On the SeeGang premium hiking trail, active vacationers experience the special scenic and cultural diversity of western Lake Constance. A scenic tour between Constance and Überlingen
In the smuggler's bay in Constance it is still very quiet at 9 o'clock in the morning. Only one family has already secured a shady spot on the small beach with a view of the city. Nearby, in the harbor of Constance at the Imperia statue, the 53-kilometer SeeGang starts. The tour, which has been awarded the "German Hiking Seal for Premium Hiking Trails," officially has four stages that lead through the unique nature between Constance and Überlingen - panoramic views over the Lake Constance and up to the Alps included.
But of course you can also arrange everything individually, shorten it by bus and train and return to the starting point at the end. Practical: If you stay overnight in the region and have a guest card, you can use the public transport free of charge. Until mid-October, the Lake Constance also liner ships - another opportunity for delightful changes of perspective.
The perfectly signposted route on mostly narrow nature trails with the landscapes and the culture at the Lake Constance known: You come through Orchard meadowsYou'll see wildly romantic ruins and wander through historic towns. Along the way and often located directly on the lakeshore, numerous cafes and restaurants invite you to culinary stops. So you always have a choice on this path. You can, you should take provisions with you, not least to have a good excuse for a little extra rest at a beautiful vantage point at any time. And with a total of 1400 meters in altitude up and down, you'll certainly want to take a breather or two. At the same time, there are numerous places to stop for a bite to eat, because this area has always been a region of pleasure.
The first route takes you out of the old town of Constance into the countryside to Wallhausen. Just half an hour after Schmugglerbucht, you will pass the thermal baths and the lido - and thus have the first opportunity to take a break to cool off. A detour on this day is the Mainau flower island worth. And two small lookout mountains are also on the trail program - they give you an unobstructed view of the Lake Constance and the suburbs of Constance. On the second day, which leads you from Wallhausen to Bodman, it gets wilder: You will experience bubbling streams, hike through dense forest and deeply cut valleys. In places, the steep shore around Überlinger See breaks off spectacularly. You can stop at the Bodenwald farm, where you can have a bite to eat with a view of the peacefully grazing herd of bison. And the best comes at the end: the descent via the Altbodman castle ruins down to the lakeshore is simply gigantic and beautiful....
You certainly won't get bored on the way, There are few premium hiking trails in Germany that offer such diversity as the SeeGang. Nevertheless, you will have many leisure hours, for example in the Stockacher Aachried nature reserve, the estuary of the Aach river, where you can on the third day through high reed beds and remnants of floodplain forest. Later, you will hike between Bodman-Ludwigshafen and Sipplingen on the so-called Blossom Trail. But in autumn, this stretch of landscape has rather turned into a lush fruit paradise. The path leads high above the steep shore, often through wild orchards. The view of the Lake Constance is often quite clear at this time of year. Deep down, sailboats plow through the water. Tip: Why not lie down on the comfortable forest benches near the rocky outcrop that the locals have lovingly and unofficially christened "Love Island" and let time be time. It is a more than cozy terrace place above the water. The third stage then ends in Sipplingen.
Between Sipplingen and Überlingen crosses you on the fourth stage the unique steep shore landscape of Lake Überlingen. So it's quite uphill and downhill, but the reward is once again the variety of perspectives, views and landscape changes. On today's adventure tour, you'll experience sunken paths and steep rock faces. And finally, the SeeGang also demonstrates elegance - the Überlingen lakeside promenade has a touch of grandeur on nice days, of fine spa flair. And yet it is still young and lively. From there, it's easy to get back to Constance by boat or by bus and train.
There are even more certified premium hiking trails at Lake Constance: The three certified Lake Constance LandGänge "Gehrenberg GuckinsLand", "Bermatinger Waldwiesen" and "Bergtour Höchsten" as well as the nine multifaceted tours of the Hegau skittles are beautiful circular hiking trails with very different levels of difficulty and lengths. You can find even more tours here - from hiking and cycling tours to city walks and Nordic walking routes.
Cover photo: First highlight of the hiking trail - the harbor of Constance © Dietmar Denger
