Lake Constance (Swiss Shore) Route

Lake Constance (Bodensee) is Central Europe's third-largest freshwater lake, shared between Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The Swiss southern shore — a 70-kilometre stretch from Stein am Rhein to Rorschach — offers the flattest, most relaxed scenic drive in Switzerland: a country where virtually every other road involves Alpine gradients and mountain passes. This route is the gentle counterpoint to the drama of the Swiss Alpine passes — a lakeside cruise through vine-covered hills, medieval old towns, apple orchards, and small harbour towns with white pleasure boats reflected in the still water.

Stein am Rhein, the start point, is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Central Europe. The main square (Rathausplatz) is lined with half-timbered houses whose facades are covered in elaborate painted murals depicting scenes from history, mythology, and local tradition — a practice called Fassadenmalerei that dates from the Renaissance period. The colours and detail of the paintings are extraordinary, and the square has the quality of a stage set assembled by a very gifted director. The town sits at the point where the Rhine flows out of Lake Constance, and the old bridge over the Rhine gives a view upstream towards the Untersee section of the lake that is particularly fine at sunrise. Along the shore, the Arenenberg Castle at Ermatingen was the home of the Empress Joséphine's daughter and later of Napoleon III, and its gardens and museum are open to visitors in summer.

For a VW T3, Lake Constance's Swiss shore is Swiss driving at its most relaxed. The roads are well-surfaced, largely flat, and carry gentle traffic that respects the speed limits through the villages. The route passes through Kreuzlingen (adjacent to the German town of Konstanz), Steckborn, Ermatingen, Gottlieben, Romanshorn, and Arbon — each with its own harbour and character. Romanshorn is the largest and has a busy ferry connection to Friedrichshafen in Germany. The apple and pear orchards of Thurgau canton surround the road on the inland side, and in October the orchards are laden with fruit and the roadside stands sell fresh cider and fruit wines at excellent prices. The lake itself is warm enough to swim in from June to September, with public bathing areas in every harbour town.

The best time to visit is May to June (apple blossom, tulips, and the first warmth of the year) or August to September (warm lake temperatures for swimming, harvest period beginning). The region has an excellent cycling culture — many van travellers bring bikes and combine driving with cycling on the dedicated lake cycle path (Bodensee-Radweg) that runs alongside the water for the full length. The Swiss shore is also connected by regular ferry services to the German (Konstanz, Friedrichshafen) and Austrian (Bregenz) shores, allowing for simple cross-border day trips with the van left at a harbour car park.