🔗 Share this article

Amidst the warm autumn sun, peering out across the water, I’m enjoying a tart, cooling apple-secco. This sparkling beverage mimics prosecco, but is made from apples instead of grapes. I sample a few cinnamon-spiced apple chips, then proceed to the hard stuff: brandy distilled from traditional apple types.

If it escaped notice, apples are big business in this area. I’m trekking along the banks of Lake Constance, on Germany’s southern border. Nearly 250,000 tonnes of apples are collected in this territory per year. Our journey aligned with the yearly gourmet event, when nearby producers set up stalls and display their wares along 15 kilometers of the scenic hiking trail connecting Überlingen, Sipplingen, and Bodman-Ludwigshafen. If apples don't appeal, there’s also pear-secco and spirits distilled from an assortment from plums, cherries, and blackcurrants to Jerusalem artichokes. Hikers can also try food such as smoked sausages, cheeses, onion tarts, and homemade cakes and pies.

Four Countries – One Lake

Lake Constance’s tourism slogan is: “Four countries – one lake”. Germany, Austria, and Switzerland all converge at the lake, while Liechtenstein is just a half-hour drive away. On our short break, we explored only the German portion, but those with longer stays could easily experience three or four countries. There is a extensive cycling circuit around the lake, which can be split into four to eight stages; and week-long foodie, active, and highlights itineraries, all doable using public transport. Special travel passes offer endless travel on trains, buses, and ferries, while deluxe options also include entry to many attractions.

Discovering Konstanz

We began our trip in Konstanz, the largest city on the lake. We participated in a guided tour to learn about the city’s rich history – most notably the Council of Constance of 1414-1418, a series of meetings to settle years of schism within the Catholic church – and visit its monuments: the council building itself; Imperia, a debated rotating waterfront statue; the church and its steeple with views over the city, lake, and mountains; and the charming Niederburg district, with its stone-paved alleyways and houses from the late Middle Ages.

While the sun was out, we ate outside by the water at a historic inn in a former officers’ mess. As well as hearty meat dishes such as knuckle of pork and beef roulade, we were thrilled to find delicious vegan versions of regional dishes. Maultaschen, usually meat-filled dumplings, were made with plant-based mince and served with potato and cucumber salad and vegetable gravy.

We were growing weary when we heard the rousing sound of an oompah band. Heading towards the music, we emerged at a idyllic mountain inn

When it drizzled, we took shelter in a brewery and restaurant in a medieval building. Alongside its core menu of sausages, schnitzels, and Swabian specialities such as käsespätzle, it serves seasonal dishes. The pumpkin soup with giant pretzels was turning out to be popular; this autumn there is a chanterelle mushroom menu. We tried the malty Copper beer; later in the year, a dark, strong seasonal brew will be offered.

Indulgence and Activity

After all this indulgence, it was time to walk to our campsite, nearly 19km around the lake. Just outside the city, we reached appealing thermal baths, with indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, and steam rooms. We pressed on and passed Mainau, known as the flower island. In September, the dahlias are in full bloom and the katsura trees give off scents of gingerbread and caramel; the arboretum is at its autumn-color peak in October.

We left the lake and headed a little way into the countryside, walking through meadows and climbing a couple of hills, before meandering through the lakeside village of Dingelsdorf to the campsite just beyond. The nights were getting crisp, so we were glad to be staying in a cozy sleeping barrel rather than a tent. These wooden structures are allegedly based on historical accommodation – but presumably a lot warmer and cleaner. The campsite has a cafe, sells fresh bread in the mornings, and hosts a market on Fridays. A nearby restaurant serves local dishes plus pizza and pasta, in a modern space with a vaulted ceiling.

Gourmet Trekking and Beautiful Views

The next morning, we took a boat from Dingelsdorf harbor across the lake to Überlingen, a town with a medieval quarter and the longest promenade on the lake. This was the start of our gourmet walk – shorter but more challenging – traversing ravines, forests, and, of course, orchards. A particularly memorable stop was at a viewpoint where a winery was serving wine and snacks to accompany the breathtaking lake panorama.

Beyond Sipplingen, we were starting to tire when we heard the rousing sound of an oompah band. We headed towards the music and emerged at a mountain inn whose sun terrace has views all the way to the Alps. Fortified by more excellent German beer, it was a short hop to our journey’s end, a lakeside hotel with a heated outdoor pool and saunas—a perfect place to relax after a hike. The restaurant serves pike and char fish alongside pork cheeks and steaks, and more excellent vegetarian options such as panzerotti stuffed with porcini and truffles.

We’d packed a lot in, but there was so much left to see: the island old town of Lindau; the Middle Ages castle at Meersburg; the Zeppelin city of Friedrichshafen. And that’s without even leaving Germany. We’re going to need more apple-secco …