Impressions from Lake Constance
“Uferperle” in Unteruhldingen on Lake Constance
“All(Rad)Stars” of FSV 08 Bissingen on a five-day tour
Recently13 members of the “All(Rad)Stars” cycling group from the 08 Bietigheim-Bissingen soccer club and their partners cycled around 200 kilometers along the “Swabian Sea”. A five-day tour that, despite the wind and weather, was fun for everyone and contributed to their well-being.
The destination was the “Uferperle” in Unteruhldingen on Lake Constance. A charming accommodation run by Diana Jeschonek and supported by Mariane. We thoroughly enjoyed their hospitality during our five-day stay. Two gems who have found their love for the guest house.
Despite very gloomy weather forecasts, the mood was good and all 08 cyclists were highly motivated. There were 13 cyclists taking part: Helga and Gerhard Fötschl, Bärbel and Walter Christ, Brigitta Dunkelmann and Klaus Wirkner, Christa and Berthold Veigel, Rita and Rainer Daffner, Inge and Hans Reiss and Helmut (our “Chancellor Buffy”) Meyle. The great success of the “Tour du Lac de Constance” was mainly due to the perfect planning and organization of “The Boss” Gerhard Fötschl – he even managed to organize the weather for most of the bike tours. Chapeau!
The FSV08 Bietigheim-Bissingen provided us with its minibus for the tour and the Weller car dealership provided a van. Cars with bicycle transport equipment completed the fleet. In total, our “Tour du lac de Constance” comprised four stages, with each of our professional cyclists having to wear the yellow jersey once.
The first stage, a warm-up stage, took us via Meersburg, an impressive town with a busy tourist scene, past vineyards and apple orchards to the dreamy village of Hagnau. We ended the day with dinner at the “Reblandhof Siebenhaller” in Kippenhausen.
The second stage was a tough one. It began with the ferry to Constance. After an extra lap in the beautiful Loretto forest initiated by the boss, we drove past the smiling Imperia statue towards Switzerland. The journey along the lake was scenic and took us through picturesque villages and orchards.
In Romanshorn, the ferry took the majority of the excursionists to Friedrichshafen. Four members of the team preferred to take a ship from the Lake Constance fleet back to Unteruhldingen via Constance. In Friedrichshafen, famous for the Zeppelin Museum, we rode along the harbor promenade before cycling back to Unteruhldingen. Having “cycled off”, we still managed to make our way to the “Mainaussicht” kiosk 50 meters away for dinner; famous for its direct view of the island of Mainau and an excellent address for fish lovers.
On the third day, we were faced with a longer flat and mountain stage with a high degree of difficulty, which took us to many highlights of western Lake Constance. Unfortunately, we were surprised by a cold snap and rain forecast for the entire route. Some of our group already turned back in Überlingen. However, they cycled back into the rain. Incredible!
Due to the weather forecast, the hardy excursionists cycled on quickly and reached Radolfzell a little exhausted after a steep climb – Alpe d’Huez sends its regards.
A stop at the “Tiramisu” ice cream parlor, directly opposite Radolfzell Minster, where a singing waiter got us back on track. On the way back via Constance after leaving the ferry, a rain shower caught up with us on the last few meters. Instead, we enjoyed dinner at the Jägerhof restaurant, right next to the Lake Constance Car & Tractor Museum.
The weather was kind to us on the last stage. In glorious sunshine and pleasant temperatures, the route took us to the famous island of Reichenau, known for its monastic tradition and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Passing countless greenhouses and the Reichenau landing stage, we hurried back to Unteruhldingen via Constance.
Unfortunately, the solar ferry Reichenau – Mannenbach could not be operated due to a lack of sunshine the previous days, so our trip to Switzerland had to be canceled. Our legs were a little tired, so we had dinner again at the nearby “Mainausicht” kiosk.
After four days of intensive cycling and passing through many impressive places around Lake Constance, our stay in Unteruhldingen came to an end. Despite the cold, rain and wind, the conclusion was that it was an eventful tour. We will remember the good organization, the hospitality of the “Uferperle” and the exciting and fun time together.
We are already looking forward to the next tour in a year’s time. The weekly “Tour de Bietigheim-Bissingen” will soon be upon us, where we will once again enjoy regional culinary highlights and Württemberg grape juice – with the exception of our exclusive beer consumer.
