For over 4 years now I have been living in Constance and certainly there is much to see and experience on the Lake Constance bike path – my favorite section is the Höri, between Radolfzell and Stein am Rhein – but it is very busy on the bike path, especially in the high season. That's where the Hegau tour is just the right thing.
The route
Radolfzell – Moos – Bohlingen – Rielasingen-Worblingen – Singen (Hohentwiel) – Volkertshausen – Aach – Aachtopf – Eigeltingen – Lochmühle – Schloss Langenstein – Wahlwies – Stahringen – Radolfzell
The paths are partly asphalted or gravelled and lead either on separate cycle paths or on field paths and local and country roads. So it is a colorful mix, suitable for touring bikes, but less for racing cyclists or children.
This day tour leads into the hinterland of Lake Constance, in the so-called Hegau. Fields, meadows and fruit trees are our companions, along with the volcanic cone mountains typical near Singen. Along the Aach it goes flat to the source of the Aach and then slightly hilly further to Eigeltingen to the Lochmühle and back via Langenstein Castle to Radolfzell.
Car
Drive on the freeway to the freeway junction Hegau, where the A81 and the connecting route A96 meet. From the freeway junction, follow the B33 federal road to Radolfzell.
Train / Bus
The nearest long-distance train stations of the Deutsche Bahn, Friedrichshafen and Singen, are served at half-hourly intervals. To the nearest Swiss long-distance station, Schaffhausen, trains run at least every two hours.
In Radolfzell, almost all buses stop at the central bus station, which is located directly at the Radolfzell train station.
Signage
On the Hegau circuit I follow various signposts, but this one is almost always a faithful companion to the source of the Aach: Flusserlebnispfad Hegauer Aach.
From Eigeltingen you can simply follow the signs of the Eurovelo cycle path 6 back to Radolfzell.
On the road
From the train station in Radolfzell it goes on the lake-facing side on the Lake Constance Cycle Path along a great avenue of trees to the village of Moos. In the village I turn right and follow the bike or hiking trail signs to Bohlingen. Still before Bohlingen I meet then for the first time the Hegauer Flusserlebnispfad signposts, which almost always reliably leads through the villages.
I stop often to take photos of the now spring blooming landscape and enjoy the peace, because there are really not many cyclists on the road, so far from the Lake Constance bike path.
It is somewhat difficult, however, with the non-existent signage in the center of Rielasingen. There the cycle track ends at the Altert-Ten-Brink-Straße, shortly before a small bridge to my right. I cross this and turn left directly behind it into the Aachweg. After a few hundred meters, the road ends on the main road and the bike sign wants to guide me to the right.
As I now know better in retrospect:
One crosses the main road and follows a path directly on the opposite side down to the Aach. This can then be cycled relaxed in the greenery directly along the Aach to Singen inside.
The whole time I keep a lookout for the fortress ruin Hohentwiel, which is enthroned on a rocky hilltop of volcanic origin behind Singen.
Shortly before the area of the Landesgartenschau I see it then for the first time. Theoretically, you can also visit them, but for this the time is not enough on the Hegau circuit. I'll rather come back another time directly for the ruin and combine it with a small hike, because Singen is also easy to reach by train.
The area of the Landesgartenschau from the year 2000 is not only worth seeing in the spring with its scattered orchards and perennial beds. The cycle path leads directly through it and also the city garden located on an island offers itself for a short break in the sea of flowers.
It gets tricky once again right here, at the former area of the Landesgartenschau in Singen. I must not follow the signs to Singen center, but straight ahead in the direction of Hilzingen / Ramsen. The signposting ends at Schaffhausener Straße near the Scheffelhalle in Singen. The bike path continues to the right of the Scheffelhalle along the Aach.
Generally important to remember:
You can always follow the course of the Aach, even if it sometimes does not look like it at first glance, especially because the Aach tends to hide a bit.
I leave mountain Hohentwiel on the left and continue towards Beuren an der Aaach and Volkertshausen to the Aachtopf – the source of the Aach. It is the largest source of Germany and here ends the water that seeps from the Danube, among others, between Immendingen and Fridingen. However, you can't see how the water gushes from underground, because the spring is in an underground cave. Above ground, it looks like an idyllically located, small lake with a restaurant with a terrace and a view of the spring next door.
I followed the hiking trail up the other side of the spring and after only 10 minutes of slope, I had a magnificent view of Aach – both the town and the river. It's well worth the short trip.
Afterwards I decided to follow the bike path along the main road for about 4 km directly to Eigeltingen, because I was hungry and the Lochmühle was recommended to me. It is the fastest way and not so bad as it looks on the map. It goes through the forest and between the road and the bike path the green strip is up to four meters wide.
In Eigeltingen, I followed the signs to the Lochmühle – an adventure restaurant in a farmhouse that is over 400 years old. However, I was not aware that this is located in an amusement park with an animal park, petting zoo, adventure playground, and that you can also ride horses there, as well as drive mini-quads and tractors.
In the restaurant I was lucky that I had already found a place after 5 minutes of searching. Surely it is quieter during the week, but I had imagined the country inn yet a little more idyllic and relaxed, so completely in nature – it was not. The food, however, was excellent – good price for good quality.
So should you still want to go to the Lochmühle, here's a little tip:
Don't follow the local signs for the whole way, because there it goes up a long hill, only to go down again at the end.
Follow the traffic signs through the village until you reach the main road that turns right. Turn left there and then immediately left again into Hinterdorfstraße. Do not cross the Krebsbach, but turn right before. You will pass the Krebsbachhalle Eigeltingen and follow the road only slightly uphill to the large parking lot of the Lochmühle.
In the village of Eigeltingen, the bike path continues well signposted in the direction of Langenstein Castle, which is surrounded by a golf course and contains a carnival museum. From here it is now slightly hilly and the signs of the Eurovelo cycle path 6 leads me mainly on country roads in the direction of Radolfzell. However, this does not harm the view, because it goes through forest, over fields and through pretty villages. Well, a short stretch also leads along the B34, but that's almost forgotten.
There is also the possibility of driving from Eigeltingen via Steißlingen to Radolfzell. On the map, however, it looked a bit hillier than the variant listed above, so I had decided against it.
My conclusion
The Hegau-Runde is a really scenic route, which can be mastered well even by inexperienced cyclists.
