Travel report: The classic Lake Constance cycle tour
From our guests Heike and Tommy with their dog Rocky
Heike and Tommy report on their individual Lake Constance bike tour. Together with their dog Rocky, they started their tour in Constance and enjoyed the eight days with stops in Radolfzell, Überlingen, Kressbronn, Bregenz and of course at the Rhine Falls in Schaffhausen. Among other things, they explored the island of Mainau and the Rappenloch and Alploch gorges. A trip to the Pfänder and an excursion to the island of Reichenau were also not to be missed.
Show more Show less
About our guests
We are Tommy and Heike from Hamburg and we have our 12-year-old pug Rocky, who always travels with us.
When planning our vacation this year, the question arose again: Where are we going? We had already been to Lake Constance a few years ago, but only to pass through. Back then, we visited the beautiful town of Lindau. And even then it was clear that we would be back. This year was the year. But which corner of Lake Constance should we go to? We quickly came up with the idea: why stay in just one place when you can see so much more of Lake Constance? So we decided on a round trip around Lake Constance.
We often go on short bike tours, but we have never been on a cycling vacation before. As we are not experienced cyclists and also ride without a motor, it was clear that we wanted to complete the tour in eight days. When booking, we indicated that we had an animal companion and the hotels were contacted and informed by the organizer. As our dog is already a senior, he couldn't run alongside the bike, of course. He had his own bike basket in which he was allowed to make himself comfortable.
Day 1: Individual arrival in Constance-Litzelstetten
As we come from the other end of Germany, we started our journey to Lake Constance the evening before. We arrived in Constance just in time for sunrise. We used this day to explore the island of Mainau. Admission here is at sunrise. A visit in the morning is highly recommended, as you can still enjoy the peace and quiet.
Show more Show lessThe exhaustion of the trip was forgotten and we strolled through the beautifully laid out flower park in glorious weather. There were figures made of flowers on every corner, huge trees, palm trees and much more.
Due to the hot temperatures, our dog didn't want to walk all day, so we borrowed a handcart for him.
In the afternoon, we made our way to our first accommodation in Litzelstetten (approx. 6 km from the center of Constance). Checking into the hotel went quickly, so we were able to make our way to the lake straight away. Crystal-clear water awaited us ten minutes from the hotel. We had a long swim in the glorious sunshine. Our hotel has a great restaurant where we rounded off our first day.
Show more Show lessDay 2: Constance-Litzelstetten - Überlingen (approx. 60 km)
Immediately after breakfast, we set off on our tour. Our first stop of the day was Radolfzell. We visited the old town and then made a detour to the Mettnau peninsula. We cycled along a forest path to the very tip of the island. We passed an observation tower from which we had a beautiful view of the island and the surrounding region. We stopped for a while at a beautiful swimming spot near the tower. We could have spent hours in this nature reserve, but then we had to continue on to Überlingen. After all, we still had 25 km to go.
Our accommodation today is located on a hill above the lake. After having to push up the steep road, we took our bikes to the bike garage and continued on foot. Überlingen has a great town garden, which we visited that evening. Unfortunately, there was no time left for the rest of the town as it was getting dark. But we had to have dinner right on the lakeside promenade. A wonderful day of cycling came to an end!
Show more Show less
Day 3: Überlingen - Kressbronn (approx. 50 km)
We had to get up early again today because we wanted to visit the pile dwelling museum in Uhldingen. Once again, it is advisable to get there as early as possible. So it was a good thing that breakfast was served from 07:00 a.m. Strengthened, we set off on our journey again.
Show more Show lessWe arrived at the pile dwellings at around 10.00 a.m. and were able to take our time looking around. However, it got more and more crowded as time went on. The museum and the guided tour are very interesting.
Around midday, we continued on our way to Meersburg - a beautiful town. Unfortunately, we only had time to visit the castle and fortress from the outside. We would have loved to spend more time here.
We made another short stopover in Friedrichshafen. If we didn't have time to take a closer look at the city, we at least wanted to go up the observation tower at the harbor. After climbing around 117 steps, you have a wonderful view over the city.
Without stopping again, we headed to Kressbronn, our destination for today. A country inn awaited us here. We had a huge room with a balcony. The best part, however, was the cozy beer garden where we dined. With our stomachs full, we took a short walk to the lake, which was only a few meters away. However, the mosquitoes made it difficult to stay here for long. A little exhausted but happy, we fell into bed that evening.
Show more Show lessDay 4: Kressbronn - Bregenz (approx. 20 km)
The morning started with a delicious breakfast in the beer garden. This time, Rocky was even allowed to join us for breakfast as we ate outside. With the first rays of sunshine, we enjoyed our coffee, bread rolls and even a few crumbs for Rocky. So two thumbs up and one paw up for breakfast. After a hearty breakfast, we were ready to set off. We booked an extra night in Bregenz before the start of our trip as we wanted to visit the Rappenloch and Alploch gorges.
The gorges are around 20 km away from Bregenz with a slight ascent. We left our bikes at the starting point of these gorges and took the bus to the upper entrance to the gorges. It's easier to go down the gorge than up - especially when your little fur nose has made itself comfortable in a carrier bag. A fantastic natural backdrop and a welcome cool-down for us and the ball of fur.
Show more Show less
After our hike, we set off for Bregenz. As we had previously cycled uphill, it was now a nice relaxed ride downhill. Rocky stretched his nose into the soothing breeze. Thanks to the downhill section, we were back in Bregenz in no time at all. A beautiful hotel with a view of the Pfänder, which we wanted to visit the next day, awaited us here. The Bregenz marina was also just a few steps away. Here we experienced a wonderful sunset. To round off the day, we had some delicious Käsespätzle, or as they say there: Käsknöpfle.
Show more Show lessDay 5: Bregenz - Staad (approx. 30 km)
As on the other days, breakfast was very hearty. In a good mood and well-rested, we were ready to continue. We started our day today with a cable car ride up the Pfänder. We bought a ticket for the outward and return journey. You have to be a dog, because our Rocky went up the mountain completely free of charge. We left our bikes at the valley station. The gondola runs every 30 minutes. We didn't have to wait long for either trip. We arrived on the mountain in just 6 minutes. In just under 14 minutes more, you could also make it up the mountain on your own two feet, as the trained runners on the mountain run proved to us.
Show more Show less
From here you have a fantastic view over Lake Constance. Here we took a short tour of the wildlife park. This did not cost any additional admission and took about 30 minutes. We encountered cute marmots and ibexes on the circular route. Before the descent, we had to have a cup of coffee and a giant pretzel on the terrace of the Pfänderspitze inn. Here, too, the view was breathtaking.
After visiting the Pfänder, we made a short stop at the Bregenz lake stage before continuing on to Switzerland.
Show more Show less
Our overnight stay today was in Staad. The hotel was located directly between the lake and a busy road. Unfortunately, our room faced the road. The hotel has a restaurant that serves homemade pizza. Of course, we didn't want to miss out on this and enjoyed it on the hotel's own lakeside.
Show more Show lessDay 6: Staad - Constance (approx. 50km)
The night wasn't very long as we hadn't slept much. Due to the persistent heat, it was unbearable in the room with the window closed. Unfortunately, with the window open, the noise from the car and train was almost unbearable. Fortunately, breakfast was served at 06:45. This time we were the first at breakfast and set off for Constance very early that day. In contrast to the other days, the route was not quite as exciting. We spent our lunch break enjoying a delicious meal at the harbor in Kreuzlingen. Afterwards we went to Constance.
Show more Show lessToday we had enough time to see the city. We strolled through the old town and visited the harbor with the Imperia. Our hotel was right in the center of Constance. Here, our dog was even welcomed with treats in a bowl provided especially for him. It was clear that the hotel was to Rocky's taste. There was homemade iced tea for us two-legged friends at reception.
Day 7: Constance - Schaffhausen (approx. 50 km)
Today we went along the Rhine to the Rhine Falls. The sun was very kind to us again. We had to climb a few hills on the way there. Fortunately, we had the opportunity to cool off in the Rhine. However, you shouldn't underestimate the current here. Once we arrived at the Rhine Falls, we took an audio boat trip and got very close to the waterfall.
After the impressive Rhine Falls, we made our way to Schaffhausen. Even though we were a little exhausted from the day, we didn't want to miss the chance to climb the Munot fortress. The view from here is fantastic. After a stroll and a delicious meal in the old town, we headed to our hotel.
Our room was perfect, so we slept like a rock on the Rhine.
Show more Show less
We then continued on to Gaienhofen to the jetty. Our ship didn't leave until 2 p.m., so there was still enough time for a delicious piece of cake right on the jetty. From Gaienhofen, we took the boat directly to the island of Reichenau. The boat trip was already included in the price of the trip. The crossing took half an hour before we explored the island of Reichenau. From there, we returned to our starting point.
It was a super nice week. We saw a lot and can recommend the tour 100%. We were quite exhausted at times - but that was partly due to the temperatures, which were well over 30 degrees. We would have liked more time in certain places. Rocky barked that the route was definitely suitable for dogs. We were able to take our sniffy nose to almost all the sights and he was always warmly welcomed.
The organization of the trip went smoothly. Our wishes were taken into account and our questions were always answered promptly. High praise also to the luggage transport. Our suitcases were always at the hotel before us. Both the documents and the maps were easy to read, so we had no difficulty finding our destination. It was also great that the information booklet pointed out places of interest.
It certainly wasn't our last cycling trip.
