Travel report: Rhine cycle tour in Switzerland
From Radweg-Reisen employee Yvonne
A bike tour in the Alpine country of Switzerland - our colleagues Yvonne and Nele found out that you don't have to be a professional cyclist to go on a bike tour in the Swiss Alps. A positive side effect of such a bike tour: the delicious Swiss chocolate can be worked off on the bike in no time! Read here why it's worth cycling uphill for 9 km, even though the only inn at the top is closed, and why it's better not to cycle through a closed forest.
Since 2015, the route of the cycle tour has been changed and now runs along the Vorder and Hinterrhein rivers, but no longer through Appenzellerland and via St. Gallen.
Show more Show lessBy Yvonne:
When my colleague Nele and I were thinking about where we should go on this year's bike tour, she suggested we do the Rhine bike tour in Switzerland. Hm, that really wasn't at the top of my wish list. Why not actually? I like the mountains, I like water - and if that also accompanies my route in the form of a wild river, all the better. So off we go.
We know our rental bikes and know that they are well maintained and run well. But for a bike tour like this, we prefer to take our own bikes - we're used to them. Luckily, just like our guests' rental bikes, they could be brought to the hotel in Chur, so we were able to make the journey by train without any bikes at all.
From Disentis to Chur
The day begins very comfortably with the train ride from Chur to Disentis. As the railroad line always runs directly alongside the river, we cycle straight through the famous Rhine Gorge, the Ruinaulta. This allows us to see it from below, as you can only pass above it by bike. We get on our bikes in Disentis and shortly afterwards turn onto a dirt road. The adventure can begin and we are thrilled!
Show more Show lessWe cycle a lot on gravel and forest roads, uphill and downhill, with the gigantic mountains of Graubünden all around us. We take a short break in Ilanz to prepare for the upcoming ascent. From now on, the route climbs steadily for 9 km. We ride on the asphalt road with little traffic. As the ascent is not too steep, the gradient is easy to manage. Nevertheless, we are glad when we reach the top. There's an inn with a terrace at the top and we're looking forward to a break and a drink! There's a sign outside: closed on Wednesdays - of all days? So we grab a muesli bar and water on a few steps and carry on. At least it's downhill for now. And then uphill again. At the top, we have a fantastic view of the Rhine Gorge. We mentally prepare ourselves for the descent and are pleased that we've managed the uphill section well. This thought makes the short but steep climb shortly after Bonaduz all the more difficult. Now it's downhill again through a wooded area and we can already see Chur from afar. Once there, we get off our bikes, exhausted but happy.
From Chur to Feldkirch
Today's stage starts flat, just right for a bit of cycling. Oops, missed the descent, so backtrack a bit. Now we realize why cycling went so smoothly today. It's windy. And how! What luck that we actually had to go in the other direction. With a tailwind, we make good progress. We soon move away from the river and cycle through quaint villages and wide fields. And it's uphill again. No comparison to yesterday, today the climb is a breeze. We cycle through vineyards in perfect weather and the wind is hardly noticeable here. It's simply beautiful here. Shortly after Bad Ragaz, the cycle path runs directly along the river. We suddenly have a headwind, and not too strong. The sun is gone and every now and then a drop of rain hits us. We take a short break on a bench at the side of the path and consider whether we should stay on the cycle path right by the river at Vaduz.
Show more Show lessThis would get us to our destination as quickly as possible. However, the travel documents describe two other routes that are certainly more scenic. Does it make a difference when it's gray and dark in the sky anyway? A farmer asks us where we still have to go and takes the decision away from us when he says that it won't be long before the rain comes. Heavy rain. The decision is made: We drive to the train station in Schaan and see if there is a train from there to Feldkirch. There is at least one train line marked. We arrive at the station with the first drops of rain. But we find neither a timetable nor a ticket machine, let alone a ticket counter. The bus station, on the other hand, has all this. We ask at the counter whether bicycles can be taken on the bus. Yes, if there is enough space on the bus - the bus driver decides. Fortunately, he decides in our favor and we head towards Feldkirch. In the meantime, it's pouring with rain. What a good decision! The 200 meters from the train station to the hotel are enough to get us completely soaked. Later, the rain lets up and we walk up to the castle, where we also have dinner - highly recommended!
From Feldkirch to St. Gallen
It's raining this morning. Again. As we all know, there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. We should realize that we have the latter... It's actually a nice route to Altstätten. I think - in good weather. Through forests and along meadows and fields.
Show more Show lessSo, wrapped up in our rain gear, we cycle as quickly as possible to Altstätten. We get lost there briefly, as there are two stations. At least it has stopped raining. We got a bit wet under our rain jackets. We don't know whether moisture got in from the outside or whether it didn't get out from the inside. But now it's getting cold. Fortunately, the cogwheel train arrives and takes us to Gais in Appenzell. Now a little drier and in a better mood, we set off again. The landscape makes up for the not-so-great, but now at least dry, weather. Up and down along lush green meadows with individual farms. This is how we imagined it! On the way, we have to overcome another 3 km climb and reward ourselves with a delicious cake in the restaurant at the Appenzeller cheese dairy. Now we are in Sankt Gallen very quickly - or so we thought. The route through the suburbs drags on and it's uphill again. But we finally made it! We've earned a delicious dinner at the Gartenhaus restaurant!
From St. Gallen to Constance
Bright sunshine and blue skies - we're beaming too! Before we get on the saddle, we take a stroll through the city center. Our destination: the collegiate church, the city's landmark. On the way there, we are tempted to take our first break: On Gallusplatz, right next to the church, there are numerous beanbags and a bookshelf has been set up.
Show more Show lessEveryone can make themselves comfortable here and browse through one of the books. What a good idea! But we want to get back on our bikes - so let's get out of the city and continue through beautiful, green landscapes. We want to try out a new route and therefore don't go straight to Arbon on Lake Constance, as described in the travel documents. We want to stay on the Seerücken and therefore decide to cycle along the Konzil cycle path. We cycle on partly asphalted, partly gravel paths along fields and through some woodland. Just as we are approaching a forest, we see a barrier being erected. Attention hunting - danger to life! We are allowed to slip through quickly and reach the end of the forest unharmed. Just as the barrier is set up there too. We were lucky. We take a short break on a bench with a view of Lake Constance and we can already hear the first shots. As this is probably not uncommon, especially at weekends, we prefer to leave it at the tender along the lake. The last few kilometers to Constance are quickly cycled and we are back home.
Our conclusion
The first stage is the most challenging and, in our opinion, also the most beautiful! However, it is not recommended for electric bikes and insecure cyclists. Due to the many sections on gravel, sometimes with large stones, it can be slippery. Especially when the paths are wet. If you are unsure, it is better to skip this cycling stage. Instead, you can take the train to Disentis and back again. This way you can see the Rhine Gorge, but you have to pay for the return journey out of your own pocket. If you are traveling by electric bike, you can also take the train to Ilanz and from there back to Chur. The route is then very good, but unfortunately you start the cycle tour with a 9 km ascent.
All in all, we were thrilled! The mountains, fields and forests - pure nature. There is a wide range of restaurants, bars and supermarkets in the places where you stay overnight and the next day you are back in the countryside in no time. With a bit of basic fitness and riding confidence, this tour is very easy to manage!
