Travel Report: Around Lake Constance in 4 Days
From our Beth and Derek, who had a great time on their Cycling Tour around Lake Constance
We are a pair of 60-something cyclists, and whilst we arr far from superpowered, we do cycle regularly. For reasons I’ll mention later this was a special trip. Last year we pedalled in Tuscany, the year before in Puglia. Both were terrific holidays, but this year we were tempted by elsewhere… and Lake Constance looked perfect. As a Scot who is reasonably comfortable in Italian and French, I feel very ashamed of my lack of German. Our adult son has a serious disability, and he lives in one of Scotland’s wonderful Camphill (Rudolf Steiner) communities. As you will know, so many of the people there are German-speaking. For our Bodensee adventure, I started Duolingo German...and one of the first things I learned was that my son of very few words says ‘Hallo’ with a German intonation! I was thrilled. This trip was meant to be.
We flew from Edinburgh to Zürich, and caught the train to Konstanz. Oh, what excellent transport links you have. The Alte Poste Hotel was super, and we received all our very full and informative documentaion on arrival. So my husband had no excuses whatsoever for saying ‘Easy...the bike pick-up is just beside a certain fast food chain!’ And of course it is. We’d never want to eat there, but it was a handy way of finding our bikes. But Konstanz is big enough to have more than one McDonald’s...As we say in Scotland...we were EEJITS!
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Old Town in Konstanz
Old Town in Konstanz
Day 1: Konstanz – Friedrichshafen
We fuel up heartily at the breakfast buffet, pre-pedal. Well, we are Scottish, and Scots have a reputation for being careful with money! And all those breakfasts were sehr lecker, so we ate very well indeed. Also, being Scots, we are used to preparing for hilly terrain, and last year in Tuscany, every destination perched itself on top of a hill. The Bodensee path, by contrast, rarely requires a gear change, and at no point did I have to adjust my ‘big gears’ on my quickly-beloved red bike.
Getting out of larger towns and cities is always the dodgy bit, but we were heartened by the notion that the lake would always be on one side, and in the words of the excellent young woman at the bike depot ‘You won’t get lost’. And we didn’t.
The forecast for our first couple of days promised some downpours. But forecasts are not always right. We had a little gentle spritz a couple of times as we wove through orchards, still clinging to a fluff of blossom. As we took the wasserbus from Wallhausen to Überlingen, it was beautiful, seeing that gentle sprinkle on rippling water while we enjoyed our kaffee aboard.
Überlingen is fabulous, and well worth your time exploring on foot. From the quirky fountain by the harbour, via the old town streets, the Cathedral and the museum. Watch out for the Gothic dragon outside the WCs in the museum garden. Surely every convenience should be so nobly guarded!
I could say so much about Meersburg and more, but I will try to limit myself. Suffice to say, it’s stunning. And like a lot of places we passed, cafes were just beginning to open up, or put out their outside seating. But midweek in early May, there were not so many seats taken. We passed some large carparks housing only a few cars. From our point of view, that was brilliant. People indulged our rubbish German with great kindness. Quite a few people, including an exceptionally jolly woman at a level-crossing, mentioned the weather wasn’t quite perfect. Then they learned we were Scots, and they generally burst into a lot of laughter with us, saying ‘But it doesn’t matter! You’re used to it!’. So true.
On to Friedrichshafen! During our evening meal, we were treated to a lightning show across the snowy mountains, ducks frolicking in the flooded streets as the promised downpour arrived. And of course it dried up in time for our walk back to the hotel.
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St. Nicholas Church in Überlingen
St. Nicholas Church in Überlingen
Day 2: From Friedrichshafen to Bregenz
After our customary frühstück (oh how I love that Bodensee people also appreciate a good breakfast!), we spent more time than we had really intended at the Zeppelin Museum. Apparently it’s the biggest museum in the world devoted to such aircraft. I’m not convinced there is a second-biggest museum of that kind. Please do stop and give it plenty of time, as it’s fascinating. I’d go back tomorrow, happily. Later in the day we met the only other Scots we encountered on the trip. They had pedalled on quickly from the city, happit up in waterproofs, fearing the deluge forecast later. Once again, the weather Gods were kind to us, and we only had a little of the pleasingly misty-fine rain we Scots call smirr. Perfectly pleasant on two wheels, and the under-tyre surfaces were always reliable, and dubs (puddles) were rare and easily circumnavigated.
Or main stop today was at gorgeous Lindau. Oh those half-timbered houses! Those painted walls. That Rathaus. The harbour. The apfelschorle. I could go on. The dreich even turned into sunshine. But I think you should just go to see for yourself.
All those amazing vineyards and orchards, and it was really impossible for us to say when we crossed the border (and that’s a funny thing for us, as island people with only one land border with our nearest neighbour!). The terraced farms didn’t tell us, nor did the trees or abundant wildflowers...but the train beside us looked...different. And the signs were...different. Hey! We’re in Austria! You can appreciate that when you tell people in Scotland that your cycle trip went through 3 countries and back into the first one, and we drop in that we cycled through a town called Hard we can sound as if we have done A MAGNIFICENTLY ARDUOUS JOURNEY. The trip was indeed magnificent...but please keep our secret re the gentle truth of travelling through several countries!
And we reached Bregenz before the heavens ripped, and what do you know? The hotel had a sauna. It would have been silly not to dodge the rain there. Our evening meal included a cracking Austrian potato salad. If I can improve my German, I’ll go back and ask for the recipe.
Once again, people thought rain was no issue to Scots. And they were right.
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Day 3: Bregenz – Arbon
In the morning, we were reluctant to leave our overnight city too quickly. There was plenty of time ahead and we had no regrets at all about exploring the old town. I’m too much of a wuss about heights to attempt the cable car, and as there was a bit of low cloud I don’t feel too guilty. Don’t miss the Martinsturm, or the beautiful Baroque chapel just opposite our hotel, and the nearby church (Herz Jesu) which has one of the most moving interpretations of the Stations of the Cross I have ever seen.
Today took us through a very verdant Rheindelta, with both fascinating birdlife and plants. Switzerland was a wee bit bolder in announcing its border (but only a little!) and fairly soon we were in Rorschach. We parked by the Kornhaus and enjoyed our wanders. Again, what a pretty place. Don’t trust me...just go!
We arrived in Arbon in sunshine and the very genial hotel owner lead us to garage our bikes by the in-house microbrewery. Strangely, he asked if we had been affected by the rain during our trip, and then he recognised our Scots accents (and that really impresses me. Will I ever be able to distinguish accents in spoken German?). Do you know...he said that we’d be used to this weather! And he wants to come to the Scottish Highlands, so I don’t think he worries about it either. I hope he does come to Scotland with his camper van, and that he enjoys his holiday just as much as we have enjoyed ours.
Arbon has a stunning old town, and has a lovely lake front. We went into a restaurant in a magnificent 17th Century building. I practised my feeble German carefully as we arrived. But we were greeted in Italian. So wonderfully Swiss. At a bakery the next day, my order in German was met with a reply in French. Again, how marvellously Swiss!
During our evening meal, we let the waiter know that we were about to receive a video call from our son, and we’d go outside so we wouldn’t annoy anyone. We wanted him to know we weren’t running away. He gave a hearty laugh, saying ‘But I wouldn’t mind if you did! It doesn’t come out of my pocket!’ What a smashing meal, finished with a deep red sunset on the lake.
Old Town in Arbon
At the Fish Market Square in Arbon
Day 4: Arbon–Konstanz
Yet again, we considered the route and knew Arbon should not be abandoned too early. So many nesting swans on the shore, so many amazing buildings, and that very lovely Church.
Today’s cycle was a shortish one in sunshine, waving wildflowers, level crossings and school trips to lakeside parks (we used to be teachers, so we felt at home too).
We saw the only actual Zoll between Kreuzlingen and Konstanz, and it was a bit joyous to pedal by with no formalities. We felt we’d sort-of earned our trip-completion beer and pizza (Ja! Zusammen, bitte!). By now we know that it’s important to meet eyes when we say Prost! And, in return, we offer you Slàinte Mhath!
Back to the hotel, and so much still to see in Konstanz. We booked two more nights before our flight home, and we had to head out to the strand to enjoy being in the lake. Believe me as a year-round swimmer in the North Sea around Scotland, when someone said ‘It might be a bit chilly yet...but you are Scottish, you should go in’, they were mainly right. It really wasn’t kalt at all (or cauld as we Scots say)! It was glorious!
The journey’s end
What will I take back from our trip? Pictures of three countries edging a great body of water? Orchards? Vineyards? Extraordinary towns, cities and villages? A superbly-mapped cycle route, and very good use by all of shared access paths (learn from this, fellow Scots!) Memories of paintings, metalwork, and half-timbered houses? Lilacs and tumbling wisteria? Wildlife and well-tended farms? A whirling river? Delicious food? Quirky and interesting museums and inspiring Churches?
Oh yes, all of these, and more.
What mistakes did we make? Apart from failing to realise there is more than one place of the Golden Arches in Konstanz, we should have packed water shoes as the lake has a long slow slope over stones before you can swim. Once again, I was the eejit!
But most of all, I will be thankful for the terrific people we met on the path, their kindness and generous communication, even when faced with my rubbish German (Es tut mir Leid!). Back at the bike-hire depot, the fine man offering us coffee answered my comment about how relaxed and nett the people had been, by saying, yes it’s early in the season, before people get too busy and it can become a bit stressig. I understand that, as it’s a problem for all in well-touristed areas, but I still believe we met a lot of genuinely excellent folk. And as we left on the train, we saw the Rudolf Steiner School in Kreuzlingen, and gave thanks for all the goodness German-speaking people have given our wee Scottish family. Danke schön!
We want to come back. Soon.
Beth and Derek from Dundee
(Did we mention we come from Scotland?)
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