Lake Constance Cycling Holiday

We parked the car near the hotel and went to the Donau Touristik Office to pick up the bikes, the reservations for the hotels and tickets for the train, boat and entrance to gardens. The bikes all looked to be in very good condition albeit a little on the heavy side, but then we were touring on cycle tracks not racing. We had the choice of using paniers at no extra charge or using our own back pack. I chose paniers as they seemed to offer an advantage over carrying a back pack. However, I think this was probably a mistake because if you are doing a lot of walking sightseeing then it is a bit of a pain to have to carry these around with you. Paniers can also make the bike unstable particularly when you are going up hills. There was a refundable deposit that you had to pay for the bike and the panniers. We then checked in to the Ibis hotel in Bregenz, which was a typical business hotel, but nevertheless the rooms were very clean and large enough, with air conditioning. There were no dining facilities at the Ibis, so we asked for a recommendation and after exploring the set for 'Der Troubadour' we sat down in a local restaurant overlooking the Lake to a very pleasant meal.

The next morning we set off to Arbon just before 9am after having a hearty breakfast from the buffet at the Ibis. When you are cycling you will burn a lot of calories so it is essential to keep the body topped up with fuel. The chances are that you will run out of energy long before your leg muscles give up. Just outside of Bregenz there are large nature reserves which are well worth exploring. It seems that the eventual fate of Lake Constance will be to fill up with sediment, so there is dredging work in progress to keep the channels open. On the way you should not miss a short stop at Rorshach, including the old corn house and the picturesque waterfront.

After a light lunch we arrived in the wonderful old town of Arbon and checked into the Seegarten Hotel. We then had plenty of time to look round Arbon which is one of the oldest settlements on Lake Constance.

Along the way you should not miss the picturesque town of Stein am Rhein, which is certainly one of the loveliest in Switzerland. Also, a little bit off the main cycle path is the customs bridge at Gailingen. Here you can go back in time when you cross the river under the cover of this old wooden bridge.

It is well worth making the 3 km trip from Schaffhausen to the Rhine Falls which is Europe's largest in terms of water volume. The admission is only a couple of euros and then you can descend several levels each time getting nearer and nearer to the water fall. There are several large rocks in the centre of the falls and it is possible to take a boat out to the rocks for an even more dramatic view. There was not enough time for us to take the boat trip - so maybe next time.

It was quite a welcome relief to take the bikes on board the train for the short journey out of Switzerland to Gottmadingen in Germany. It was easy to take the bike on the train with very little fuss and as usual Donau Touristik had supplied the train tickets as part of the package.

As this was the longest cycling day (over 80 km) there was nothing left to do except check in to the comfortable Hotel Kranz and for the first and only time have an excellent dinner at the hotel.

This was one of the nicest bike rides, in fact I enjoyed it so much I did not find time to take all the photos I wanted. The best part of the ride was from Radolfzell through the Swiss meadows to Stein am Rhein. Here we made a quick stop to get some water at the supermarket. The Supermarket would only take euro notes and give Swiss currency in exchange; but luckily we met an English couple from Nottingham who exchanged some euros for us. On the route there were some very fine churches and buildings and a very nice nature reserve on the shores of the lake.

When you go to Radolfzell you should make certain you visit the peninsular of Mettnau. Here there are nice gardens and walks. At the end of the route you will come across the health clinic which is an ideal place to spend a few weeks if you are feeling a little stressed in your work. If you are lucky you may even be offered a game of tennis by one of the inmates. But much better is to have a coffee and cake at the Strandcafe. When we had finished our little tour of Mettnau and trying not to get lost, we decided to watch the World Cup match between Argentina and Germany. So, we found the best place was a large youth centre on the outskirts of town and with our bikes we had no trouble parking. The main hall was very, very noisy with young people shouting, using horns and rattles. So it was very civilised to find an adjoining room with a large screen where you could sit down and have a beer and watch the match in comfort. After the match (which Germany won on penalties) we needed something to eat and then there was a choice of a concert featuring Handel's music for the Royal Fireworks or more football. Naturally I chose the music particularly as it was out in the open near the cathedral and featured real fireworks.

Our route took us via Reichenau Island which is reached by a very narrow peninsular. You are able to cycle round the whole island which features many greenhouses growing the fruit and vegetables for which this area is renowned. The Lake has a mediating influence on the climate so the weather tends to be a lot milder allowing all sorts of fruits to prosper. You definitely should not miss the Romanesque Cathedral which is a very impressive building.

One of the great points about a cycling holiday is that you can cycle right into the heart of the city centre without the hassle and stress of parking. In fact the roads around the lake are quite busy and congested, so there has been many efforts to make cycling attractive. Often you will see young and old using the cycle paths and commonly you will see a baby carriage being towed by a bike. There are always places to park the bike in town and city centres and it always seemed safe to leave your bike without the risk of it being stolen. Constance is a fascinating centre with its magnificent harbour, rotating Imperia Statue and the vibrant city centre.

As part of the Donau Touristik package, tickets were supplied for entrance to the gardens and the Butterfly House. You can park your bike or car at the entrance and then proceed to enjoy one of the best gardens in Germany. To do justice to the gardens you need several hours to enjoy the rose gardens, the arboretum and the many sculptures that are on show. If you are particularly interested in roses then you will appreciate the many varieties on show.

You cannot help but be attracted to the tropical Butterfly House which has exotic plants as well as a good variety of butterflies. To be honest I don't have much knowledge of butterflies, but it was interesting to see how many species one could photograph. The only limiting factor was the amount of film in the camera.

Next it was on the bikes again to catch the ferry from Constance to Überlingen. We had a nice little ride and just managed to catch the ferry with one minute to spare.

A visit to Lake Constance would not be complete without seeing the most famous baroque Abbey Church of Birnau situated high above the Lake. The exterior and gardens are very well maintained but it is the sheer splendour of the interior that overwhelms.

Meersburg is a wonderful place to visit and maybe stay for a few days. Along the waterfront there are numerous bars and restaurants where you can sample felchen (a type of whitefish) which is a local delicacy. When we arrived the sun was shining and the bands were playing, so after meeting up with friends it was time for a few beers and some felchen. After you should take a walk up the top of the hill and see the wonderful architecture. There are also some magnificent views of the lake from the top.

We arrived early evening at the Hotel Föhr and decided to ask for a recommendation to eat out. We were told that there was a very good restaurant nearby but it was a little bit difficult to find. So we set out on the bikes and eventually got lost on an industrial estate. Luckily there was a building open and the person very kindly directed us to the restaurant. The meal was excellent and when it was time to return back to the hotel we set out in the gathering darkness. Of course it only took a few minutes to get lost again in the darkness of the forest. Again we were lucky because we saw a tractor which we followed back to the main road. Probably the first time for getting lost both on the outward and return journey.

We did not stay too long in Friedrichshafen; maybe if there is a next time we should see the Zeppelin museum. The cycle path mainly followed the lake with some interesting sites including a castle and marinas.

Lindau is actually an island connected to the mainland via a bridge. Places that must be seen include the harbour entrance with the Bavarian Lion and Lighthouse. Also the historic town hall, the church of St Peter and the main shopping street with its many outdoor cafes.

After the interesting time in Lindau it was a bit of an anti-climax to return to Bregenz and retrieve our deposit in exchange for the bikes. We ended up going to the same restaurant by the waterfront and of course we stayed again at the Ibis Hotel.

When you go to Bregenz you should not miss the opportunity to take the cable car to the Pfänder mountain. There you can experience tremendous views of the lake, although it is not possible to see right to the other end because of the earth's curvature. There is also quite an interesting wildpark with deer and other alpine animals. The best part of course is the walk down to the bottom which takes about 2 hours.

The Schwarzwald or Black Forest, to give it it's common English name, stretches as far south as Lake Constance (but further to the west) to past Karlsruhe in the north. My first memory of the name came to me when my brother had such bad asthma that the doctor recommended he should go to the Black Forest for the good air. Well he never went and it was about twenty years before my first visit. Many years later I can confirm that the air is still good, there are still many trees despite acid rain. Most people go there for the nature and the wonderful walking. However, it definitely seems to be an area that has gone out of fashion, so even more reason to go and avoid the crowds. This time it was just a passing visit to extend the holiday in wonderful surroundings and to see Lake Titisee for the first time.

After negotiating some very steep and twisting hairpin bends you eventually reach the Lake and the small town of Titisee, which is at an elevation of just under 1,000 meters. Here you can buy Cuckoo clocks, honey and Black Forest liquers amongst the other usual tourist souvenirs. There is also an old Clock Museum which is well worth a visit unless you decide to buy something. We were early enough to book into a Bed and Breakfast which was quite near the town centre. When it was time to settle up the owner produced a large scale map with lots of rings round each guest's hometown and asked me where I came from. Luckily, he had not had any guests from my home town, but what would happen if there was more than one? Would they be charged extra? Anyway the winters must be quite hard and it seemed a fairly harmless pasttime, a bit like train spotting. The walks in the vicinity of the lake are good, but this time there was no time to explore further. Anyway, there was a much more important task, which was to watch the football on the large screen at the lakeside.