Strandbad Steckborn

Time to say goodbye to Freiburg. We started the day with a final walk to Extrablatt for breakfast—same spot by the river Dreisam, same big windows, same glorious spring sun. Afterwards, we took a slow stroll back to the hotel with a bit of shopping along the way, and then it was time to check out. Farewell, Freiburg—you’ve been wonderful.

Our destination for the day was Konstanz, but first, a detour into Switzerland. Originally, the plan was to stop at Schaffhausen to see the famous Rheinfall. But with the river levels so low due to the drought, there wasn’t much of a waterfall to see—more of a polite trickle—so we decided to skip it and head straight to Stein am Rhein instead.

And wow. Stein am Rhein is a postcard come to life. I can’t believe it’s not in every guidebook. Cobblestone streets, timber-framed houses, and entire facades covered in medieval murals—it’s like the whole town stepped straight out of a fairytale. We wandered through the center in total awe, then found a little café for coffee and a slice of raspberry cream cake on puff pastry, the baker’s specialty. Light, rich, and just sweet enough—perfection.

After that, we drove up to Castle Hohenklingen, which overlooks the town. It’s now a pretty high-end restaurant, so access is limited, but we explored as much as we could without needing a reservation. The views from up there are just stunning—rolling green hills, the town below, and the wide, slow-moving Rhine stretching out into the distance.

From there, it was back into Germany and onward to Konstanz. We checked into Hotel 47°, a sleek little boutique place right on the Rhine, about a 20-minute walk from the city center. The evening was still warm and golden, so we headed straight for the harbor and found a spot with a view of the lake to enjoy a glass of local Badener wine while the sun dipped behind the Alps.

Dinner was at Constanzer Wirtshaus, a cozy, bustling spot with classic regional dishes. We both had the Zwiebelrostbraten with Spätzle—grilled beef with a mountain of caramelized onions—and a glass of local beer. Hearty, rich, and deeply satisfying after a full day of exploring. A perfect end to a day full of surprises.Read more