Die Bodenseeregion ist ein einzigartiges Freizeitparadies mit einer Vielzahl an Ausflugszielen, sportlichen Angeboten und Sehenswürdigkeiten. Als einer der drei grössten Binnenseen Europas erstreckt sich der Bodensee über die Schweiz, Österreich und Deutschland.
Auf der Schweizer Seite verläuft er entlang der Kantone St. Gallen, Thurgau und Schaffhausen. Die Ausflugsschiffe der „Weissen Flotte des Bodensees“ bringen ihre Gäste zu verschiedenen Zielen rund um den See. Der Artikel beschreibt als ein Beispiel unter den zahlreichen Angeboten eine Rundfahrt, die über einen grossen Teil des Sees verläuft.
Rundfahrt Rorschach – Arbon – Romanshorn – Kreuzlingen – Insel Mainau (D)– Meersburg (D)
Die etwa sechsstündige Rundfahrt bietet wunderbare Eindrücke entlang des Seeufers, darunter die berühmte Blumeninsel Mainau. Es stehen Billets mit oder ohne Ausstieg für die Gäste bereit. Alle Anlaufstellen haben ihren eigenen Reiz:
Klein, aber fein: Rorschach liegt am äusseren Südufer des Sees. Es zählt mit einer Fläche von knapp 1,8 Quadratkilometern zu den kleinsten Schweizer Städten, deren Spuren bis in die Antike zurückführen. Wahrzeichen der Stadt ist das Kornhaus; hier befindet sich auch das Erlebnismuseum mit verschiedenen Ausstellungen zur Geschichte der Stadt. Das Kloster Mariaberg und die herrschaftlichen Bürgerhäuser sind ebenfalls lohnende Besuchsziele. Rohrschach ist ferner bekannt für das Sandskulpturen-Festival, bei dem einmal im Jahr internationale Künstler zum Wettbewerb antreten.
A good 14,000 people live in the municipality of Arbon in Thurgau. The place is right on the border with the canton of St. Gallen on a peninsula. Points of attraction are the medieval old town and the beautiful waterfront. The castle, originally built as a castle, is a symbol of the city. Parts of the keep from the 10th century have been preserved. When the weather is nice, the open-air cinema attracts many visitors and is often fully booked except for the last of the 1000 seats.
Romanshorn in the canton of Thurgau has an area of just under 9 square kilometers, but offers excellent transport connections by car, bus and train. The city also has the largest port on Lake Constance, with a regular car ferry connection to Friedrichshafen. The picturesque forest in the hinterland of Romanshorn received the Binding Prize for exemplary forest management. Romanshorn has the castle and the old church on offer, the other two churches are also attractive. The well-developed hiking and cycling trails offer the best conditions for long walks or bike tours.
With a good 20,000 inhabitants, Kreuzlingen is the largest neighboring town in the Swiss Lake Constance region. It is located on the Obersee in the west and borders directly on Konstanz in Germany. The public adventure park with a zoo on the lakeshore is well worth a visit. Children are enthusiastic about the petting zoo with donkeys, goats and sheep. All animals belong to ancient breeds of domestic animals that are threatened with extinction.
Kreuzlingen presents other attractions well worth seeing with the doll museum in the medieval Girsberg Castle and the St. Ulrich monastery church, a former Augustinian monastery. For many centuries, Kreuzlingen was a wine-growing town. Bad harvests and industrialization caused the vineyards to decline; In the 1930s, viticulture came to a complete standstill. For several years there have been two vineyards with organically grown grape varieties again.
Mainau is owned by the count family Bernadotte, who reside in the Teutonic Order Castle. The visit costs admission and is only worthwhile if you stay a whole day. Mainau offers everything for this: gardens and parks, botanical tours, an adventure area for the children. The focal point is the magnificent palace, in whose audience hall concerts are held sporadically.
The flower island deserves its name: the mild climate of Lake Constance gives the island of Mainau an abundance of flowers. Over time, the aristocratic family has transformed the island into a plant paradise : In the botanical garden alone there are 500 different trees, some of which are very old, including sequoias, rare cedars and tulip trees. Every spring a large orchid show is held in the palm house.
For many months, Mainau is a single sea of flowers with a multitude of species, from tulips and pansies to azaleas and rhododendrons. One of the highlights is certainly the rose bloom in summer, when over 500 varieties give off their scent. In autumn, the dahlia fields transform the south garden into a sea of colors. The butterfly house opens its doors all year round and takes visitors into a tropical world with exotic butterflies that move freely on the 1,000 square meter area.
The medieval Old Castle towers above Meersburg on the steep vineyard slope, and baroque half-timbered buildings extend below it. Almost 5500 people live in the small town between Überlingen and Friedrichshafen. The idyllic location makes Meersburg an attractive excursion destination. The excellent restaurants and cozy wine bars with regional grape varieties also contribute to this.
Family-friendly offers for the entire Lake Constance region
The Euregio Bodensee offers inexpensive day tickets for families and small groups. These cards are valid for one to four zones. The owners can use all means of transport in the released zone – ship, bus, train – as often as they like throughout the day. The Bodensee-Erlebniskarte is ideal for a vacation: Pay once for three, seven or 14 days and get free or significantly reduced admission to the various excursion destinations.
Top picture: © Olgysha – Shutterstock.com