RAJCHL REIST around Lake Constance: 7 highlights of my cycle tour

1. nature paradise Rheindelta
We take a detour to the nature paradise Rheindelta with its lush green meadows, reed beds and extensive sandy beaches. Here, where the Rhine flows into Lake Constance, the lake is at its most unspoilt - more than 330 rare bird species live here.

2nd Rhine Falls
One of the major highlights of any tour of Lake Constance is the largest waterfall in Europe. The Swiss call it the "Rhyfall". It is more than 20 metres high and 150 metres wide. A train winds its way over the Rhine Falls on the imposing bridge construction like a toy railway - literally breathtaking. It's great to watch, as the cycle path leads right past it. See for yourself in the video.

3rd Renaissance town of Schaffhausen 
The Swiss town is idyllically situated on the Upper Rhine and is known for its 171 bay windows, its winding medieval alleyways and - the Schaffhauserzungen, a sweet temptation that was accidentally created in the Reber confectionery in 1896 by the misadventure of an apprentice confectioner and is now one of the most popular souvenirs. My tip: enjoy your sweet luggage during a coffee break. You can easily park your bike here.

4. Stein am Rhein 
If you have already cycled as far as the Rhine, you should not miss out on this medieval jewel box. The colourful, and sometimes surprisingly crude, façade paintings are extraordinary. The former Benedictine abbey of St Georgen, now a museum, is also a tranquil place. We cycle through an inconspicuous gate of the abbey complex and are suddenly on the Rhine. A place to linger! If you don't want to cycle for a while, you can easily travel a little way along the Rhine by boat. Bikes are gladly transported on board.

5. Constance - the secret capital of Lake Constance 
We cycle across the border into Germany to the secret capital of Lake Constance - Constance. The city is so important that the English-language name for Lake Constance is "Lake Constance". In the middle of the 15th century, Constance was the venue for the largest congress of the Middle Ages. At the Council of Constance, three popes and a king fought for four years for political and religious supremacy. The result was 72,000 guests for 6,000 inhabitants, who were already suffering from "over tourism" at the time. A cheeky, oversized monument near the harbour commemorates this major event: the nine-metre-high concrete statue of Imperia, a cheeky giant woman showing her legs and cleavage, with the king and pope sitting in her hands. It symbolises the fact that during the Council of Constance, not only high lords but also "light ladies" went about their business. Apart from the harbour and the former Council building, it is the special mix that makes Constance so special: Magnificent church buildings such as the Constance Minster, Gothic architectural gems in the old town and the young, student-orientated life on the promenade. Tip: Plan more time and stop off in one of the cosy guest gardens!

6. flower island Mainau and garden city Überlingen 
The island of Mainau is a piece of Swedish territory in the middle of Lake Constance that belongs to the Swedish royal family. The entire island is dedicated to flowers and plants; botanical treasures, orchids, roses, rare tree species and numerous exhibitions and guided tours await guests. The small Lake Constance town of Überlingen is also a must for garden lovers, and this year the first State Garden Show on Lake Constance will be held here from 23 April.

7. from the wedding church of Birnau via the wine town of Meersburg to Lindau Other highlights on the northern shore of Lake Constance include the romantic Birnau Basilica, which towers over the vineyards of the Lake Constance region and is a popular wedding church, and the medieval town of Meersburg with the upper town, the "Fürstenhäusle", and the bourgeois lower town. The town is also known for its viticulture - ending the cycle tour with a glass of Müller-Thurgau or Pinot Noir is a delight for connoisseurs like me. A little piece of Bavaria awaits me at the end of the cycle tour before heading back to Bregenz: the town of Lindau, whose old town is located on an island and has the only "real" harbour on Lake Constance - with a lighthouse, piers and the Bavarian lion.