Lake Constance

Before package holidays began whisking the locals and their beach towels abroad in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Lake Constance (Bodensee) was the German Mediterranean, with its mild climate, flowery gardens and palm trees. The ‘Swabian Sea’, as it’s nicknamed, is Central Europe’s third-largest lake, straddling Switzerland, Germany and Austria. It’s a relaxed place to wind down for a spell, whether cycling through apple orchards and vineyards, relaxing on the beach or taking to the lake by canoe.