Discover Lake Constance: Self Guided Bike Tour

Welcome to Überlingen!

You will be able to check in at the Parkhotel St. Leonhard, located above Überlingen, from 3 pm onwards. The hotel boasts spectacular views of Lake Constance, giving you a wonderful introduction to the area on the first day of your tour. Take in its grandeur, as over the coming week you will be cycling around this great lake and soaking up its stories and culture. 

Take advantage of your free afternoon to take a tour around Überlingen and explore this mediaeval city. Its historic features such as the city gate and walls, which were carved out of the surrounding rock, have been wonderfully preserved. At the town’s centre is Hofstatt Square, home to the town hall and not far from the Gothic St Nicholas Cathedral, featuring incredible works by woodcarver Jörg Zürn, who made the  sacrament house and the grand high altar.

The Parkhotel St. Leonhard is a beautiful, modern hotel in a privileged spot above the town of Überlingen with a great view of the lake. It also has an indoor swimming pool and could be a great option to extend your trip either before or after your tour. If the weather is nice, dinner is served on the patio with views overlooking the city. 

Today’s route: Überlingen to Salem

 

Please remember to bring your suitcases down to reception each morning by 9 am and inform the hotel staff that they will be picked up by the Lake Constance Cycle Route Service. If you have booked rental bikes, they will be delivered by 9:30 am.

Your first route starts with an easy descent before a stretch of undulating terrain that takes us off the public path and into nearby forests and meadows with views of the lake. Before you reach Meersberg, you should stop at Birnau, a spectacular pink Cistercian abbey church built between 1747 and 1750 by Peter Thumb of Vorarlberg. It has an incredibly intricate decor inside, especially the ceiling that features breathtaking frescos by German Rococo painter Gottfried Bernhard Göz. The balustrade in front of the church offers wonderful panoramic views across the lake. 

You could stop again in Meersburg, one of the most enchanting mediaeval villages surrounding the lake. Surrounded by green meadows and vineyards, its narrow, clean streets and peaceful atmosphere by the lake offer calm and tranquillity in comparison to some of the busier towns in the area. It was once home to many artists. You will arrive around lunchtime to take the chance to grab some food and a coffee before setting off again for the afternoon.

After lunch, the route leads along a path that traverses fields, forests and meadows to reach Salem, once a Cistercian monastery. The monks from the monastery once used this path to walk to Birnau to hold mass. The monastery appears suddenly, as if from nowhere. It is a blend of Gothic and Baroque architecture and art that is home to a well-known boarding school. You might choose to join a short tour (approximately one hour) or have a coffee in the nearby Schwanen Inn before setting off once again. 

Tonight you will stay at Gasthof Schwanen (or equivalent). Built in 1665 as an inn for the Cistercian monastery, the hotel is currently home to a restaurant, tavern, wine bar and museum café. There’s plenty to explore!

Today’s route: Salem to Lindau

Your day will start with a 10 km ride from Salem to Markdorf (or you might decide to take the train from Salem to Markdorf if the route seems too long). From here, you’ll start riding through villages, meadows and forests as the route descends back towards Lake Constance and Wasserburg, which literally translated, means ‘castle on the water’.

The route from Wasserberg to Lindau is calm and tranquil. You’ll be able to ride right up to the hotel, the Lindauer Hof, at Lindau harbour. Arriving at the harbour, we will be greeted by the sights of the majestic 19th century statue of the Bavarian lion and the Lindau lighthouse, marking the gate into the harbour. Once you have left your bikes at the hotel, the afternoon is yours. Stroll around the area, explore the harbour and promenade and enjoy the magnificent views of the lake and Alps in the distance.

The Lindauer Hof is a family-run, four-star hotel located on the island of Lindau. Consider the hotel’s restaurant for dinner in the evening today, with privileged views of the harbour, inviting you to take an evening stroll along the waterfront before bed. 

Today’s route: Lindau to St. Gallen

A note regarding your luggage transfer: Your suitcase must remain unlocked today since it will cross the border into Switzerland (via an EU external border!). Customs must be able to open it and check the contents.

Then, before you start your route on Day 4, consider signing up to a guided tour around Lindau and dive into its rich history and wealth of architecture, including its many arches that line the winding streets, town hall and numerous churches. 

Once we start the route we’ll follow the cycle path from Lindau and into Austria towards Bregenz. The path meanders along the shore and we’ll soon reach the biodiverse nature reserve near Rohrspitz, surrounded by two arms of the Rhine. The reserve is home to a wealth of plants and wildlife, as well as being a favourite spot for many migratory birds. 

After passing through Swiss customs (make sure you have your passports/ID cards and documentation on you), you’ll be at the border town of Rheineck. St Gellen is just a short ride on along a signposted cycle path. It is positioned on top of a hill. It is about 22 km to the top up a gentle climb, but there is also a train that will get you there from Rheineck if you do not feel like riding. Don’t forget that in Switzerland you need to buy a ticket for your bike, too!)

Once at the top, there is a short walk from St Gallen train station to your modern, four-star hotel, Hotel Einstein. It is beautifully furnished and offers a very comfortable stay, and its central location makes it easy to take an evening stroll around the town. 

Today’s route: St Gallen to Gottlieben

From the Middle Ages to the present day, St. Gallen has always been a prosperous city. The St Gallen Cathedral and Abbey, with its library and archives, have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We highly recommend investing some time in the morning in a guided tour around the site.

Then, when you’re ready, head from the old town to the villa and university district. It is an uphill climb so you may have to push your bike. The route then leads you towards the lake on country lanes and back streets in the direction of Gottlieben, your destination for the day. It is a quaint and picturesque village on the shores of the Seerhein, a short river (just 4 km) that leads from Lake Constance. It is home to a sea of 17th century, half-timbered houses, as well as the castle of the Bishop of Constance.

You will spend the night at the Hotel Die Krone, a wonderfully restored 300-year-old building that sits on the edge of the Seerhein. The restaurant terrace overlooks the Wollmatinger Ried nature reserve and the Island of Reichenau and offers front-row seats to incredible sunsets. 

Today’s route: Gottlieben to Überlingen

A note regarding your luggage transfer: Your suitcase must be unlocked again today as it will be transferred back over the EU-Switzerland border. 

Your tour around the lake ends with today’s bike route. From the hotel, jump on your bike to return to Germany along the shores of the lake and back to Constance. The bike path traverses this council city, where you might choose to stop and sign up for a guided tour. If not, your route continues through some quiet residential areas to Lake Überlingen. After which, another quiet and scenic route will take us on to the town of Wallhausen, from where we will take a ferry back to Überlingen. If you stick to the schedule proposed in the itinerary, you will get back to Überlingen at around 1:35 pm. There are still 2.3 km from the port to the hotel where your luggage will be delivered at 6 pm (you may want to book an extra night at the hotel and depart the following morning).

Or, you might choose to travel by boat to another Lake Constance Island, Reichenau, famous in the area for its vegetables and Romanesque churches. A Swiss liner leaves the nearby port at 9.32 am for Schaffhausen, and reaches Reichenau after about 34 minutes. A tour around the enchanting island adds about 11 km onto your journey to Constance, so leave at least two hours extra time due to the ferry and exploring! Depending on how long you stay in Constance, you could catch the ferry to Überlingen around 4 pm and arrive back in Überlingen at around 4.45 pm. 

If you choose this itinerary for the day, you may also want to book an extra night at the hotel to relax before your onward journey the day after.