The almost village-like town of Kreuzlingen in the north of Canton Thurgau on Bodensee and its German next-door neighbour Konstanz, together form a touristic centre on the crossing between the Ober and Untersee lakes.

Swimming, windsurfing, waterskiing, sailing, diving and pedalo pedalling: Kreuzlingen offers the perfect setting for water sport. Various lake lidos, including Kreuzlingen lido, offer an invitation to aqua fun.

Worth seeing in and around Kreuzlingen (from outside as usually not open to the public) are nine fortresses and castle-like buildings: Ebersberg, Brunegg, Girsberg, Bernegg and Rosenegg, and the smaller Irsee, Felsenburg and Felsenschlössli, Römerburg and Seeburg. Other Kreuzlingen attractions are the public observatory, planetarium and Planetenweg (planet trail) The Kreuzlingen Seemuseum (lake museum) is also very interesting.

Kreuzlingen is the departure point for cruises on the Untersee lake and Rhine via Stein am Rhein to Schaffhausen. The «White Fleet» also calls at Kreuzlingen, offering the chance to visit all the worthwhile sights on the Bodensee shores, including the popular Insel Mainau (flower island). Charter boats such as the Sole-mio solar catamaran and steamship Gustav Prym are ideal groups options.

Everything worth knowing about fruit growing in Thurgau can be learned on the 9km-long Altnauer Obstlehrpfad (fruit educational trail). The Seerücken hills and the lake shore are perfect for hiking and biking. The flat stretches along the shore are particularly suitable for skating: from Kreuzlingen, the signposted route leads past lidos, lakeside restaurants, sightseeing attractions and children’s playgrounds to Rorschach.

Across the border in Konstanz, the sea aquarium «Sea Life» gives visitors an insight into the wonderworld of the ocean. The Konstanz old town quarter, large Lago shopping centre and nearby Insel Mainau (flower island) are further attractions across the German border.

Highlights

• Seeburgpark - extensive harbour facility with large children’s playground, minigolf, vivarium and Seemuseum (lake museum).
• Puppen (doll) Museum Girsberg Castle: 500 rare antique dolls and an impressive collection of toys and mechanical toys.
• Napoleon Museum Arenenberg Castle at Ermatingen - here in 1817 Hortense de Beauharnais, adopted daughter and sister-in-law of Napoleon I, found a refuge in which her son Louis Napoleon, later Kaiser Napoleon III, grew up.