Stage 2 of the Bodensee Radweg is 30 km with 120 m ascent/descent. Starting in Überlingen and ending in Friedrichshafen, this very scenic stage is entirely in Germany and passes beautiful lake views, vineyards, and several cute towns. There are also a lot of restaurants, wineries, and museums along the way, so despite the short length of the section, it would be very easy to make this a full day out. On this ride, I stopped at the Pfahlbauten Museum which is a reconstruction of the prehistoric pile dwellings – houses built on wooden stilts over the lake. It was interesting to see what life here might have been like 3000 to 6000 years ago. I have plans to go to the Zeppelin Museum soon, so didn’t go this time, however it was neat to see the Zeppelins flying overhead as I rode.
Detail Summary
| Where: | Überlingen to Friedrichshafen Germany |
| Train: | Zürich HB -> Überlingen-Therme (Germany) – 2 hrs Friedrichshafen (Germany) -> Zürich HB – 2 hrs 30 min Note: As of 2026, you can use the SBB app to purchase tickets to points in Germany. |
| What: | Bodensee-Radweg – Stage 2 Überlingen to Friedrichshafen (SwissMobility) Trail Map (Swiss Mobility) Bodensee Radweg Cycle path signs consist of a black line drawn cyclist with a blue back wheel.  If you always head in the direction of Friedrichshafen, you’ll get there. Note: I found this quote from Cycling Lake Constance to be 100 percent true: “In Germany, it is easy to miss a signpost in some places and go off the bike path. Due to the green-on-white optics, the readability is somewhat suboptimal.” Note: SwissMobility is great in Switzerland but not great in Germany. Be sure to download the map before heading out. |
| Stats: | Length 30 km, Ascent 120 m, Descent120 m Mostly asphalt but some sections are packed dirt/gravel. |
| Cost 2026 | No fees for using the bike route. Optional visit to the Pfahlbauten Museum: Adult: 14,00 € Children from 5 to 15 years: 8,50 € Guided tours available for an additional cost. |
Additional Info
Photo Stories for all Stages
| The Bodensee Radweg is a 265 km bike path that completely circles the Bodensee (Lake Constance). This is an international trail that takes you through Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. SwissMobility breaks this route into 8 sections and I am following along with that plan.Photo stories for each stage I’ve done are here: Stage 1 – Konstanz to Überlingen, Germany Stage 2 – Überlingen to Friedrichshafen, Germany Stage 3 – Friedrichshafen to Lindau, Germany Stage 4 – Lindau, Germany to Rorschach Stage 5 – Rorschach to Kreuzlingen |
Getting There
I took my bike on the train and after getting off the train at the Überlingen-Therme station, I was right back where I left off when I finished stage 1.
I hopped on my bike and was quickly riding through the streets of Überlingen and on my way.
The Route
Überlingen is a cute town with a number of shops and restaurants. I should have stopped to take a photo but I didn’t until I was passing the waterfront (picture 1). After leaving Überlingen, the bike path is paved and separate from the road which makes for very pleasant riding with some very pretty views over the lake despite it being so overcast. Would be nice to see the view on a clear day.
When I reached Unteruhldingen, I decided to stop at the Pfahlbauten Museum which is a reconstruction of prehistoric pile dwellings – houses built on wooden stilts over the lake. I chose to stop at this museum because I had heard about the prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps on a couple of previous hikes. Evidence of similar dwellings were found on Lake Zürich near the Au peninsula (which I didn’t see but read about after doing Zürichsee Rundweg Stage 3) and the Holzbrücke, a reconstruction of the wooden pedestrian bridge crossing the narrowest point of lake Zürich (which I passed during Zürichsee Rundweg Stage 6).
The Pfahlbauten Museum was worth a stop. They have displays of artifacts they found here including pottery and fishing equipment, and a multimedia introduction to the site that covers how it was discovered and how the reconstruction was made. The reconstruction itself is impressive and it was interesting to see what life here might have been like 3000 to 6000 years ago.
While at the museum, I also saw the Goodyear Blimp flying overhead, which was rather neat.
After leaving the museum, the path had some nice lake views (something I will say a lot, I think, on this route!) I also really liked that the bike path was paved and separate from the road here.
When I reached Meersburg and passed through the town gate, I stopped for lunch at an outdoor cafe. Although not summer-tomato good, the caprese salad was passable and the cute main street was good for people watching.
There is a castle in Meersbug and you can tour it. I saw several tour groups going by as I ate my lunch. So although I didn’t tour this castle, it did look like a popular thing to do.
After lunch, I zipped through the rest of the ride, stopping only sporadicly to take one selfie and a few other pictures. This section was a mix of lake views, vineyards, and boring streets.
When I reached Friedrichshafen, I took my bike down to the promenade.
It was a bit crowded here (even in March) with many shops and restaurants, so I walked the last kilometer or so to the harbor.
Getting Back
At the harbor, I arrived just in time to get the ferry back across the lake, so I boarded immediately and parked my bike. (Tickets and bike passes can be purchased in the SBB app.) After parking my bike on the ferry, I went up and enjoyed the view back to the harbor as we left.
This was a fun and interesting stage and I am looking forward to stage 3!
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