Stage 6 of the Bodensee Radweg is 28 km long with 190 m ascent/descent. This stage is entirely in Switzerland and starts at Kreuzlingen and ends at Stein Am Rhein. The story of this stage is that it is very hot and we are in the middle of a very severe drought (August 2026). I got an overview of how low the water was a few days ago when we took a Zeppelin tour over the lake. This time, I was riding along the shore of the Untersee (Lower Lake Constance), the smaller of the two lakes the Bodensee Radweg circumnavigates, and I was still shocked at how low the water level was. Some of the docks were completely dry and many boats were beached. However, despite the drought and heat, it was good to get out and do some biking and see something new.
Detail Summary
| Where: | Kreuzlingen to Stein Am Rhein, Switzerland Canton Thurgau |
| Train: | Zürich HB -> Kreuzlingen- 1 hrs 9 min Stein Am Rhein -> Zürich HB – 1 hrs 13 min Tip! Whichever route you choose, check the schedule carefully before deciding as many trains here require a bike reservation. |
| What: | Bodensee-Radweg – Stage 6 Kreuzlingen to Stein Am Rhein (SwissMobility) Trail Map (Swiss Mobility) Bodensee Radweg Cycle path signs consist of a black line drawn cyclist with a blue back wheel.  Here, this part of the Bodensee Radweg is the same as bike route 2 so you can follow those signs and they are very easy to spot (red and white with a blue number 2). 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.” |
| Stats: | Length 28 km, Ascent 190 m, Descent 190 m Mostly asphalt but some sections are packed dirt/gravel. |
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 Stage 6 – Kreuzlingen to Stein am Rh |
Getting There
This stage started where stage 4 ended, the Kreuzlingen train station. After leaving the platform, I came out by the bike parking area and almost immediately on to a bike path. This path is not the Bodensee Radweg, it is route 55. But looking at the map, it appeared that if I followed 55 for a short way, it would connect up with Bodensee Radweg.
After deciding on my navigation plan, I hopped on my bike and was on my way.
The Route
Despite having a plan, I made a few wrong turns before I eventually found the right way. Note, at this point, the Bodensee Radweg skirts the border but stays in Switzerland. If you cross over into Germany, you’ve gone the wrong way. When the path left Kreuzlingen, it was a paved bike-only route and that was much easier to follow.
The Bodensee Radweg is very popular and all along the way, businesses and restaurants had signs out to welcome bikers.
While the route is mostly paved, there is a short unpaved section through farmland, maybe about 3 km long. Loved the one cheery sunflower in the cornfield. I had expected to see more of the lake, but at about the halfway point, I still had only gotten a peek.
When the route did get close to the lake, the water level was shockingly low. The docks were completely dry and many boats were beached.
This summer has been very hot and very dry and the day I biked was no exception. The heat was really getting to me so I needed to stop for a break.
Fortunately, by the house in picture one above, there was a shaded bench to sit on and a water fountain so that I could top-off my water bottle to have for the last 8 km to the end.
Getting Back
At the Stein Am Rhein train station, SwissMobility suggests looping down over the river and to the historic part of Stein Am Rhein before returning to the train station, but I was done. The heat was too much for me so, I just got a sandwich and iced tea at the Avec by the station and called it a day.
This stage was’t my favorite but that could just be the oppressive heat talking. In any case, I’m going to wait for a cooler day to do the next section.
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