Lake Constance · Appenzell · Säntis View Loop

A 192 km loop from Rorschach lakefront

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Why this ride

Water first, green hills later, with a proper alpine silhouette. Out of Rorschach and back again: 192 km, roughly 3 h 42 in the saddle. The stops in between: Appenzell and Säntis view road. The climb of the day is Schwägalp road. It tops out at 1,278 m. The passes are the reason to go.

Roadbook

1. Rorschach lakefront photo · 398 m

   Rorschach is where Switzerland meets the Bodensee, and it is the sort of port town that rewards a slow walk before the engine starts. It sits on the southern shore of Lake Constance, the big shared lake of Switzerland, Germany and Austria, with the Austrian shore and its mountains low and blue across the water on a clear day. Boats come and go from the harbour, gulls argue on the breakwater, and the promenade is lined with plane trees and benches.

   The town grew rich on grain and linen. In the eighteenth century the Prince-Abbot of St. Gallen built the Kornhaus, a handsome granary on the waterfront, to store the grain that came across the lake from Swabia, and it still stands as the town's landmark with its balconies and clock. Rorschach was also an important railway junction, and the old lakeside station is a reminder of the days when steamers connected with trains for the run to Zurich and beyond. Above the town on a hill stands the abbey of Mariaberg, a former monastery of the abbey of St. Gallen.

   For a rider the lakefront is a good place to begin. There are cafes and bakeries along the front, and nine thousand residents, together with the neighbouring town of Goldach, give the area all the fuel and food you need. The road out heads east or west along the shore, flat and fast, and then turns uphill into the hills of Appenzell, where the character of the riding changes completely, from lakeside cruising to green hills and tight bends.

   The weather on the lake is changeable, with morning mist and strong afternoon winds, and the light can be wonderful just after sunrise. In summer the town is busy with day trippers, and parking near the water fills up, though bikes can usually squeeze in. Fruit orchards cover the slopes behind, and in spring the blossom, with the lake behind it, is a fine sight.

2. Appenzell lunch food · 780 m

   Every year on the last Sunday in April, the people of Appenzell Innerrhoden gather in the main square, men and women, many with a ceremonial sword or a bayonet at the hip, and vote with raised hands. The Landsgemeinde is one of the last open-air assemblies of its kind in Switzerland, and it takes place in the middle of this small town, which has been the capital of the half-canton for centuries. Women only gained a vote at the cantonal level here in 1990, after a federal court ruling, which tells you something about how conservative the valley is, and also how proud.

   The town is compact and pretty in a plain way. The Hauptgasse is lined with painted wooden houses with bright facades, bakeries selling Biberli, the local spiced pastries, and cheese shops. Appenzeller cheese, made with a herb brine whose recipe is jealously kept, has a strong smell and a stronger taste, and a piece in your tank bag is a fair souvenir. Tucked around the edges are meadows, dotted with farmhouses and neat stacks of wood.

   Behind the town rises the Alpstein massif, with the Säntis at 2,502 metres as its summit. The riding here is some of the most enjoyable in eastern Switzerland: green hills, gentle gradients, and a web of narrow, well-surfaced roads that run up and down the valleys. Speed limits are strictly enforced, and cars are numerous, so patience is rewarded. Towards the Schwägalp, the road climbs more seriously, with proper bends and a view of the mountain.

   At about 780 metres, the town sits in a mild valley. Fuel and food are easy to find, and a population around five and a half thousand supports a good range of cafes. On a fine Saturday it fills with visitors, so come early or on a weekday, and give yourself an hour to walk the old streets.

3. Säntis view road photo · 1200 m

   Above the Toggenburg, on a shoulder of hillside around 1,200 metres, there is a stretch of road where the whole Säntis massif comes into view at once. The Alpstein is a compact mountain range, but from here it appears huge: a wall of pale limestone with steep faces, folded strata and a summit that wears a cap of cloud on most days. The pull-off for photographs is one of the better ones in eastern Switzerland.

   The geology is the story. The Säntis and its neighbours are made of layers of limestone that were once the floor of a warm sea and have been pushed into great folds by the collision of continents. In the cliffs you can see those layers curving in giant waves, and the effect is of a mountain made of stacked paper. Beneath the cliffs, smooth green pasture slopes down into the valley, scattered with wooden farms and chalets with deep roofs.

   The road here is the kind that gives you time to look. Corners are wide, the gradient is gentle, and the surface is good, with some patching. Traffic is light outside weekends, and on a weekday morning you might share the road with nothing but a milk truck. Cattle graze right to the edge of the tarmac, and in summer the sound of bells rises from the slopes, so keep your speed down and watch for animals.

   Wildhaus, a small village in the Toggenburg with a ski lift, has cafes and a couple of shops, and it is a pleasant place to stop for a coffee. For fuel, the best choice is Appenzell or one of the larger towns in the valley, because small villages here may not have a station. Light is best in the early morning, when low sun rakes across the limestone and brings out every fold, and again in the evening, when the cliffs glow pink. Weather changes fast, so keep a rain layer handy.

4. Schwägalp road pass · 1278 m

   Schwägalp is a saddle rather than a summit, and it has something of the feel of a clearing in the woods. At 1,278 metres it lies between Urnäsch, on the Appenzell side, and Neu St. Johann in the Toggenburg, and the pass road runs beside a mountain stream and the upper reaches of the Sitter river, through meadows grazed by brown cattle. Behind the hotel at the top rises the massive northern face of the Säntis, which seems close enough to touch.

   The Urnäsch side of the climb gives you the character of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. The village of Urnäsch is known for its traditions, particularly the Silvesterchläuse, men dressed in elaborate costumes and huge bell-hung hats who walk through the countryside on the old New Year, in mid-January, driving out the evil spirits of winter. There is a museum in the village where the costumes are displayed, and the strange, beautiful masks are worth seeing. It is one of the surviving rituals of rural Switzerland, and the area still keeps it alive with great seriousness.

   On the road, the climb is steady and smooth, with moderate bends and good visibility. The surface is generally good, and the gradient is never harsh, so the pass is a relaxed ride for most machines. The descent into the Toggenburg is a little steeper and more twisting, with views opening over a green valley that stretches toward the Churfirsten. Cold air gathers in the hollow at the top, so expect it to feel fresher than the valley towns.

   Fuel is not available at the pass, although there is a hotel and a restaurant with a large terrace. Urnäsch has limited services, so the dependable choice is Appenzell, a quarter of an hour away. In winter the road is cleared and normally open, but snow and ice can make conditions difficult. A clear day in early autumn, with new snow on the summit and the larch turning, is one of the finest times to be there.

5. Back to Rorschach finish · 398 m

   Rorschach sits on the south shore of Lake Constance, the big, shallow, sea-like lake where Switzerland, Germany and Austria meet, at about four hundred metres above sea level. It is a small port town with a promenade, a harbour, and the look of a place that was once busier than it is now. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it was the centre of a linen trade, and later of embroidery, and the grain trade passed through it too. The Kornhaus, a big granary built in the 1740s by the monks of St. Gallen, stands on the waterfront with a baroque gable, and it is the town's emblem.

   The lake has its own character. Called the Bodensee in German, it is large enough to have waves, storms and a horizon, and steamers and ferries connect the towns on its shores, so you can cross to Lindau in Germany or Bregenz in Austria in an hour or so. On a fine day the Alps rise behind the Austrian shore, and a long, gentle light lies on the water. In summer, the promenade fills with walkers, cyclists, ice-cream eaters and sailing enthusiasts, and boats bob in the harbour.

   For riders, Rorschach is a good place to begin or end a loop through the hills of eastern Switzerland. A rack railway climbs from the town to Heiden, an old spa resort high above the lake, and the road up beside it is a fine ride through orchards and meadows, with views over the water. To the south the Appenzell hills offer wavy farmland, small villages and a chain of lovely roads toward the Säntis. To the east, the roads cross the Rhine plain into Austria and the Bregenzerwald, and from there on to the German Alpine Road.

   Rorschach has about nine thousand people, and Goldach next door is the same size again, so there is no shortage of petrol stations, supermarkets and cafés. The lakeside restaurants serve perch and whitefish, which are the local favourites, with a glass of Swiss or Austrian wine.

   Cross-border formalities are easy, but carry your passport, and be aware that Austria charges for road use in some places and requires a vignette on motorways. Check the current rules before you ride across.

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