Lake Constance excursion tips: From Rorschach to Romanshorn

I don’t want to complain about this year’s summer weather – it was great with one exception. Unfortunately, the summer took a break on the weekend when we had the cooling right in front of our noses: at the charming Lake Constance. And instead of jumping into the refreshing water, we trudged around with umbrellas – not a big deal. It was still beautiful. Here are the Lake Constance excursion tips:

Lake Constance excursion tip #1: City stroll through Rorschach

We start the weekend with an entertaining tour of Rorschach. Located at the foothills of the hilly Appenzell region, the small town was one of the most important trading centres on the southern shore of Lake Constance in the Middle Ages. This is evidenced by the stately town houses with bay windows, as they are known from St. Gallen, and the magnificent granary at Rorschach harbour. Despite the drizzle, we did not miss the opportunity to stroll along the beautifully landscaped promenade to the seaside resort. The people of Rorschach are proud that “their” historic wooden box pool has been preserved to this day and is still actively used as a swimming pool hut and event location. A new landmark is located at the other end of the riverside promenade: the (slightly out of place) Würth House designed by Gigon Guyer. In a prime location directly opposite one of Rorschach’s three railway stations, the Würth company has opened an office building with a public museum that is accessible free of charge. Brilliant for rainy days – if the sun was shining, we would certainly have gotten stuck in the Badi hut.

Lake Constance Excursion Tip #2: Pretty Arbon

From Rorschach to Arbon it takes a good 1.5 hours on foot – the path leads mostly directly along the shores of Lake Constance and also passes the beautifully situated swimming pools in Goldach and Horn. In Arbon, I can recommend a detour to the city center. The historic town has some pretty corners to offer and inspired me with its timber-framed houses. From here we continue by boat. With the MS St. Gallen we sail comfortably to Kreuzlingen and enjoy the view of the passing riverside landscape.

Lake Constance excursion tip #3: Cycling along Lake Constance

The topography around Lake Constance and the many alternative routes away from the busy thoroughfares make the area a cycling Eldorado. And so we also get on a bike in Kreuzlingen in a good mood. Conveniently, you can rent bicycles at almost all major train stations along Lake Constance from Rent a Bike. The vehicle fleet includes a wide selection from racy e-bikes to tandems, and the bike can also be returned (for an extra charge) at another station. Since we had planned a route of a good 50 kilometers in length and are rarely on the road by bike, the choice fell on a flyer. This means that we are more jagged than if our “Wädlis” were 100% required. Our tour takes us from Kreuzlingen via Tägerwilen first to the new Napoleon Tower in Wäldi. In 1829, on the initiative of Louis Napoleon, who was only 10 years old, the 21 m high observation tower “Belvédère zu Hohenrain” was built. A project group took this story as an opportunity to build a new tower based on the historic tower (which was demolished in the 19th century). It was completed this early summer. A must for all those who like to enjoy a 360° bird’s eye view over the Untersee, Konstanz, Kreuzlingen and the Alpstein. We stay in the footsteps of Napoleon and next stop at Arenenberg Castle.

After this round through the hinterland, we set off on the Lake Constance Cycle Path, which leads around Lake Constance in four stages, and follow it to Romanshorn. A great route that crosses beautiful villages such as Ermatingen, Gottlieben and Kesswil and passes numerous bathing spots.

Lake Constance excursion tip #4: Summer feeling in Romanshorn

And while threatening dark clouds accompany us on the bike tour, Peter takes pity on us at our last stop on this Lake Constance tour – in Romanshorn – and finally sends summer back. Our final boat tour through the large harbour complex of Romanshorn takes place seasonally under scorching sunbeams. Gorgeous, isn’t it?! Afterwards we sit down (after a look into the stylish interior) on the sun terrace of the beautifully situated restaurant Hafen, order zander crisps and fried trout fillets and really soak up the summer ambience.

5 ingenious Lake Constance accommodation tips

From harbour tours to varied cycling and hiking routes, beautiful town centres, museums worth seeing and idyllically situated bathing spots, the Lake Constance region between Rorschach and Kreuzlingen offers a wealth of excursion destinations that it is worth planning more than just one day. That’s why we’ve taken a look around for you and put together five great and unusual overnight tips below.

For example, there is the WunderBar in Arbon. Located right next to the Saurer Museum on the shores of Lake Constance, it thrilled us – despite the rainy weather – with its sun terrace and cool restaurant/bar area. You can spend the night here either in “normal” rooms or in the secluded garden in two “dream tubes”. A special sleeping experience that is also suitable as a birthday surprise.

The Unikaat in Salmsach also offers a special sleeping experience. On an idyllically situated riverside meadow within walking distance of the Romanshorn harbour, Sabrina Hiller has created an unparalleled oasis with three guest yurts. The yurts are furnished with great attention to detail – and there is nothing better than lying in bed on a balmy summer evening with a view of the lake and listening to the gentle lapping of the waves. Phenomenal! At Unikaat, everything is right from A to Z: The beautiful location, the lovingly furnished yurts and the mega delicious breakfast, with which hostess Sabrina Hiller surprised us the next morning.

In Tägerwilen, not far from Kreuzlingen, you wouldn’t expect a boutique hotel off the top of your head. Jucker’s proves us wrong and shows how to skilfully combine historical substance with a casual, modern concept. We stopped here on our bike tour and had an excellent meal.

One of my favorite hotels in this region is Schloss Wartegg on the Rorschacherberg. Situated in an elevated position in the middle of a huge park, I am inspired by the creative cuisine of chef Sandro Zimmermann and his team. In summer, 90% of the herbs, vegetables and berries used come from the castle’s own biodynamic garden. It is particularly nice to sleep in the fireplace room, which is furnished with fine St. Gallen silk and cotton from the textile company Christian Fischbacher.

As a last tip, I would like to refer you to a post by my blogger colleague Ellen from Patotra. She has taken a closer look at one of the region’s new bubble hotels.

You can find more ideas about what you can do around Lake Constance in my article on the Lake Constance Cycle Path.

Note: This trip was supported by Thurgau Tourism and St.Gallen-Lake Constance Tourism. All impressions and opinions are, as always, ours.