Cozy Lake Constance

For 15 days one August, my husband, Jack, and I biked around the shoreline of Lake Constance, also known as the Bodensee, which covers an area of 163 square miles, 210 miles around, and is bordered by Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

Chiseled out by glaciers, the lake basin is part of the Rhine River, which is pristine clean and safe for swimming. The climate is one of the warmest in Germany and the lake collects heat and acts as a radiator. Therefore, you find tropical plants along the shore along with vineyards that produce excellent wines.

Lake Constance is wrapped in a panorama of well-tended hillsides dotted with medieval towns and ancient castles. Cozy harbors alive with pleasure boats, flocks of birds nesting in reed marshes, window boxes overflowing with flowers on the rainbow-colored houses and the Alps make it a feast for the eyes. The bike paths, which are almost always separate from the roads, are mostly flat and easy to ride.

BARBARA OBERHOLZER
Honolulu, HI