Bodensee · Rhine Falls · Thurgau Orchards

A 174 km loop from Rhine Falls

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Why this ride

Water, villages and a calm northern escape. 174 km round from Neuhausen - plan on about 3 h of riding. It goes by way of Stein am Rhein old town, Lake Constance water stop, Thurgau orchard roads and Winterthur.

Roadbook

1. Rhine Falls photo stop photo · 390 m

   You hear the Rhine Falls before you see them, a steady roar rising through the trees as you walk down from the car park at Neuhausen. Then the river appears, wide, green and suddenly frantic, throwing itself over a limestone ledge about twenty-three metres high and roughly a hundred and fifty metres across. By volume it is the largest plain waterfall in Europe, and in early summer, when the Alps send meltwater down the Rhine, the flow is huge, filling the air with spray and a cold, mineral smell.

   The falls are young in geological terms. The river took this course after the last ice age pushed it out of its old bed, and it has been cutting through the Jurassic rock ever since. The pillars of stone standing in the middle of the cascade are what remains of harder layers that the water has not yet removed. Goethe came in 1797 and wrote about the spectacle, and painters and poets have been following ever since. Above the falls on the Zürich bank sits Schloss Laufen, a castle with a viewing platform built almost on top of the water, and boats cross in summer to a rock in the middle of the stream.

   As a photo stop, this is easy and rewarding. The best light is usually late in the day, when the sun low in the west catches the spray and sometimes throws a rainbow across it. Mornings are quieter and cooler, and in overcast weather the colour of the water deepens. A tripod is overkill, but a steady hand and a wide lens help. Be ready for crowds in summer, especially at weekends, when tour groups arrive in numbers.

   Neuhausen, with about ten thousand people, has fuel, cafés and shops, and Schaffhausen, the old town on the Rhine just downstream, is worth a wander for its painted houses and medieval lanes. There are restaurants overlooking the falls, though prices reflect the view. Motorcycle parking is available near the entrance, but check signs and fees.

   Mind the spray if you walk the lower platforms, because it soaks quickly. A light jacket with a hood is better than sunglasses and a smile, and your camera will thank you for a lens cloth.

2. Stein am Rhein old town sight · 413 m

   Stein am Rhein looks like the illustration in a fairy tale about a town: two rows of medieval houses facing each other across a cobbled square, every facade painted with scenes, flowers, coats of arms and carefully rendered shadows. It sits at the point where the Rhine leaves the Untersee, the western arm of Lake Constance, and starts its journey across northern Switzerland. With about three thousand inhabitants, it is tiny, but it has the best-preserved old centre in the region, and the Rathausplatz is one of the prettiest squares in the country.

   Many of the paintings date from the sixteenth century and later, and they were often a way for wealthy merchants to show off their taste and their education. The town hall, with its stepped gable, is covered in frescoes of historic scenes. On the hill above stands Hohenklingen castle, a medieval fortress with a long view over the Rhine and the lake, and in the town below, the former Benedictine monastery of St George has a museum with fine interiors and frescoes. The Rhine here is wide and green, and boats, ducks and swans glide past the quay.

   For riders, the approach is a pleasure. The roads along the Untersee and the Rhine are quiet and gentle, with long, easy bends through orchards, vineyards and fields, and lake glimpses all the way. Surfaces are good, but speed limits are strictly enforced and fines in Switzerland are high, so keep an eye on the signs. The border with Germany is very close, and back roads cross it frequently, so carry your passport. The best light comes in the morning and late afternoon, and in spring the orchards are in blossom.

   Stein am Rhein is busy with day-trippers in summer, especially at weekends, but it empties in the evening. You will find fuel in nearby towns, such as Rielasingen-Worblingen on the German side or Diessenhofen and Schaffhausen on the Swiss side, but few stations in the old town itself. Cafes and restaurants along the main square serve Bodensee fish, coffee and ice cream, and the lanes are pleasant to walk. Leave the bike at the edge of the old town and explore on foot, looking up, always up.

3. Lake Constance water stop swim · 396 m

   Kreuzlingen sits right on the Swiss shore of Lake Constance, so close to the German city of Konstanz that the border runs through the streets and you can step from one country to the other without noticing, except for the occasional customs sign. The lake itself is huge, the third largest in Central Europe, shared between Switzerland, Germany and Austria, and the water has a calm, wide-open feeling that the Alpine lakes lack. On a clear day the Säntis and the Austrian mountains show along the far horizon.

   Konstanz carries a weighty history. In the early fifteenth century it hosted the Council of Constance, which ended a split in the papacy and condemned the reformer Jan Hus, who was burned at the stake in 1415. A monument and a house in the old town recall the events. Today the city is a lively university town, and its lakeside promenade and old centre are well worth a walk, though if you cross, remember your passport or identity card and be aware of border traffic at busy times.

   For a water stop, the Swiss side offers parks and bathing spots right at the shore. The Seeburgpark has lawns that slope to the water and room for a picnic, and you can swim in summer. The lake is shallow near the shore and warms more than the Alpine lakes do, with a gentle shingle bottom. Sailing boats and ferries cross constantly, and in the evening the lights of Konstanz begin to reflect on the water.

   The riding in the area is flat and orderly, with roads running between orchards and vineyards, and the occasional glimpse of the lake through the trees. This is not a thrill ride but a pleasant one, with moderate traffic and plenty of cyclists. The best time is a warm late afternoon, when the air smells of water and the light turns gold.

   Kreuzlingen has nearly eighteen thousand residents, so fuel and food are straightforward, and the larger Konstanz is on the doorstep. Swiss prices are higher than German ones, so many riders fill up on the German side, though fuel stations on either side are easy to find. If you cross, carry documents and check the rules for vehicles.

   Wind can build on the lake in the afternoon, so keep a jacket handy if you plan to sit by the water. In spring and autumn, mist drifts over the surface at dawn, and the whole scene looks like a watercolour.

4. Thurgau orchard roads scenic · 500 m

   Thurgau has a nickname that makes it sound like another continent. Locals call it Mostindien, from Most, the cider pressed from apples and pears, and the orchards that cover the hills above Lake Constance justify the joke. In April the blossom turns whole slopes white and pink, and in September the trees hang with fruit, and the air near the farms smells sweet and slightly fermented. It is one of the best quiet-road landscapes in northern Switzerland, and few foreign riders know it.

   The area around Weinfelden is the heart of it. The town sits on the Thur river, with a modest old centre and vineyards on the slope of the Ottenberg ridge, where wine grapes ripen in the sun. Between the orchards, small villages cluster around churches and half-timbered farmhouses, and local farm shops sell apples, juice, schnapps and cheese from stands beside the road, often on an honour system with a cash box. If you see one, stop. The produce is good, and buying direct is part of the experience.

   The riding is easy and elegant. Roads ripple gently over the low hills, with wide bends, good surfaces and long views across the orchards toward the lake or the distant Alps. It is not a technical challenge, so the pleasure is in rhythm and scenery. Traffic is light on small roads, but tractors and fruit lorries use them in season, so keep your speed reasonable and expect slow vehicles around blind bends. Early autumn is the high point, with golden light and a faint haze, though spring blossom is hard to beat.

   Weinfelden has about nine thousand people, so fuel, bakeries and cafés are all available, and smaller villages such as Märstetten and Affeltrangen have basic services. There is no need to carry spare fuel, but do carry something to drink, since the orchard roads have few cafés.

   The main caution is dampness. After rain, mud from farm vehicles can coat corners, and in autumn fallen fruit creates slick patches, a hazard not mentioned in many guides. Go slowly through villages, where school and farm traffic is common. If you want a souvenir, a bottle of local cider fits neatly into a pannier, though you may prefer to drink it on arrival.

5. Winterthur return food food · 440 m

   Winterthur is the city people overlook on the way to Zürich, and that is their loss. It is the sixth largest city in Switzerland, with a compact old town of pastel houses, pedestrian streets and a reputation for being modest, practical and well-fed. The old centre around Marktgasse is car-free, with cafés and bakeries spilling onto the pavement, and a stroll along it is enough to understand why the locals call themselves Winterthurer first and Zürcher a distant second.

   Winterthur grew rich on industry. The Sulzer company made diesel engines and locomotives here for over a century, and the engineering heritage shows in the converted factory halls that now hold housing, offices and the Lokremise, a former locomotive depot turned cultural space. The city is also full of museums. The Oskar Reinhart collections hold excellent European art assembled by a local merchant family, and the Technorama science centre on the hill above town lets children and adults play with levers, lightning and sound.

   As a return stop, Winterthur is ideal. Riders coming from Lake Constance or the Thurgau hills arrive at the end of the day, and the city offers a proper meal, a seat and a chance to stretch before the final run home. Restaurants range from simple bakeries to better dining rooms, and the Swiss habit of closing the kitchen early means you should aim to eat before eight or nine. Look for places with outdoor seating if the weather is mild.

   There is no trouble with fuel, since the city has stations on all the main roads, and the old town has parking for motorcycles at the edges. Inside the centre traffic is restricted, so leave the bike in a designated area and walk. Keep an eye on the weather, because the hills around Winterthur can hold fog in autumn and winter, and the ride in may be cooler than you expect.

   The motorway to Zürich is only twenty minutes away, but if you have energy left, take the back roads through the Töss valley or past the Kyburg castle, which stands on a hilltop on the way and is worth a visit. The evening light there is particularly good, and the castle walls glow in the last sun.

6. Back to Rhine finish · 390 m

   The Rhine Falls are not high, but they are loud. At Neuhausen, near Schaffhausen in northern Switzerland, the young river throws itself over a rocky ledge about twenty-three metres high and a hundred and fifty wide, in a roaring curtain of white water, and it is the largest plain waterfall in Europe by volume. In summer, hundreds of cubic metres of water pass every second, and the spray drifts up on the viewing platforms, soaking anyone who gets too close. The Rhine here is still green and clear from its passage through Lake Constance.

   The falls were formed at the end of the last ice age, when the river was diverted from its old course by glacial deposits and forced across a hard limestone ledge. A rock formation stands in the middle, in the middle of the river, and small boats take visitors to a platform on it, which is a wet and thrilling trip. Above the falls on the northern bank stands Laufen castle, a medieval building with a view platform, and on the other side, a path with galleries goes right to the edge of the water. In the nineteenth century, painters, poets and early tourists flocked here, and even Goethe stopped to marvel.

   As a finish to a ride, it is a good one. The roads around Neuhausen are quiet and easy, with orchards, vineyards and gentle hills of the Zurich Weinland to the south and the Randen ridge to the north. The last miles run beside the Rhine, which gleams in the late sun, and then the sound of the falls reaches you before you see them. Weekends are busy with coaches, so evenings are better, when the spray catches the light and the crowds thin.

   Neuhausen am Rheinfall is a town of around ten thousand, with fuel stations, supermarkets and restaurants, and Schaffhausen is just a few minutes away for a larger choice. Near the falls, cafes and a restaurant at water level serve coffee, cake and simple meals, and the smell of wet rock is surprisingly refreshing. Park the bike where signs allow, and pay attention to parking rules, which Swiss authorities enforce. If you are lucky with the sky, a rainbow often forms in the mist, and you can stand there for a while and let it all roar past.

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