Arbon sits on the Swiss shore of Lake Constance, in the canton of Thurgau, and just outside the town, on land that was once lake shore, lies one of the most remarkable prehistoric sites in Europe. At Arbon-Bleiche, archaeologists excavated a Neolithic village of wooden houses built on the edge of the lake around 3400 BC. Because the wood was preserved in waterlogged ground, tree rings allowed the village to be dated almost to the year: it was built, lived in for about fifteen years and then destroyed by fire. The finds, from pottery and tools to textiles and food remains, gave a detailed picture of how these early farmers lived, and Arbon counts among the Swiss sites in the Alpine pile-dwelling inscription of 2011. There is nothing to see at the site itself, which is now under buildings and fields; the finds are displayed in the Thurgau archaeological museum in Frauenfeld.
Arbon has had a long life since then. The Romans built a fort here called Arbor Felix, and the remains of its walls lie under the castle and church in the old town. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the town became an industrial centre, home to Saurer, a company that made embroidery machines and later trucks and buses famous throughout Switzerland; a museum near the lake shows off its machines.
The riding along Lake Constance is pleasant rather than challenging. The lakeside road runs through towns and villages, past orchards and vineyards, with views across the water to Germany and Austria and, on clear days, the snowy peaks of the Vorarlberg and Swiss Alps. It is often busy, especially in summer, with cars, cyclists and tourists, and Swiss speed limits are strictly enforced with plenty of cameras; fines are notoriously steep. Better riding lies inland, in the hills of the Appenzell and the Toggenburg, just a short ride south, with winding roads and small farming villages.
Arbon, a town of thirteen thousand people, has everything you need: fuel, shops, cafes and restaurants on the lake front. Lake fish such as perch and whitefish are local specialities, served at many restaurants. The lakeside promenade is a pleasant place to relax, and on hot days a swim in the lake is welcome. Bregenz is a short ride east across the Austrian border.