Überlingen - Salem
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!