Thurgau is known as the "Orchard of Switzerland", as fruit growers have been taking advantage of the mild climate and fertile soil south of Lake Constance since the late Middle Ages. In the meantime, the apple as a symbol has even made it onto the official logo of the tourism association. You have to see it for yourself when the fruit trees blossom in spring or the branches bend under the weight of the fruit in autumn. The Thur, one of Switzerland's largest rivers, winds its way through this idyllic landscape in wide loops. Signposted cycle routes follow its course, beautiful but not always asphalted.
Cyclists need not fear toxic ramps in the hinterland of Lake Constance. With one exception: the Ottenberg. Markwalder's local mountain, a remnant of ice-age glaciers, rises on the outskirts of Weinfelden. Four paths lead up to it, not particularly long, but quite steep. With a gradient of more than 15 per cent in places, cyclists have to fight to reach the almost 700-metre-high vantage point from which they can see almost the entire canton. For mountain specialists, the view to the south should whet their appetite for more: Within easy reach, the terrain folds strikingly upwards.
You can download these tours as PDF files and the GPS data below:
- Tour 1: Orchards and lake (73 km, 690 m elevation gain, max. altitude 670 metres, max. gradient 15 per cent, hilly)
- Tour 2: Thurgau Heights (109 km, 2,200 m elevation gain, max. altitude 953 metres, max. gradient 12 percent, hilly characteristics)
