The Au peninsula pokes out into Lake Zurich like a green thumb, and at its tip, Vorder Au, the shallow water hides traces of villages built on piles thousands of years ago. It is one of the Swiss sites in the UNESCO listing of prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps, though as with most of them, the archaeology lies under the lake bed and is protected rather than displayed. What you see is a wooded little hill with a castle-like house, vineyards running down to the water, reed beds and a small harbour.
The peninsula belongs to Wädenswil, a lively town on the left bank of the lake known for its research institutes in agriculture, horticulture and wine, and for the views across to the Pfannenstiel hills on the other side. A ferry crosses the lake between Horgen and Meilen just to the north, which is a handy way to switch shores without sitting in traffic around the city.
The lake road along the left bank is a typical Swiss lakeshore run: busy, often slow, lined with villages, traffic lights and speed cameras. It is pleasant for the views but not for spirited riding. Head uphill instead, onto the Zimmerberg and toward the Hirzel or the Höhronen, and the roads open out into rolling farmland with forest patches, good tarmac and lovely views over the lake and to the Alps on clear days. Weekend afternoons bring plenty of cyclists and motorbikes, so a quiet morning is better.
Practical needs are easy. Wädenswil, about three kilometres away, has fuel, shops and plenty of cafés, and Au has a railway station and small services of its own. The area is known for its fruit and wine, and a glass of local white or a slice of cake from a lakeside café is a fine reward after a ride.
The peninsula is lovely to walk on a summer evening, when the light turns gold, swans drift along the shore and the Alps glow at the end of the lake. Spring brings fruit blossom, autumn the colour of the vines. Park, walk to the point and look out over the water, imagining those Neolithic villages perched on their stilts where the sailing boats now drift by.