Reichenau is a flat, green island in the Untersee, the western arm of Lake Constance, connected to the mainland by a long causeway lined with poplars. A wandering bishop named Pirmin founded the monastery here in 724, and over the next centuries it became one of the great centres of learning and art in Europe, famous for its scriptorium and its illuminated manuscripts. The island's three Romanesque churches survive, and UNESCO listed the whole as a World Heritage Site in 2000.
The most striking of them is St George at Oberzell, where tenth-century wall paintings of the miracles of Christ cover the nave, remarkably clear after a thousand years. The minster at Mittelzell is larger and holds the monastery's treasures, and the little church of St Peter and Paul at Niederzell sits near the shore. The monk Walahfrid Strabo wrote a poem here about his herb garden, the Hortulus, and the island's gardening tradition has never stopped: the greenhouses and vegetable fields you see today produce lettuces, tomatoes and cucumbers sold across southern Germany. Fish from the lake, especially the whitefish called Felchen, appear on every menu.
The riding on the island is gentle. Roads are flat and narrow, with cyclists everywhere, so keep to modest speeds and enjoy the views across the water to the Swiss shore and the hills of the Hegau. Approach it from the mainland along the causeway at a steady pace, especially on summer weekends when traffic and visitors are heavy. The ride around the lake, from Konstanz to Bregenz and beyond, is the real draw, with lakeside bends, orchards, vineyards and views of the Alps on a clear day. Autumn is lovely, with mist on the water and apples ripening in the orchards.
The island has a few petrol options, but Allensbach, a couple of kilometres away, and Konstanz are better bets, with larger stations and supermarkets. Cafés and inns on the island serve Kuchen and coffee, and the lakeside terraces are good places to sit with a glass of local wine. Park on the mainland side if the island is busy, and walk or cycle the short distances between the churches.