LAKE CONSTANCE LOOP

In the heart of Central Europe is the waterway of Lake Constance and the town more commonly referred to as 'Konstanz'. The 270km circuit around the lake, locally known as 'Bodensee', will take you through a trio of countries from Germany to Austria and Switzerland. The lake is created by the Rhine, which descends from the Swiss Alps to create a 46km delta that often is too wide to see from one shore to the other. This well-marked route is almost completely flat, making it ideal for anyone including occasional cyclists and families. Starting from the small town of Konstanz we follow the Rhine as it attempts to escape along the German-Swiss border. After passing the Monastic Island of Reichanau, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 because of its Benedictine Abbey, we head to the mediaeval town of Stein. The route varies considerably from quaint Swiss fishing villages with beautiful half-timbered houses to fruit orchards and marvellous countryside on the approach to the Bavarian island-city of Lindau. The circuit of the lake ends cycling through the apple orchards of Canton Thurgau and returning to Konstanz.