Raise a glass to
Visit three countries for the price of one on a ticket to explore stunning alpine lake
Gazing over Lake Constance from the Swiss shore, you’ll see it dotted with ferries and fisherman, the German side just visible over the rippling waters.
Holidaying here, you are either on that water or admiring it from a high spot in the surrounding countryside.
Set in the foothills of the Alps and fed by the Rhine, the lake is bordered by three countries – Austria, Switzerland and Germany – and just a stone’s throw from Liechtenstein.
The 40-mile-long lake is overlooked by a mix of charming port towns from which tourists can venture into mountains, vineyards and explore cycling paths.
Locally known as Bodensee, Lake Constance may be less familiar than its more famous European cousins Bled and Geneva, but it’s making a splash on the active holiday scene.
We flew to Zurich and took a 20-minute train ride to the waterside town of St Gallen on the Swiss side to begin our lakeside adventure through all four countries.
A Bodensee Card Plus allows three days of multinational access to 160 places, including museums, cable cars, castles and thermal baths. And a Bodensee Ticket, available for one day or three, takes care of your bus, ferry and train travel across the German, Swiss and Austrian parts.
But one of the best ways to soak up the scenery is on two wheels, and bikes can be hired from most of the harbour towns.
Cyclists can ride the entire 170 miles round the lake in around a week, stopping off overnight in the splendid harbours.
Hotels overlooking the lake start at around £80 a night, and there are increasing numbers of Airbnb properties popping up.
We take an e-bike tour from Rorschach on the Swiss side (around £50 for two hours) and head to the hills to make the most of those sunset views of that glittering lake – without legwork.
Vaduz Castle in Liechtenstein
Next morning, it’s a 45-minute train and bus trip over the
Swiss border into the Principality of Liechtenstein.
The world’s fourth-smallest country, just 62 miles square, it has a fairytale appeal with its stunning views. Hikers can explore the new 300th Anniversary Trail, which celebrates three centuries since the country’s formation.
Download the Listory app for navigation and insights about the landmarks. Included on the winding 47-mile route is the teeny but pretty capital city of Vaduz. There, you might even bump into the Princely family, the down-to-earth royals who live in Vaduz Castle overlooking the city and often schmooze with locals.
Sadly Prince Hans-Adam II is a no-show when we pop by, so we move on with a 10-minute bus ride to the village of Malbun and take the chairlift to the top of the Sareisjoch mountain ski hub.
At 6,561ft, it’s the best way to get quick and easy access to 250 miles of trails in Liechtenstein’s peaks, which are walkable outside ski season (June to October). Ready for more hiking, we hop aboard a bus to Austria’s Karren mountain, 37 miles away in the outskirts of Dornbirn.
There’s a cable car option to the 3,200ft summit – but if you can, snake your way up on foot through the pine-strewn forest and reward yourself with a comforting plate of kässpätzle.
This carby comfort dish of cheese, roasted onion and egg noodle differs slightly in each of the four countries in the region, and I take this as