Konstanz, Germany

Pedal at your own pace through three countries and around Germany's largest lake on the Lake Constance (or Bodensee) cycle route. Located in the northern foothills of the Alps, the 40-mile-long lake—essentially a bulge in the Rhine River—is "narrow enough to see across," says Jim Johnson, president of BikeToursDirect. The asphalt Bodensee-Radweg bike path covers nearly the entire 170-mile circumference of the lake, adds Johnson, who
has pedaled the route, and whose tour company offers self-guided Lake Constance biking itineraries (April to October). "By the time you make your way around the lake, you've visited three countries: Germany, Austria, and Switzerland," he says. "The shoreline is dotted with magical, medieval cities and towns, the occasional castle, and peaceful rural villages." If you're not up for biking the whole route, hop a ferry to cross the lake or connect to the next city, suggests Johnson. "It's as easy as rolling your bike onboard. Then, watch the shore, villages, forests, castles, and Alps flow by."
How to Get Around: Konstanz, located in southwestern Germany, is the German gateway city for Lake Constance. The closest international airport is Zurich in Switzerland (an hour by bus and about 80 minutes by train). Bike rentals are available in Konstanz and at shops around the lake. BikeToursDirect itineraries include rental bikes, detailed maps, tour recommendations, ferry information, lodging, breakfast, and daily luggage transfers.
Where to Stay: The luxurious, lakefront RIVA Konstanz integrates an elegant 1909 art nouveau villa (the former Seehotel Siber) into a sleek, modern hotel with floor-to-ceiling windows, a rooftop pool, and a nautilus shell-shaped floating staircase, which spirals up six stories through the center of the hotel. "Biking at the Lake" packages include two nights' lodging; daily breakfast, bag lunch, and dinner; bicycles; and a 25-minute back massage in the spa.
What to Eat or Drink: Local specialties are a cross-cultural smorgasbord featuring the fresh bounty of the lake and local farms. Try eglifilet, a perch-like delicacy often served fried with almonds; hearty Swabian dishes such as maultaschen, sizable ravioli-like pockets filled with combinations of meat or vegetables; typical Baden cuisine including schäuferle, cured and smoked pork shoulder simmered in wine, bay leaves, and cloves until tender; and Austrian kaiserschmarren, light, shredded pancakes made with a sweet batter, baked in butter, and topped with zwetschkenröster (plum compote).
What to Buy: At Barrique in Konstanz, the homemade peach, pear, and apple liqueurs and other local libations are freshly bottled for each customer. The shop also carries a selection of wines and pastas, chocolates, and cooking oils.
What to Watch Before You Go: The 2008 James Bond thriller Quantum of Solace includes a pivotal chase scene filmed on the shores of Lake Constance in the Bregenz Festival Opera House and above the lake's surface on the Floating Stage.
Practical Tip: Invest in a couple of pairs of padded mountain bike shorts. Baggier than the tight-fitting road cycling shorts, the mountain bike version offers recreational riders three important benefits: extra cushioning; pockets to store stuff; and a more casual, less Tour de France look.
Helpful Links: Lake Constance Tourism, Lake Constance Cycle Path, SouthWest Germany, and Germany Tourism
Fun Fact: There are international borders around Lake Constance, but not across it. No treaty delineating water rights has been signed by Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. So, for now, the liquid portion of Lake Constance is the only borderless place in Europe.
Staff Tip: Just an hour's drive south of Friedrichshafen you'll enter one of the world's smallest, and richest, sovereign nations: the principality of Liechtenstein. Its size—more compact than Washington, D.C.—makes it is easy to explore. First stop: the cozy capital, Vaduz, home to shops, museums, a Michelin-starred restaurant (Marée, on Mareestrasse), and one of the most photographed royal residences in Europe. Crowning a hilltop overlooking the town, Vaduz Castle is the active home of the Liechtenstein royal family, which has presided over the principality since the 1100s. Though the castle isn’t open to the public, as of March 2015 visitors can check out the royal collections of world-class art and weaponry at Vaduz's new Liechtenstein Treasure Chamber—then tour a look-alike castle, the hill-topping Gutenberg Castle, only 15 minutes to the south by car. —Jayne Wise, senior editor, National Geographic Traveler
Staff Tip: Get off your bike and literally onto Lake Constance to enjoy a tasty German beer while relaxing on the deck of a ferry—you can catch one in towns along the lake, as we did in Meersburg. Take in views of the snowcapped peaks of Austria and Switzerland on the way to the island of Mainau, which can also be accessed by a causeway minutes from Konstanz. You can easily spend a day on Mainau enjoying one of Europe's finest gardens, which boasts exotic trees, flowers, and shrubs from all over the world. During the summer months, more than 10,000 roses from more than a thousand varieties blanket the island with color and perfumed smells. My kids and I enjoyed visiting Mainau's Butterfly House, where butterflies fluttered through the air—one even landing on my shoulder—before grabbing a leisurely lunch at the Schwedenschenke restaurant. Dating to 1937, the restaurant is the oldest on the island. Its open-air setting, surrounded by beautiful flowers, was where we enjoyed a tasty traditional German salad, along with delicious fresh fish from Lake Constance. We finished our day there with an island treasure hunt, the payoff being some delicious German chocolate. —Leigh Borghesani, deputy art director, National Geographic Traveler