Germany - Lake Constance
Lake Constance is the complete holiday region with cycling at its heart.
Hundreds of km of cycling paths, quiet back roads, hills and climbs and a great lake as the perfect backdrop.
The Lake
Lake Constance is the largest lake in Germany and borders Austria in the west and Switzerland in the south. It offers leisurely and sporty riding, day and mutli day tours. There are great little towns on the lake like the island town of Lindau, the medieval fortress of Meersburg and the delightful old town of Constance. Thermal spas and beaches provide plenty of places to recharge, the food is hearty and the views over the lake are wonderful. The island of Mainau has the most magnificent gardens and as this is a historical landscape, there is plenty of culture and history. This is a great place to combine riding with relaxation. The local climb is the Pfänder mountain in Austria with a lovely panoramic views over the lake. This is a category 1 climb of 7.1km length and 621m elevation gain that has some bite though.
The German northern shore of Lake Constance has great areas to ride and an almost endless variety of routes. Here are some suggestions.
Hills around Friedrichshafen
Route Tip:
The area north of Friedrichshafen is the hilliest on the German side of the lake. The Höchsten is the highest point with 834m altitude and can be climbed five different ways.
The Gehrenberg and Heiligenberg are the two other notable climbs and all three can be combined in a great ride of varying length and elevation gain. The tip of the Gehrenberg has some notably steep sections.
The suggested route is 79km km long with and elevation gain of 1210 m. Apart from the climbs there are some lovely passages like the Fuchstoble and the Deggenhäuser Tal and sweet towns like Markdorf.
There is hardly any traffic and the superb roads make it wonderful to ride. The restaurant at the Höchsten is worth a stop for its wonderful views over the region and its great cakes.
Circumnavigating the Lake
Route Tip:
The lake can be navigated nearly entirely on bike paths which is great for families on multi day tours. If you are riding more sporty, sometimes riding on the road is unavoidable though.
The whole way round is about 220km and can be broken up in parts. Alternatively you can take a boat across the lake to get back to where you started.
A half - circumnavigation loop ride takes you from Friedrichshafen to Constance and back by catamaran ferry which is a lovely way to end the ride. This is an 80km ride with 520m elevation gain and is mainly flat with the exception of some climbing at the back of Constance. It comes past the medieval town of Meersburg and the walled town of Überlingen. The Birnau monastery, which is between these two towns, with its great baroque church is worth a stop.
There is an annual event to cycle around the lake with, the Bodensee Radmarathon. It offers four routes of varying lengths and is normally held in September, find out more here.
Allgäu
Route Tip:
This is an area mostly of rolling hills stretching north from Lindau towards Ulm and towards the east along the Austrian border. This is a 90km ride through rural areas with an open landscape. You ride on endless side roads through quaint towns and villages.
It first climbs out of Lindau to Scheidegg through Austria which is the main relatively modest climbing effort. From there, the route goes to Wangen which is a very pretty place and a great stop for lunch in its many restaurants in the old town. Up an down it goes to Vogt and Back to Linday via a couple of pretty lakes, Schleien and Degersee which is a nice place to stop for a break at the Degersee Stube.
Along this ride, the terrain towards the Austrian border is more alpine and towards the north you find rides lovely rolling hills, farmland and forests.
Lake Constance Factfile
Bike shops: 18 Grad BikeStore Friedrichshafen, Der Keller Fahrrähder Friedrichshafen and Wangen
Towns to visit: Lindau (island town), Langenargen (hisoric castle on the lake), Friedrichshafen (fantastic promenade and Zeppelin museum), Meersburg (medieval fortress town), Überlingen (walled city), Constance (historical downtown between Rhine and lake)
Ferries: Catamaran between Friedrichshafen and Constance, Ferry between Meersburg and Constance, Ferry between Friedrichshafen and Romanshorn (CH)
Best cake on route: Der Löwen Hotel & Bäckerei Hagnau, Berggasthof Höchsten, Great beergarden on route in Meersburg is Rebgut Haltnau
Gardens to visit: Insel Mainau - Island gardens (spectacular island garden, reached by ferry from Unteruhldingen or by road from Constance)
Spa pools and thermal spas: Bodensee Therme Überlingen, Therme Lindau, Bodensee Therme Konstanz, Meersburg Therme
Outdoor pools with lake access: Freibad Fischbach, Strandbad Friedrichshafen, Strandbad Immenstaad, Strandbad Eriskirch, plus many more
Discover further riding in Germany with Komoot
This is a lovely collection of routes in the Black Forest on Komoot. Explore more here.
Bavaria also has some good road riding and this Komoot selection is a good starter. Explore more here.
Away from the mountains, crossing Germany West to East is a great ride through the heart of the country. Explore more here.
