01 - Overview
The Lake Constance Cycle Path is a roughly 260 km circuit of the Bodensee through Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Mostly flat and superbly signposted, it follows the shore - with one longer climb over the Bodanrück right at the start - past medieval towns, islands and castles. The loop closes over land; the Konstanz-Meersburg ferry remains an optional shortcut.
The Lake Constance Cycle Path circles the largest lake in the German-speaking world, linking three countries. From Konstanz it runs counterclockwise, first over the wooded Bodanrück to the quiet northern shore of the Überlinger See, then along the sunny Obersee shore via Meersburg, Friedrichshafen and Lindau to Bregenz, on through the Rhine delta into Switzerland and back along the flat Thurgau shore. At Konstanz the route crosses the Seerhein - the loop closes entirely over land - and finally rounds the calm Untersee with Stein am Rhein, the Höri peninsula and the monastery island of Reichenau. Apart from the climb over the Bodanrück just after the start, the route is almost level and mostly paved - ideal for families and leisure cyclists. To shorten it, take the Konstanz-Meersburg car ferry (saving about 54 km) or the Romanshorn-Friedrichshafen boat across the lake. The dense run of sights - Mainau, the Unteruhldingen stilt houses, Meersburg, Lindau harbour, the Pfänder above Bregenz, painted Stein am Rhein and Reichenau - makes every stage memorable. The best season is April to October.
- Regions
- Vorarlberg
- Start
- Konstanz
- Finish
- Konstanz
- Surface
- Paved
- Network
- International
- Best season
- April - October
- Signposting
- fully signposted
- Families
- well suited
- Road-bike friendly
- Partly · Mixed surfacewell documented
98 % comfortably ridable, but a 1.8 km gravel stretch - nicer on a gravel or touring bike.
02 - Stages
9 stages · 260 km
01Konstanz - Bodman-LudwigshafenKonstanz · Mainau Island · Dingelsdorf · Wallhausen · Bodman40 km
The start in Konstanz: past the flower island of Mainau and over the wooded Bodanrück ridge - the only real climb of the tour - to the quiet northern shore of the Überlinger See and its tip at Bodman.
- Ascent
- 470 m
- Descent
- 475 m
- Duration
- 2.5-3 hrs
- Surface
- asphalt, short forest sections
Surface (measured): paved 91 % · fine gravel 9 %
02Bodman-Ludwigshafen - MeersburgBodman · Sipplingen · Überlingen · Birnau · Unteruhldingen · Meersburg25 km
Along the sunny eastern shore of the Überlinger See: through the medieval town of Überlingen, past the rococo pilgrimage church of Birnau and the UNESCO stilt-house museum at Unteruhldingen to Meersburg, with the oldest inhabited castle in Germany.
- Ascent
- 99 m
- Descent
- 102 m
- Duration
- 1.5-2 hrs
- Surface
- mostly asphalt
Surface (measured): paved
03Meersburg - FriedrichshafenMeersburg · Hagnau · Immenstaad · Friedrichshafen19 km
A short, flat lakeside stage through the wine villages of Hagnau and Immenstaad to Friedrichshafen - home of the Zeppelin, with its Zeppelin Museum and wide views across the lake to the Alps.
- Ascent
- 90 m
- Descent
- 87 m
- Duration
- 1-1.5 hrs
- Surface
- mostly asphalt
Surface (measured): paved
04Friedrichshafen - BregenzFriedrichshafen · Langenargen · Kressbronn · Wasserburg · Lindau · Bregenz34 km
Along the Bavarian shore via Langenargen and the peninsula village of Wasserburg to the island town of Lindau with its famous harbour; then across the border into Austria to the festival city of Bregenz at the foot of the Pfänder.
- Ascent
- 120 m
- Descent
- 123 m
- Duration
- 2-2.5 hrs
- Surface
- mostly asphalt
Surface (measured): paved 91 % · gravel 9 %
05Bregenz - RorschachBregenz · Hard · Rhine Delta · Rheineck · Altenrhein · Rorschach34 km
Through the broad Rhine delta where the Alpine Rhine enters the lake - an important bird reserve - and across the Old Rhine into Switzerland, through Rheineck and Altenrhein to the port town of Rorschach.
- Ascent
- 68 m
- Descent
- 63 m
- Duration
- 2-2.5 hrs
- Surface
- mostly asphalt
Surface (measured): paved 81 % · fine gravel 19 %
06Rorschach - KreuzlingenRorschach · Arbon · Egnach · Romanshorn · Münsterlingen · Kreuzlingen35 km
The flat, sun-blessed Thurgau shore - orchard and cider country: via Roman Arbon and the ferry port of Romanshorn through apple country to Kreuzlingen, the sister city of Konstanz.
- Ascent
- 82 m
- Descent
- 79 m
- Duration
- 2-2.5 hrs
- Surface
- mostly asphalt
Surface (measured): paved
07Kreuzlingen - Stein am RheinKreuzlingen · Konstanz (Seerhein) · Gottlieben · Ermatingen · Steckborn · Stein am Rhein30 km
Across the Seerhein at Konstanz - where the loop closes over land, with no ferry needed - onto the Swiss shore of the Untersee: through picturesque Gottlieben and Steckborn to Stein am Rhein with its famous painted town-hall square.
- Ascent
- 158 m
- Descent
- 148 m
- Duration
- 2-2.5 hrs
- Surface
- mostly asphalt
Surface (measured): paved
08Stein am Rhein - RadolfzellStein am Rhein · Öhningen · Gaienhofen · Höri Peninsula · Radolfzell25 km
Back into Germany onto the Höri peninsula - artists' country of Hermann Hesse and Otto Dix - via Gaienhofen and through quiet orchards along the Untersee to Radolfzell.
- Ascent
- 177 m
- Descent
- 188 m
- Duration
- 1.5-2 hrs
- Surface
- asphalt, some shore paths
Surface (measured): paved 84 % · fine gravel 16 %
09Radolfzell - KonstanzRadolfzell · Markelfingen · Allensbach · Reichenau Island · Konstanz20 km
The final stage along the Gnadensee to the monastery island of Reichenau (UNESCO World Heritage) with its Romanesque churches and market gardens, then back along the shore via Allensbach to the starting point at Konstanz.
- Ascent
- 63 m
- Descent
- 66 m
- Duration
- 1.5 hrs
- Surface
- mostly asphalt
Surface (measured): paved
03 - Elevation
Elevation across the full distance - move the cursor to read altitude and kilometre.
Elevation profile over 260 km. Ascent 1327 m, descent 1331 m. Lowest point 396 m, highest point 543 m.
Elevation from OSM geometry + Digital Terrain Model (DGM) Austria (10 m).
Hover the profile to see the point on the map - and vice versa.
04 - POIs & Services
- Mainau Island
- Minster & Council Building
- Birnau Pilgrimage Church
- Unteruhldingen Stilt Houses
- Meersburg Old Castle
- Zeppelin Museum
- Lindau Harbour (Lion & lighthouse)
- Pfänder
- Rhine Delta
- Stein am Rhein - painted Rathausplatz
- Reichenau Monastery Island
Services along the route
- Bike & e-bike rentalA dense network of rental and e-bike charging stations around the lake, with one-way hire.
- Bike serviceRepair shops in Konstanz, Friedrichshafen, Bregenz, Romanshorn and all larger towns.
- Bett+Bike accommodationNumerous certified cyclist-friendly places to stay all along the loop.
- Luggage transferOperators offer stage-to-stage luggage transfer - popular for the multi-day circuit.
Service points along the route
- Drinking water294
- Repair station88
- Bike shop82
- Bike rental60
- Charging station352
Service points from OpenStreetMap. Coverage may be incomplete, some fountains are seasonal - verify before you rely on them.
05 - Impressions
The Lake Constance Cycle Path squeezes between lake and cliff before Überlingen.Photo: Radweg-Engstelle vor Überlingen am Bodensee · Andreas Lippold · CC BY-SA 4.0 Paved Lake Constance Cycle Path through the orchards near Kressbronn.Photo: Bodensee-Radweg bei Tunau, Gemeinde Kressbronn · qwesy qwesy · CC BY 3.0 View across Lake Constance at Lindau towards the snow-capped Alps.Photo: Bodensee bei Lindau mit Alpenpanorama · Jakub Hałun · CC BY 4.0
06 - Public transit
- Konstanz (DB · SBB)Rail hub at the west end of the lake (Schwarzwaldbahn, Seehäsle); the ideal start/finish.
- Friedrichshafen · Lindau (DB)Lake Constance S-Bahn and the BODO network on the German shore; bikes carried.
- Bregenz (ÖBB)The Vorarlberg shore - connections from Austria via the Vorarlberg S-Bahn.
- Romanshorn · Rorschach · Kreuzlingen (SBB/Thurbo)The Swiss shore on the frequent Thurbo S-Bahn.
- Lake ferries (BSB/SBS/ÖBB)Passenger boats and car ferries carry bikes: the Konstanz-Meersburg ferry and the Romanshorn-Friedrichshafen boat cross the lake.
The lake ferries are part of the experience and make easy shortcuts: the Konstanz-Meersburg car ferry skips the ~54 km loop around the Überlinger See, and the Romanshorn-Friedrichshafen boat crosses the Obersee. For getting to and from the route and shortening stages, a dense rail network with bike carriage rings the lake (DB · ÖBB · SBB; Euregio/Lake Constance tickets).
07 - GPX & TCX download
Download for GPS devices & apps
Clean track with elevation - imports as a single tour, compatible with Komoot, Garmin, Wahoo, Strava, RideWithGPS, OsmAnd.
Download stages individually (9)
- Stage 1Konstanz → Bodman-Ludwigshafen40 km
- Stage 2Bodman-Ludwigshafen → Meersburg25 km
- Stage 3Meersburg → Friedrichshafen19 km
- Stage 4Friedrichshafen → Bregenz34 km
- Stage 5Bregenz → Rorschach34 km
- Stage 6Rorschach → Kreuzlingen35 km
- Stage 7Kreuzlingen → Stein am Rhein30 km
- Stage 8Stein am Rhein → Radolfzell25 km
- Stage 9Radolfzell → Konstanz20 km
Exact official operator track. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0) · Elevation © DGM Austria (CC BY 3.0 AT). Redistribute with attribution.