Nestled between SouthWest Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Austria, Lake Constance is a paradise for fall travel. Food harvest festivals, fish weeks, soft autumn air, wines, biking and walking, and extraordinary scenery in the heartland of Europe are a tonic for travelers around the world.
It is so unusual to get four countries in one destination. Your vacation quadruples in value as you can experience the distinct culture of each country and yet experience all of them in one unhurried trip. Stopping in each country for two or three days allows one to absorb the local culture through festivals, the traditional dishes and wines. Even though you could, in one day, enjoy breakfast in Switzerland, lunch in Austria, coffee and cake in Liechtenstein, and still get back in time for dinner in SouthWest Germany, you will get a real sense of the destination if you take it at a more leisurely pace.
Local Products
“Farm-to-Table” truly defines the culinary traditions of Lake Constance. Specialties from local farms, orchards and the lake find their way onto plates around the four-country region. Some of the famous specialties from each country include, the Swiss potato Rösti; the German “Kässpätzle,” or pasta with cheese; the pork shoulder, “Schäufele;” and the filled raviolis, or “Maultaschen.” Sweet hearty dumplings from the Austrian Arlberg along with apricot and ham dumplings are not to be missed. “Dünnele,” small pizzas, in every form: traditional with cream and ham, refined with smoked salmon, sweet and flambéed with plums are perfectly paired with a fruity white wine crafted from the Müller-Thurgau grapes, or a red from the Schaffhausen pinot noir region, or even a Schnapps or Obstler.
Produce and products including cheeses from the local village dairies and farms; cucumbers from the UNESCO monastery and garden island of Reichenau, one of Germany’s oldest agriculture sites; mild and flavorful heirloom onions „Höri-Bülle;“ wines from six wine districts each with its own character; hops brewed after centuries-old traditions; Swiss Chocolate and the family-friendly Chocolarium in Switzerland; fine fruit spirits; whiskeys; and gins from local grains are abundant and delicious. Apples, pears and cherries fill the stalls at the weekly and evening markets.
Fall Festivals
During the Apple Weeks in September and October, restaurants and farms organize special events around the apple along the German and Swiss shores. At the same time, during the Fish Weeks, the chefs of various restaurants at western Lake Constance serve 3-course menus at a single price. Whitefish, perch and other fish fresh from the lake are served to create delicious fish menus. From mid-October until the end of November, Triesenberg (Liechtenstein) invites guests to sample the very best of regional cooking at the Triesenberger Weeks. At this festival, a variety of restaurants serve a selection of dishes from the Walser people who are native to Liechtenstein and the surrounding area. The dishes include pasta-like ‘Chääschnöpfli’ and the sweet ‘Öpfelchüachli’ (apple-flavoured doughnuts) that are traditional today and were even typical of the region many centuries ago.
The towns of Lindau, Nonnenhorn, Bodolz, Wasserburg (Germany) and Bregenz (Austria) have special open days in the month of October when owners open their doors for special tours. In all of the towns there are fall wine tastings and pairings with the local cheeses that you cannot find elsewhere; restaurants open their kitchens; fish hatcheries welcome visitors; and orchard owners host hikes through their fields. It is a special time to peek behind the curtain and get a real taste and feel for the local production and traditions. At the beginning of the month, introducing this “Genussherbst,” there is a special gourmet hike with different tasting stations along the way. It is a healthy eight miles long through orchards and vineyards, past special vantage points, and regional delicacies with corresponding beverages at the various stations.
Special Outings
A picnic with local produce can be a relaxing way to independently enjoy the region and shoreline. Visitors can order complete meals to go in knapsacks, including family meals, vegan, vegetarian, and classic, and a bottle of wine is included. It is a particularly relaxing way to feel like a local and be part of the landscape. Two historic steam boats, the Hohentwiel and the Oesterreich, offer themed tours and gourmet five course meals at lunch and dinner giving visitors special and relaxing experiences with excellent menus and outstanding views as they tour the lakes.
Where to Stay
The views from every angle around the lake deliver a five-star experience no matter what type of lodging you are seeking. From cozy pensions to contemporary spas and grande dame hotels, there is a hotel and amenity for all budgets. Some newcomers include, Seehotel am Kaiserstrand directly on the shore of Lake Constance in Lochau between Bregenz and Vorarlberg in Austria. Switzerland’s Tailormade Hotel LEO St. Gallen designed by star architect Roger Boltshauser is located right at the train station. Next year, a new hotel focusing on sustainable and organic products, das Zeppelin Hotel, will open in SouthWest Germany’s Friedrichshafen in a green park setting and right on the shore where the famous Zeppelin museum is located.
Many of the charming towns around the lake are worth at least one overnight. St. Gallen in eastern Switzerland is a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its baroque cathedral and the famous abbey library. The medieval lakeside town of Meersburg is a step back into past with its cobblestone, winding streets and enormous baroque palace. Equally charming is the old city of Stein am Rhein with its half-timbered buildings clustered in the old town. Konstanz is a bustling center full of restaurants and shops with a delightful walk along the harbor.
The Bodensee Card PLUS, the holiday pass of Lake Constance, offers 160 attractions, including museums, castles, theme parks, free boat trips, and swimming pools. To get to Lake Constance from the US or Canada, fly to Bodensee-Airport Friedrichshafen (via Frankfurt) or to Stuttgart Airport or Zurich Airport in Switzerland. Also, trains from all over Europe go straight into Constance and from there you can drive, bicycle, or go by ferry to various points around the lake.
Lake Constance is an ideal destination especially in fall when students are back in school and the summer rush is over, and calm days, bright fall colors, and harvest time festivals prevail. You can enjoy the atmosphere and soak up the local culture of four distinct cultures and countries at a relaxing pace within one destination.