Lake Constance and the Medieval Town of Stein Am Rhein

Park at the Strandbad Moos parking lot and walk the few steps to the viewing platform.

The Moos viewing platform is located to the left of the Moos lido. From the top you have a beautiful view of the tributary of the Untersee on Lake Constance. There is a bench from which you can observe the reed bank. With a little luck you will see animals living there. Signs explain which animals can be found there. You also have a view of Radolfzell from the platform.

The Horn water tower is also worth a detour. This is located somewhat elevated. There is a barbecue area about 30 meters from the place where you can park your car. From this place you look out over the Untersee. The view stretches from Radolfzell over the peninsula Mettnau, the island Reichenau and Konstanz to the Rhine.

The nature reserve Segete near Gaienhofen is a siltation moor. It was put under protection in 1991 to protect the animals and plants living there. Among them there are rare and endangered species.

Hermann Hesse moved into the old farmhouse in the center of Gaienhofen, which today houses the Herrmann Hesse Museum, in 1904 shortly after his marriage to Maria Bernoulli. In it he planned his own house, which also stands in Gaienhofen. The later Nobel Prize winner for literature lived there from 1907 to 1912.
Opening hours: from March 15 to October 31 Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. from November 1 to March 13 Friday and Saturday 14 - 17 h Sunday 10 - 17 h

Shortly after Öhningen you cross the border to Switzerland. Park your car outside the town and visit Stein am Rhein on foot.

You enter the city through the lower gate. This tower is also called the time tower. In 1520 all the gates received a porch with a trapdoor. In 1945 the gate was bombed and destroyed. The gate as you see it today is a reconstruction. Behind it you enter the old town of Stein am Rhein with its magnificent half-timbered houses.

The exhibition in the Lindwurm Museum shows how people lived and worked in middle-class circles in Stein am Rhein in the 19th century. From the owners' Beletage to the granary and the stables to the servant's dwelling, the museum gives an insight into the social classes of the time.
Opening hours: March - October Tue - Sun 10-17 h
The Lindwurm Museum is closed from November to February.
A tip: there is a combination ticket with which you can visit the Museum Lindwurm and the Museum Kloster Sankt Georgen in Stein am Rhein.

In a historical ambience you can have lunch in the Old Swiss wine tavern "zum Rothen Ochsen". Here they serve Italian and regional specialties. This is accompanied by wines from international wine regions, but also from wineries in the area.
Opening hours: Monday day off Tuesday to Saturday from 10.00 a.m. - 10.00 p.m. Sunday from 10.00 h - 21.00 h

The wine bar is located in the middle of the old town of Stein am Rhein. Here are the most beautiful half-timbered houses and painted houses of the historic town from the Middle Ages. However, its roots go back even further. In late antiquity, a Roman border fortress called Tasgetium was located on this site. The settlement of the village continued into the Middle Ages. However, the Roman name was lost. In 1267 the place is mentioned in a document for the first time.

The monastery of Sankt Georgen is located directly on the banks of the Rhine. This was once the market and landlord of the city. The monastery is very well preserved. On a tour you get good insights into the life of the Benedictines. Among other things, you can see the former convent, the abbot's houses and the monastery gardens.
Opening hours: From April 9 to October 30, Tuesday to Sunday. April - May, September - October: 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. June - August: 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The museum is open on Good Friday, Easter Monday, Whit Monday and August 1.

On the way back to the parking lot you can enjoy a sundae or a coffee in the ice cream parlor. Guests praise the ice cream and waffles. In addition, the ice cream parlor is known for good coffee.
Opening hours: From the end of February the Gelateria is open. Open from 11.00 - 18.00. In March the Gelateria is open only on weekends.

You pick up your car at the parking lot for the onward journey.

The detour to the lookout point Eichhölzli above Steckborn is worthwhile. From the top you have a wonderful view of the Höri peninsula, the Rhine and the Untersee. There is a parking lot where you can leave the car.

The car is parked in the parking lot of the Napoleon Museum Arenenberg. From there it is about a two-minute walk in the direction of the Napoleon Museum to the Photo Spot Bodensee. From there you have a beautiful view of the island of Reichenau and the Untersee.

The Krone restaurant in Ermatingen specializes in fish. When possible, there is fresh fish from Lake Constance. Alternatively, there are some meat dishes to choose from.
Opening hours: Wednesday and Thursday day off. Hot food is available from 11:30-21:00

Should you be in Ermatingen on one of the restaurant Krone's days of rest, you can also have dinner in the hotel restaurant Lilienberg. The hotel is located in the middle of well-kept parks in Ermatingen. From the restaurant you have an unobstructed view of Lake Constance and the island of Reichenau.