Lake Constance (Bodensee, in German) is a 63-kilometer-long lake in central Europe located on the border between Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Fed by the Rhine, it consists of two parts connected to each other: the Untersee (lower lake), and the larger Obersee (upper lake). Surrounded by holiday resorts, it is a summer destination for sailing, windsurfing and swimming. The 260-kilometre-long Bodensee-Radweg cycle path runs all around the lake. Germany has the largest number of kilometres of coastline, followed by Switzerland and Austria, while the Principality of Liechtenstein is only a few kilometres away from the clear waters of the lake. Relaxing, pleasant, serene, peaceful: these are the adjectives that offer a faithful description of the landscapes that surround this vast lake divided between three nations and crossed along its entire length by the Rhine, one of the most important rivers in Europe. Gentle hills, lush green meadows and well-kept forests, overlooked by bell towers with their typical onion domes, or softly coloured baroque monasteries such as the charming Birnau Monastery surrounded by vineyards, characterise the landscape around the Bodensee.
