Thurgau

Thurgau has so many apple and pear trees that locals nickname the canton "Mostindien" (Cider India). A vacation in Thurgau means bike rides along Lake Constance, orchard blossoms in April, quiet monasteries, and small harbor towns with views of the German shore.

Lakeshore and Gentle Hill Country

The canton stretches along the southern shore of the Obersee and Untersee, from the Rhine at Stein am Rhein almost to Rorschach. Inland, the Thur River flows through a broad valley, and on the hills of the Seerücken and the Hinterthurgau, orchards, pastures, and forests alternate. Roughly one-fifth of Switzerland's apples come from Thurgau. The Lake Constance Cycle Path and the Thur Trail lead through the landscape with hardly any climbs.

The Untersee between Kreuzlingen and Stein am Rhein is especially charming, with reed-lined shores, fishing villages such as Ermatingen and Berlingen, and views of Reichenau Island setting the tone. Inland, the Seebach Valley with its three small lakes and the Hörnli hill country on the border with Zurich are well worth a hike.

Towns and Villages

Frauenfeld, the capital, has a compact old town with a castle and hosts Openair Frauenfeld in July, one of Europe's largest hip-hop festivals. Kreuzlingen has grown together with Konstanz; the border runs right through residential neighborhoods, and you can swim in Seeburgpark. Arbon dates back to a Roman fort and was once home to the Saurer truck factory, whose history is told in a museum. Romanshorn is the ferry port for Friedrichshafen, and Amriswil, inland, has a lively cultural scene.

Bischofszell on the Thur preserves a Baroque old town with a town hall and an old bridge, Weinfelden is the seat of the cantonal parliament and a market town, and little Steckborn, with its Turmhof on the Untersee, invites you to take a break by the water. Among Thurgau's destinations is also Gottlieben, where the famous Gottlieber Hüppen, filled wafer rolls, are baked.

Sights in Thurgau

The Ittingen Charterhouse near Frauenfeld, a former Carthusian monastery, now houses an art museum, a hotel, and a monastery shop selling its own cheese, wine, and beer. Other sights in Thurgau include the Napoleon Museum at Arenenberg Castle above the Untersee, where Napoleon III spent his youth, Frauenfeld Castle, and the Seemuseum in Kreuzlingen. The little town of Diessenhofen on the Rhine and the island of Werd near Eschenz make a good excursion combined with Stein am Rhein.

Food and Drink

Apple juice, must, and hard cider belong to Thurgau as much as fish from the lake: whitefish and perch are served fried or smoked. Thurgau apple cake and Öpfelchüechli, apple rings fried in batter, are popular desserts. On the slopes of the Seerücken and in the Thur Valley, Müller-Thurgau white wine is grown, a grape variety named after the Thurgau oenologist Hermann Müller.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

Frauenfeld and Kreuzlingen are about 40 to 70 minutes from Zurich by train, and boats connect the harbors on Lake Constance. The best time to visit starts in April with the orchard blossoms and runs through October, when the cider presses are open.