Get on your bikes, ready. Vacation! The Lake Constance cycling story A HELLO IN SWITZERLAND

Today the weather report is involved in the tour planning: thunderstorms are expected around midday. So we start very early to explore the Swiss lakeside from Konstanz. The e-bikes are ready; we charged the batteries overnight. We cover the short distance to the ferry terminal in Meersburg and catch the ferry just before nine o'clock. Above the lake, a picture-perfect sky shines in the morning light. As we push the bikes off the ferry onto land, we accidentally discover that in Konstanz, right at the terminal, there is not only a drinking water fountain but also an air station for bicycles. This is always good to know for us cyclists.

From Staad, we first head towards Petershausen going up a small hill - and then go down again past the clinic towards the Rhine bridge. A detour to the harbor is a must; on the way are numerous sights: the Konstanz theater used for performances since 1607, the city garden on the lake shore with its diverse planting, and the market square with the famous Kaiserbrunnen fountain. We push the bikes through the underpass and past the imposing Council Building, which served as a goods transshipment center at the harbor for almost 500 years, towards the water. There is lively activity here, passenger boats arrive and depart, and walkers stroll to the Imperia, a nine-meter-tall statue by the artist Peter Lenk who lives at Lake Constance, which stands on a rotating round table and turns around. Essentially, we would now only have to ride along the harbor street towards Kreuzlingen to cross the border at "Klein Venedig" just behind the Sea Life. However, we first want to get some Swiss francs and guess that there is an ATM near the also small and car-restricted Kreuzlinger Tor border crossing. We find one at the Kreuzlingen train station. Back at the border crossing, we stroll through the interesting exhibition that recalls the history of the two border towns.

Then we have to keep our eyes open: The sign indicating the cycle path is easy to miss. Also, on the cycle path, caution is needed because in Switzerland, it is apparently common for cyclists and inline skaters to share the paths. The route winds through greenery, past vineyards. Suddenly, Seeburg Castle lies in front of us in the middle of a large park, now home to a popular event location restaurant. On a city map, we see that the large park with old chestnut trees also has a zoo and a lake museum. Curious, we follow the signpost to the museum. The former granary is impressive. Unfortunately, we discover that the exhibition opens only in the afternoon. Next time!

On the way through Bottighofen and Münsterlingen, we again notice many architectural particularities, splendid villas, and impressive new buildings. Cycling here is a pleasure: the cycle path is very well designed and clearly separated from pedestrian paths. From time to time, cyclists use a separate lane on the road. We repeatedly pass spots where there is access to the lake or benches for a short break with a beautiful view. On the southwest shore of the upper lake, we catch a glimpse of Meersburg on the other side during the ride.

The Canton of Thurgau in eastern Switzerland is famous for apple cultivation; since the 19th century, this region in Switzerland has been popularly called "Mostindien". "Most" because fruit is naturally made into cider or juice, and "Indien" because the canton’s shape resembles India. For us, a nice surprise: just after Münsterlingen, the "Mostindien Express" overtakes us – a more than 100-year-old steam train with historic wagons that invites nostalgic excursions.

The sun is now high in the sky, and we are quite warm. Several bathing spots and the Amriswil beach are suitable for a refreshing swim in the lake. But we want to continue riding first. We cross the pretty little community of Uttwil and find a shady spot on a viewing platform in the neighboring community Romanshorn, where we take a short picnic break. Again on the bikes heading to the ferry terminal, we discover several interesting places in this charming Swiss town where one might want to linger – restaurants, cafés, and a beach bar. Just then, the Lake Constance ferry to Friedrichshafen arrives, which operates hourly, and given the predicted thunderstorm, we decide to cross immediately to the other side of the lake. The ferry ride at the lake’s widest point takes about 45 minutes, and we must allow roughly the same time for our return trip to Uhldingen-Mühlhofen. Friedrichshafen, the second-largest city on Lake Constance after Konstanz, has one of the longest lake promenades in the Lake Constance region, with numerous café terraces and beer gardens right by the lake. Here, we spontaneously stop for a hearty snack. The Zeppelin city offers some exciting museums for rainy days, such as the Zeppelin Museum right in the city center, the associated Dornier Museum at the airport, and the Zeppelin exhibition hall. We follow the Lake Constance cycle path signs, which now lead us parallel to the busy road through the Friedrichshafen district of Fischbach to Immenstaad. Unfortunately, this stretch is not very interesting or particularly pleasant to ride. We speed up. From Helmsdorf Castle near Immenstaad, we are guided back to the lake and shortly after unpack our swimwear at the bathing spot with a large meadow for a well-deserved refreshment in the lake. Had we ridden a bit further, we might also have stopped at the Aquastaad beach, a very beautiful spot with a long natural beach and shade-giving trees on the northern shore of Lake Constance, which also has an indoor swimming pool.

Between vineyards, we continue to Hagnau, an idyllic fishing and wine village, nestled in orchards. Unlike Immenstaad, the Lake Constance cycle path here does not run directly along the lake but parallel to it further up through the village. In the village center near the Gasthaus Löwen, we decide to go down to the lake and push our bikes along Seestraße. A good choice: we discover an ice cream parlor in a chic half-timbered house and refresh ourselves again before continuing along the Lake Constance cycle path**towards Meersburg. Our eyes often turn upwards to the majestically towering historic buildings above us, namely the Droste-Hülsoff high school and the state winery. From the harbor, we push the bikes through the pedestrian zone. One last look at historic Meersburg, then we comfortably ride along the lake back to Uhldingen-Mühlhofen. Indeed, the weather gods favored us today: the thunderstorm forecast for midday did not occur – we reach our guesthouse without a drop of rain. After plugging in the batteries of our e-bikes to charge for the next day’s tour, we decide to stroll to the lake at Unteruhldingen** once again to end the lovely day with a glass of wine in a cozy spot.