With August upon us we are in the last few months of summer. And with plenty of sunny days in sight, I am planning many of cycling and hiking trips around the Schwarzwald. Even with all the activities, I still haven’t explored all the possibilities here. Not to mention all the cycling routes. There is always a different turn to take. That said, one day, my local friend and a keen cyclist, who knows plenty of cycling paths in Baden-Württemberg, suggested we catch the train and go cycling in and around Konstanz and the Bodensee.
Great, let’s do it!
The Baden Württemberg Train
It haven’t been on a train for a while, but with a very cheap Baden-Württemberg weekend deal, it was easy to grab my bike and catch the train to Konstanz at Lake Constance (Bodensee).
The 2 hour train ride through the Schwarzwald was actually quite nice, with lots of scenery to see. Through the deep forest, the rail goes all the way up to 700m altitude, before going downhill again, entering the Bodensee area. It looked all very pretty, however, I could not wait to arrive and start my cycling tour.
So far I have only been to Lindau and Bregenz at the Bodensee. The German/Austrian site, not the German/Swiss site.
A quick change into my cycling pants, a photo of the Bodensee and I was ready to ride.
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Cycling in and around Konstanz
Starting in the old city of Konstanz we followed the bike path along the lake, which was easy to find and to follow. With lots of other cyclists around, clearly it is a popular spot to cycle. We headed towards the town Staad, up to Dingelsdorf and towards Wallhausen. It was quite enjoyable to ride along the lake as well as through the hills of the residential areas. Lots of pretty houses with a pretty view of the lake (it reminded me a little bit of the Starnberger See – read about my trip last year here).
Here at the Bodensee, we couldn’t have picked a better day in terms of the weather. It was perfect. And although everybody was out and about, luckily the cycling traffic wasn’t too bad. The camping spots looked amazingly full however. I guess it is holiday season in Europe.
After Wallhausen, we took a turn to the left to cut through the fields to the other side of the peninsula and the Bodensee. There was, only, one very steep hill to conquer (yes, I pushed my bike the last few meters)… On top, however, I suddenly found myself in front of some decorated trees. Called a ‘floral paradise’ I wasn’t quite sure what it was, but it was pretty enough to have a rest.
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From then on I have been promised no more hills. So, downhill we went, all the way to the turn off to the Reichenau Insel. Accessible via one road only, this road, decorated with tall poplar trees (Pappeln Trees in German), was certainly very picturesque. I tried to take some photos without stopping too much (after all I didn’t want to hold up my cycling buddies for too long).. so most of my photos I took while cycling were one handed. While cycling. Do we call them snapshots?
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The cycling continues …
After a round trip on the Reichenau Island, filled with various vegetable farms, we were back on the main land heading back towards Konstanz. But not before quickly dipping into Switzerland. Why not? After all, it was there. So we rode through the gorgeous small town Gottlieben, passed a lot of people enjoying a swim and a beer, before deciding that, 4 hours in the sun and 70km, is probably enough cycling for the day. It was time to get back.
Can we go and have some lunch now?
So.. after a delicious pizza and a small beer to kill the thirst, overviewing the lake of course, it was time to catch the train back home. Luckily it wasn’t too crowded on the way back. Furthermore, I was definitely looking forward to a shower.
What an amazing round trip, cycling in and around Konstanz and the Bodensee though. Even while we were cycling, I was already thinking of my next train/bike destination. Where to? It seems very easy to do and makes a great day trip. The more outdoors, the better!
That said, given how busy it was on the train (definitely no social distancing on a weekend) and in Konstanz, I would most likely do a day trip during the week next time. Why go when everybody else is going, right?
And maybe I come back to Konstanz just to walk around. Although, when I cycle, I definitely get to see much more of the surroundings.
Check out my other cycling trips here!
(post 162)
