Kartäuser-Fürstenland Route

After a short stroll through the enchanting streets of Stein am Rhein, head to Zurich’s wine country, past charming, timber-framed houses decorated with flowers in Stammheim. The idyllic Nussbaum lakes with their unspoilt and beautiful natural surroundings were carved out during the last glacial period by ice blocks left by the retreating glaciers.

Not far from here is the Kartause Ittingen, a good place to have a bite to eat before crossing the Thur River to Frauenfeld, the capital of the canton of Thurgau. The route meanders through the gently rolling countryside, winds along the banks of the Thur after the abbey town of Wil and pays a visit to Fürstenland. The term Fürstenland refers to a historical territory of the Swiss canton of St.Gallen, corresponding to the modern districts of St.Gallen, Wil and Rorschach.

From Gossau to St.Gallen it sidles along the edge of a bustling industrial, storage and residential corridor. You arrive unexpectedly in the Abbey District where you can stroll through the venerable Abbey Library wearing the mandatory felt slippers. Now it’s an easy ride down to the glittering expanse of Lake Constance.