaienhofen, Grundholzen, Iznang, Moos with its beautifully situated Ried along the Radolfzeller Aach and finally reach Radolfzell. Here we can make a detour to the old town, which is well worth seeing. Radolfzell was already founded in 826 by the bishop of Veron, Radolf. During a short tour of the town, it is worthwhile to walk across the market square, through the historic center of Radolfzell with its very old houses, as well as to take a look at the old Gothic church and the cathedral "Unserer lieben Frau". In one of the many cafes we can take a little rest.

Then we follow the cycle path along the railroad track near the shore, pass the Radolfzell hospital on the right and turn left behind it into Mettnaustrasse. Shortly after, we turn right into Konstanzer Straße, on which we leave the town. Before entering Markelfingen, we turn right into Gnadenseestraße, meet Unterdorfstraße at its end and follow its course to the left. On Radolfzeller Straße, which we cross, we leave the town in an easterly direction. We cycle close to the lakeshore, pass Allensbach and Hegne and at the big crossroads follow the signs to Konstanz-Fürstenberg and Konstanz-Petershausen. On Reichenaustraße we cycle along Wollmatinger Ried, change to the left behind the small airfield into Riedstraße and turn right at the traffic circle into the long Max-Stromeyer-Straße, which leads us through commercial and residential areas. After a while we come to Jahnstraße, which we can follow to the left in the direction of the ferry, which can take us back to Meersburg. Or we can change to the other side of the Rhine and head for the old town of Constance. When we reach the Rhine bridge, we are not far from the pretty old town alleys and the city park - both are well suited to end the trip in a pleasurable way.