Our departure from Dachsen was a nightmare. The directions were so poor that made us go around in circles. It took us about 1 hour to finally get our compass right. We were also tight on time given the next destination is about 90 KM away. The initial exit point was a steep hill and we ascended for the first 3-4 KM. On the same path, we met with 2 British couples who were heading to the same destination. We then headed for the next 6-7 KM to Rheinau.
On an island in a bend of the Rhine below Rheinau is Kloster Rheinau (Rheinau Abbey). The original Romanesque basilica was abandoned during the 16th century Protestant Reformation, but was later re-established as a Benedictine monastery and rebuilt in baroque style in 1744. After closure in 1862 it became a hospital and nursing clinic, latterly for psychiatric patients. Closed again in 2000, the building currently stands empty.
We then continued downhill through woods, crossed river Thur and went straight ahead across the agricultural plateau with wooded ridge visible ahead, and continued ahead on gravel track towards Rudlingen. We were riding through vineyards and apple farms, on a lot of gravel road which was slow and tiring. We helped ourselves to the sweet grapes along the way. From Rudlingen we cycled through some old town and reached a pretty village of Berg am Irchel. Then we continued uphill through fields, ascended and descended through woods round series of hairpin bends to Teufen. At end of the village, we turned steeply downhill on a quiet country road through vineyards, to the hamlet of Tossegg in a beautiful setting overlooking the river bend. Then we crossed the bridge over river Toss and on gravel track beside the Rhine. Then climbed away from the river following Waldheimstrasse through Tossrieden and towards on quiet road towards Eglisau. We then cycled another 10km to reach Kaisersthul.
Kaiserstuhl, an attractive small town listed by Swiss Heritage, sits on a hillside overlooking the Rhine. The only remaining part of its medieval walls, Obere Turm tower at the top of the hill, can be visited. A partly cobbled main street, lined with old houses, links this tower with the river. It is linked with its larger German sister Hohentengen by a bridge.
From Kaisersthul, we cycled to Bad Zurzarch. It was nothing memorable. Then we continued to Koblenz. After the metal bridge that crosses the Aar at Koblenz, the cycle path followed the ‘Rhine Knee’ that surrounds Full-Reuenthal.
This is the location of the important defensive structure from 1939 which is now a military museum. Full-Reuenthal is also the location (in Jüppen) of important Roman defensive remains including the remains of a watchtower that was abandoned in 400 AD when the Romans – encouraged by the Alemanni – finally retreated south back over the Alps. Then we continued for the next 17 Km to reach Laufenberg.
We finally reached Laufenburg in the evening and soon after we reached Laufenburg, it started to rain. It was a long tiring day for us. Our BnB was very large, cozy and the host was extremely friendly. Fortunately, the host gave us a free ride to the old town to get dinner. We ate at one of the finest German restaurants called Rebstock. The food was nice and the wine was great. We then took a taxi home.
Lauffenburg is another pretty town along the Rhine whose “wooden bridge” has been replaced by a stone one. Murray refers to the German side as “Klein Lauffenburg”, although today the towns on each side of the river share the same name.
Laufenburg in Germany and Laufenburg in Switzerland stand on opposite sides of the Rhine. They were once one community until divided by Napoleon’s redrawing of European borders in 1801. Both towns have attractive medieval centers with colorful riverside houses, made quieter by the removal of through traffic when a bypass bridge opened upstream in 2004.