Konstanz sits right where the Rhine leaves Lake Constance, and so close to Switzerland that Kreuzlingen's streets seem to flow into its own. The border runs through the built-up area with only a fence in places, and because the Germans built the old centre on the northern bank and the Swiss on the south, the two towns are practically one. This closeness is the first thing to know. The second is that the old city was never bombed in the Second World War, spared partly because of its position next to a neutral country, and as a result the medieval streets and merchants' houses survive intact.
The town's great moment came in 1414 to 1418, when the Council of Constance gathered here to end a split in the Catholic church that had left three men all claiming to be pope. It also condemned the reformer Jan Hus, who was burned at the stake outside the walls in 1415, and a memorial stone marks the spot. The harbour is guarded by a nine-metre statue called Imperia, a rotating figure of a woman holding two small men in her hands, installed in 1993 and a good conversation starter. Walk a little along the shore and you will see the Rheintorturm and the old harbour, which still sees ferries to Meersburg and boat trips to the Mainau flower island.
The riding from Konstanz is the real attraction. Roads wind west along the Untersee, past orchards, vineyards and small ports, and the pretty islands of Reichenau and the Swiss shore are close by. The surface is excellent, the corners are mild, and the views over the lake to the Alps in clear weather are the sort that make you slow down without being asked. Traffic can be thick in summer, especially at weekends, and the border crossing can slow things down. Carry your passport or ID card and check whether a Swiss motorway vignette applies if you plan to use motorways there.
Fuel is easy in a city of eighty thousand, and prices on the Swiss side differ from those in Germany, so it pays to check which way is cheaper before you cross. Cafes line the waterfront and the old town, and lake fish such as Felchen are a local speciality. Mornings are calm on the water, with a thin mist, and the light is best in autumn when the orchards turn gold. The air smells of fresh water, damp stone and coffee.