Lindau – Héricourt

At a Glance

• Start / Finish: Lindau (an island in Lake Constance, Bavaria) → Héricourt (Haute-Saône, France) — Germany, Switzerland, and France in a single route
• Length: 316.5 km — about 250 of which are along one shore: Lake Constance, Untersee, Upper Rhine
• Ascent/Descent: ↗ 3,353 m / ↘ 3,402 m — a 10.6-meter climb per kilometer, one of the flattest long-distance Camino routes in Central Europe
• Duration: 14–15 stages, each about 13–30 km long, divided into 3 sections (Lake Constance, Upper Rhine, Sundgau & Burgundian Gate) — each section is accessible by train
• Route: Lindau > Konstanz > Basel > Héricourt — North Shore of Lake Constance via the Meersburg–Konstanz ferry, then 190 km along the Upper Rhine, then through the Burgundian Gate
• Waymarking: Along the Upper Rhine, it runs continuously as the ViaRhenana (Swiss Hiking Route 60, officially rated “easy”)—a cultural hiking trail, not a “muschel”; along Lake Constance, there are lakeside paths, though they are incomplete in the Sundgau: be sure to pack your Camino Ninja app
• Access route: The Munich Way of St. James ends in Lindau, and the Upper Swabian Way of St. James ends in Konstanz—both connect directly to this route
• Connection: In Konstanz, the Via Jacobi branches off to the south; in Basel, it becomes the Baslerweg; from Héricourt, the route continues toward Beaune and Vézelay
• Best time: May through October — in winter, the ferry operates on a limited schedule, and the Untersee has many foggy days
• Character: River and City Trail without a network of pilgrim hostels: three countries, two currencies, three price levels—and a train station at nearly every stop along the Upper Rhine route

Overview

This path has no brand name, no sponsoring organization, and no articles of incorporation — He has something better: water. Around 250 of its 316.5 kilometers run along one bank, first on Lake Constance, then on the Upper Rhine. It is the Northern Alternative to the Via Jacobi: In Konstanz, everything heading for Einsiedeln and Geneva turns south—you stay along the river. And this river is steeped in history: On the 6. Juli 1415 the Council of Constance burned Jan Hus, and"seine Asche streuten die Henker in den Rhein". You're going 190 kilometers in pursuit of that ash.

Our route database summarizes the route in a single line:"Lindau > Konstanz > Basel > Héricourt". Specifically, this means: from Lindau Island on the northern shore of Lake Constance to the ferry Meersburg–Konstanz, then down the Upper Rhine — Stein am Rhein, Schaffhausen including the Rhine Falls and the Verena Tomb in Bad Zurzach, Bad Säckingen, Rheinfelden — to Basel, where you cross the Rhine on the Mittlere Brücke and leave it behind, and finally through the Sundgau and the Burgundian Gate according to Héricourt. The second number in the database is the real challenge: ↗ 3,353 meters of elevation gain over 316.5 kilometers is 10.6-meter elevation gain per kilometer — this path is, in numbers, One of the flattest long-distance routes along the Way of St. James in Central Europe.

The Approach Route That Became a Pilgrimage Trail

This path connects the two cities where the 15th-century church held its largest gatherings—and it connects them to the river that both used. Konstanz, 1414 bis 1418: 50,000 to 70,000 conference attendees crowd together in a city with 6,000 residents; foreign bakers bake in mobile ovens, a pope is elected, a letter of safe conduct is broken. On the 6. Juli 1415 At the 15th session in the cathedral, Jan Hus is condemned; that afternoon, he is burned at the stake outside the city walls, and then comes the sentence that ties this journey together:"seine Asche streuten die Henker in den Rhein." This very same Rhine will be your route for the next 190 kilometers. And at the end of it, in Basel, meets from 1431 to 1449 The next council, in 1439, elected Felix V as the the most recent antipope in history — and in 1460 bequeathed to the city its university, the oldest in Switzerland. Two councils, one river, two weeks on foot.

On the eastern outskirts of Basel, where this path crosses the Birs River on its way into the city, stands the best evidence he has: St. Jakob an der Birs. The chapel at the river crossing on the old road from Alsace via Basel to Hauenstein was"dem hl. Jakob, dem Patron der Reisenden" consecrated — a"kleines Gebethaus für Reisende zu Bitte und Dank vor und nach der Überquerung", following flood damage 1414 Newly built. This isn’t marketing; it’s a construction record: St. James as the patron saint of travelers, at a ford on the Alsace route. Thirty years after it was rebuilt, on 26. August 1444, died in the garden of the infirmary next door 1,484 out of 1,500 Swiss citizens —"bis auf 16 Flüchtige". And now, in all honesty, as this route deserves: There is no St. James pilgrimage route along the Upper Rhine, nor is there any documented pilgrim named Santiago who traveled this route, nor is there a consistent name for the route or an organizing association. It traces an ancient long-distance route dotted with pilgrimage sites—as the Santiago Route, it is a modern, plausible interpretation. We'd rather tell you this than make up a certificate for you.

The fact that this route nonetheless has a historical significance that few marked trails can match is evident from its endpoint. Héricourt, 13. November 1474:"die erste militärische Auseinandersetzung in den Burgunderkriegen". 18,000 men—Confederates, Habsburg troops, and the Lower League, that is, Basel, Colmar, Strasbourg, and Schlettstadt—defeating 12,000 Burgundians; over 3,000 Burgundians were killed, and on November 17, the city surrendered. The army had advanced from Basel and the Upper Rhine, following the exact route you are taking. You walk the march route—550 years later, with a backpack instead of a pike. At the finish line, you'll be passed along: In Héricourt, there are two churches named Saint-Christophe, one Catholic and one Lutheran, and in Belfort, the cathedral bears the same name — At the language border, James hands over to Christopher, the other patron saint of travelers. And one last aside: Lindau was 1528 Protestant, Héricourt 1565 Lutheran; it originated in nearby Montbéliard 1601–1607 the"erste lutherische Kirche Frankreichs" — in between lies the Basel Minster, where 1536 where Erasmus of Rotterdam was buried, a Catholic priest in a church that has become Protestant. A Way of St. James from Protestants to Protestants, with a Catholic grave in the middle—the path needs no legend; it has its own twists.

Other Names

First, let's be honest: This path has no imported brand names. In our route database, it is named after its endpoints — Lindau – Héricourt, with the addition of"Lindau > Konstanz > Basel > Héricourt" —, and there is no evidence of a sponsoring organization that oversees the entire network. What it does have, however, are official names for its sections: The 190 kilometers from Kreuzlingen to Basel are the Swiss ViaRhenana, Wanderland Route 60 — a clearly marked Cultural Hiking Trail (not a scallop!), which runs “entlang des Hochrheins” through six cantons “bis zur Schifflände nahe der Mittleren Rheinbrücke von Basel” In practice, you’ll use this as your guide. The northern shore of Lake Constance follows regional lakeside paths to the Meersburg–Konstanz ferry, and from Basel you’ll follow the historic long-distance road through the Sundgau. There are two common misconceptions you should be aware of: The Schwabenweg runs from Konstanz to Einsiedeln, the Via Jacobi from Rorschach via Einsiedeln and the southern foothills of the Jura to Geneva — Both turn south at the point where this path heads straight west. So anyone who tells you that the Konstanz–Basel route is “the Way of St. James through Switzerland” is confusing it with its big brother.

Who It's Ideal For—and Who It's Not So Ideal For

This route is for you if you like long days but aren't looking for hills: 10.6 meters of elevation gain per kilometer are practically nothing, and three-quarters of the route runs along one bank. It's also ideal if you don't see cities as a nuisance, but as part of the experience — Konstanz, Schaffhausen, and Basel There are three European highlights in two weeks, all right along the route. And it’s perfect if you like to travel with a schedule in hand: Along the Upper Rhine, a train or a boat stops at almost every stop along the way—you can get off every day and hop back on every day.

To be honest, though, it's not the place for you if you're looking for that cozy, rustic inn atmosphere: There's no network of pilgrim hostels, you'll stay at inns, hotels, youth hostels, and chambres d'hôtes—and between Konstanz and Basel Swiss prices. It’s also not for you if paved roads bother you: The lakeside paths along Lake Constance and the Upper Rhine are paved in many places and are shared with cyclists. And it’s not for you if you’re expecting a continuously marked, historically documented pilgrimage route—from Basel onward, you’ll have to navigate on your own with a map and Camino Ninja app, and the overall route is a modern staging along an ancient highway corridor. Both are true, and we'll tell you right now: You plan for gaps like that at your desk, not on the road.

Route & Landscape

The lake. Lindau, whose island is first mentioned in an 882 St. Gallen deed of donation, leads you along the lakeside path to the west: Wasserburg, Nonnenhorn, Kressbronn, Langenargen with the Moorish-style Montfort Castle, then Friedrichshafen, where on July 2, 1900, the 128-meter-long LZ 1 took off from the water for the first time. In Meersburg — Germany’s oldest inhabited castle, a refuge since 1526 for bishops who fled from Protestant Constance — you board the ferry, and a quarter of an hour later you’re standing in Constance in front of the cathedral where the council met. Twenty steps away lies the Mauritiusrotunde: Bishop Konrad of Constance, who lived in the 10th century three times to Jerusalem made a pilgrimage; after 940, she had them 1:2 scale model of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher built—for all those who couldn’t afford the long journey. Today, it’s a “Station auf drei Teilstrecken des Jakobsweges” and this is where the decision is made: The Via Jacobi turns south, while you stay along the water.

The River and the Gate. Starting in Kreuzlingen, you’ll follow the Untersee and the Upper Rhine, mostly on the Swiss side—a string of small towns that all thrived on one thing: the crossing. Stein am Rhein, to which the St. Georgen Monastery was specifically relocated around 1005 “an die Strassen- und Wasserkreuzung”; Diessenhofen, whose bridge tolls were the city's main source of revenue until 1848; Schaffhausen, which exists only because the Rhine Falls — 23 meters high, 373 cubic meters per second — the waterway was blocked, and all goods had to be transferred; the monastery island Rheinau, the 32-hectare town Kaiserstuhl, the Verenagrab in Bad Zurzach, Europe's longest covered wooden bridge (203.7 m) in Bad Säckingen, Rheinfelden with the “ältesten Brücke zwischen Konstanz und Strassburg”—and finally Basel, where the Mittlere Brücke (first mentioned in 1225, documented in 1244) stood until 1879"die unterste feste Brücke bis zur Mündung" was: no solid land bridge from here to the North Sea. Then you leave the Rhine behind. Next come the carp ponds of the Sundgaus, which the Cistercians began building as early as the 12th century, and the Burgundian Gate, a flat pass about 30 kilometers further on, at an elevation of 400 meters, between the Vosges and the Jura, through which the European Main Watershed It's running. You don't notice anything about a lock—but behind this unassuming threshold, not a single drop flows into the Rhine anymore.

Stages, Terrain & Difficulty

15 stages in three sections — Lake Constance, Upper Rhine, Sundgau, and the Burgundian Gate. According to our route database, it is 316.5 kilometers with 3,353 meters of ascent and 3,402 meters of descent; the stage distances listed below are reconstructed estimates and are therefore marked with “approx.” The Upper Rhine section coincides with the ViaRhenana and is officially designated as"easy" Rated — the real challenge of this route lies not in the terrain, but in the logistics of the last three days: Between Basel and Héricourt, there are villages without a single bed. The good news is on the other side of the equation: A train or boat stops at nearly every stop along the way to Basel, so you can hike this route day by day, pause, and resume it like almost no other. If you have 14 days instead of 15, you can combine the two shortest river days. And for the last third: Your destination for the day isn't determined by your fitness level, but by where your lodging is located.

Section 1 — Lake Constance: Lindau → Konstanz (Stages 1–2, approx. 50 km — flat lakeside terrain with the Meersburg–Konstanz ferry; train: Lindau, Friedrichshafen, Konstanz)

1. Lindau → Friedrichshafen — approx. 22 km — Lakeside trail via Wasserburg, Nonnenhorn, Kressbronn, and Langenargen (Montfort Castle); flat, partly on paved bike paths. Friedrichshafen is known for its trade shows and zeppelins — book in advance.
2. Friedrichshafen → Konstanz — approx. 28 km (including the ferry) — via Immenstaad and Hagnau to Meersburg (Germany's oldest inhabited castle), then take the ferry to Konstanz-Staad and walk along the lakeside path into the city of the Council. The ferry saves you a 4.5-kilometer walk.

Section 2 — Upper Rhine: Konstanz → Basel (Stages 3–11, approx. 176 km — the core section runs along the river, with large portions in the ViaRhenana corridor; between the Rhine Falls and Waldshut, our route crosses the Rafzerfeld; there is a train station at nearly every stage destination)

3. Konstanz → Steckborn — approx. 21 km — via Tägerwilen, Gottlieben, and Ermatingen along Lake Untersee; very flat. Steckborn has few accommodations — alternatives include Berlingen or Mammern.
4. Steckborn → Stein am Rhein — about 17 km — a short, lovely day trip via Mammern and Eschenz; this picture-perfect little town charges day-trip rates — book early.
5. Stein am Rhein → Schaffhausen — approx. 21 km — Diessenhofen (covered wooden bridge from 1816), St. Katharinental Monastery, Paradies Monastery. Schaffhausen has a youth hostel.
6. Schaffhausen → Rafz — approx. 17 km — the Rhine Falls stage near Neuhausen; after that, our route leaves the Rhine and crosses over Lottstetten to Rafzerfeld. Rafz has an S-Bahn connection to Zurich as a backup option.
7. Rafz → Waldshut — approx. 30 km — via Wil ZH and the open farmland of the Rafzerfeld back to the Upper Rhine; a long, flat day on the road without lodging—pack provisions, and if necessary, share them by train.
8. Waldshut → Laufenburg — approx. 18 km — on the German side across Dogern and Albbruck; There are towns named Laufenburg on both sides of the border—the German side is less expensive.
9. Laufenburg → Bad Säckingen — approx. 13 km — the shortest leg, by design: Fridolinsmünster, the Silver Shrine, and the 203.7-meter-long covered wooden bridge take time.
10. Bad Säckingen → Rheinfelden — approx. 20 km — Stein AG, Mumpf, Wallbach; at the destination: “die älteste Brücke zwischen Konstanz und Strassburg” and a Johanniter commandery dating from 1212.
11. Rheinfelden → Basel — approx. 19 km — Augusta Raurica (founded in 44 B.C.), Pratteln, Muttenz, St. Jakob an der Birs — then across the Mittlere Brücke into the Old Town.

Section 3 — Sundgau & the Burgundian Gateway: Basel → Héricourt (Stages 12–15, approx. 87 km — the route has the least infrastructure in this section; plan accommodations in advance; train: Basel, Delle, Héricourt)

12. Basel → Oltingue — approx. 21 km — Cross the border into France, then via Neuwiller and Hagenthal-le-Bas into the Sundgau hills. The villages in between have almost no places to stay—you have to plan this trip in advance, not on the go.
13. Oltingue → Réchésy — about 28 km — through the small town Ferrette, Durlinsdorf and Liebsdorf Through the pond-dotted countryside of the Sundgau, crossing the European continental divide almost imperceptibly; a long, undulating day with few places to stay.
14. Réchésy → Delle — approx. 11 km — short rest day: Delle, the most important border station between France and the Swiss Jura, is the last safe stop and transportation hub before the final stretch.
15. Delle → Héricourt — approx. 27 km — via Fesches-le-Châtel, Nommay and Châtenois-les-Forges through the Belfort foothills into the Lizaine Valley; arrival between the two Saint-Christophe churches in Héricourt.

The total distance of this reconstruction is about 313 kilometers—our track measurement shows 316.5; the difference is due to sections through towns and loops along the riverbank. If you want 14 stages, combine stages 9 and 10 (about 33 flat kilometers). And keep in mind the rhythm of this route: Stages 1–11 follow the waterway—flat, well-served, and easily interruptible at any time by train or boat. Stages 12–15 are a whole different story: sparser infrastructure, hardly any signage, and longer days. If you're short on time, take a detour by the lake—but don't cut corners in the Sundgau.

Highlights Along the Way

• Lindau Island — A harbor with a lion and a lighthouse; the old town of an imperial city (confirmed in 1274/75); first mentioned in 882 in a St. Gallen deed of donation; Protestant since 1528. Your kilometer zero is in the water.
• Meersburg, Old Castle — Germany’s oldest fully preserved and inhabited castle; from 1526 onward, it served as the residence of the bishops of Konstanz, who crossed the lake prior to the Reformation. Annette von Droste-Hülshoff died here in 1848. Located right next to the ferry.
• Konstanz Cathedral with the Mauritius Rotunda — Site of the Council of 1414–1418; Bishop Konrad (a three-time pilgrim to Jerusalem) had the rotunda built after 940 as a 1:2 replica of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, featuring the Holy Sepulcher shrine dating from around 1260 and the twelve apostles — “Station auf drei Teilstrecken des Jakobsweges”
• Hussenstein, Konstanz — the boulder bearing the golden inscription “Johannes Hus” at the medieval execution site, since 1862. It was here that the pyre burned on July 6, 1415; the ashes fell into your river.
• Kloster St. Georgen, Stein am Rhein — moved specifically “an die Strassen- und Wasserkreuzung” around 1005; dissolved on July 5, 1525; today one of the best-preserved medieval monastery complexes in Switzerland.
• Covered Wooden Bridge in Diessenhofen — Opened in 1816; bridge and tolls were the city’s main source of revenue until 1848. The entire Upper Rhine was a customs post with a view.
• Rhine Falls near Neuhausen — 23 meters high, 150 meters wide, 373 cubic meters of water per second; the reason Schaffhausen exists: All goods had to be transshipped here.
• Münster zu Allerheiligen, Schaffhausen — Founded in 1049; Pope Leo IX personally consecrated the first altar on November 22, 1049; today it is the largest Romanesque religious building in Switzerland. Also worth noting is the Munot (1563–1585) overlooking the bay window district.
• Rheinau Abbey — Founded around 778 on an island in the Rhine; burial place of the Irish monk Fintan (d. 878); Baroque monastery church dating from 1710; dissolved in 1862; today known as the “Music Island.”
• Verenamünster, Bad Zurzach — In the crypt lies the tomb of Saint Verena, a destination for pilgrims from far and wide since the Middle Ages; the Zurzach Fair reached its peak each year on Verena’s Day, September 1 — the last leather fair took place in 1855, brought to an end by the railroad.
• Fridolinsmünster und Holzbrücke, Bad Säckingen — the tomb of Fridolin, the Irish wandering saint, whose silver reliquary is carried in a procession every year and who is depicted on the flag of the canton of Glarus holding a walking staff and a Bible; and, at 203.7 meters, the longest covered wooden bridge in Europe.
• Rheinfelden — “die älteste Brücke zwischen Konstanz und Strassburg” (12th century), a commandery of the Order of St. John since 1212: The Order, whose mission was to care for pilgrims and the sick, was based at this crossing for 600 years.
• Augusta Raurica and Augst — A Roman town dating from 44 B.C. with a theater seating over 10,000 spectators; the Kaiseraugst silver hoard (352 A.D.): 58 kilograms of silver, 270 objects.
• St. Jakob an der Birs, Basel — the St. James Chapel, newly built in 1414 for travelers at the river crossing — and the battlefield of August 26, 1444, where 1,484 of 1,500 Confederates fell, “bis auf 16 Flüchtige”
• Basel Cathedral and the Mittlere Bridge — Consecration of the cathedral on October 11, 1019, in the presence of Emperor Henry II; the Gallus Gate (1150/1170); the Council of Basel (1431–1449); the tomb of Erasmus from 1536; the Mittlere Brücke (first mentioned in 1225, confirmed in 1244) remained Basel’s only crossing over the Rhine until 1879—and was the southernmost permanent bridge before reaching the sea.
• Héricourt — two Saint-Christophe churches (the older church tower dates from the 11th/12th century; the Lutheran congregation has been housed in its own building since 1887), remains of the château with the Grosse Tour — and the battlefield of November 13, 1474, which marked the beginning of the Burgundian Wars. From 1525 until the Revolution, the little town belonged to Württemberg: You end up in France, but against a Swabian backdrop.
• Side trips, clearly labeled as such: the Reichenau Island starting from Konstanz (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, with three Romanesque churches); Mariastein from Basel (Switzerland's second most important pilgrimage site after Einsiedeln; a chapel of grace accessible via 59 steps carved into the rock); Belfort from Héricourt (Vauban's citadel, Bartholdi's 22-meter lion, Saint-Christophe Cathedral).

How Pilgrims Find Their Way Here

The one real feeder route ends right at your starting point: The Münchner Jakobsweg starts in the Alpine foothills and ends in Lindau — if you complete it on foot, you don't change towns, just the scenery: out of the hills, down to the lake. The second one comes along on the second day: The Oberschwäbische Jakobsweg runs 159 kilometers from Ulm’s Münsterplatz to Konstanz Cathedral and uses the same Meersburg–Konstanz ferry as you do. Participants come from the surrounding area Hegauer, Linzgauer and Beuroner Jakobsweg the Lake Constance region—Konstanz is just as good a starting point as Lindau, but it means missing out on the two most beautiful evenings on the lakeshore.

And now, a correction that will save you some time: The Jakobsweg Österreich ends not on Lake Constance, but in Rankweil in the Vorarlberg Rhine Valley—that's where the Appenzeller Weg Head south, toward the mountains, not to the lake. If you're coming from Vienna or Innsbruck and want to take this route, take either the Via Jacobi Bregenz Head to the Swiss shore and take a boat or train to Lindau—or hop right on the train: Lindau-Reutin has been a long-distance rail stop since December 2020, with direct trains from Munich, Zurich, and (via Bregenz) Vienna.

Continue the pilgrimage?

Héricourt isn't a destination; it's a junction—and you're not the only one who ends up here: The route Rottenburg – Freiburg – Héricourt ends at the same point, except that it runs through the Black Forest instead of along the Upper Rhine. This is where traffic from southern Germany bound for Burgundy converges. From Héricourt, the line continues westward through Franche-Comté toward Beaune and Gy, and joins the Via Lemovicensis, which runs from Vézelay to the Pyrenees—there, the Camino Francés. If you'd rather go via Le Puy, head for the Via Podiensis, at the starting point of which is also the Via Gebennensis arrives from Geneva.

But you don't have to go all the way to Héricourt to get anywhere — Basel is the actual distribution hub: If you want to go into Switzerland there instead of out to France, take the Baslerweg To Bern, on Drei-Seen-Weg to Payerne or the Verbindungsweg Mariastein – Willisau, which begins at Switzerland's second-most important pilgrimage site. And the biggest turning point of all comes right at the beginning: In Konstanz, the Via Jacobi Through Einsiedeln and along the southern foothills of the Jura to Geneva. Two paths, one cathedral, two completely different weeks—one climbs, the other flows.

Preparation & Practical Information

Three Countries in Two Weeks Meaning: Always have your ID on hand (yes, Schengen—but checks at the Basel border are still possible), two currencies (euros in Germany and France, francs in Switzerland) and three price tiers. The card works almost everywhere, but for ferries, collection baskets, and village stores, you’ll need to carry small change in both currencies. Language-wise, German will get you to Basel—from the Sundgau region onward, you’ll need French or patience. And plan your return trip from Héricourt in advance: it’s a small town, not a transportation hub.

The neighborhood is the actual planning task. There is no network of pilgrim hostels: You book inns, hotels, youth hostels (Schaffhausen and Basel have plenty of options), and in France, chambres d’hôtes and gîtes. Along the lake and in the small Swiss towns, accommodations are scarce in the summer and on weekends—Stein am Rhein, Rheinau, and Eglisau are the most challenging spots, with Rheinau having virtually no accommodations of its own. From Basel onward, options become scarce: between Altkirch and Héricourt, there are villages with absolutely no accommodations. The easiest way to plan these days is directly in the Camino Ninja app, where you can put together your stages and plan your accommodations at the same time.

Equipment and Timing: The trail is flat but has a hard surface—lots of asphalt and paved bike paths. Well-broken-in shoes with cushioning are more important here than sure footing. Drinking water isn’t an issue: there are plenty of fountains and stores, and tap water is readily available throughout the Upper Rhine region. The best time is May through October: In the spring, the Rhine Falls are at their most powerful; in the fall, the vineyards near Eglisau and Meersburg are the main reason to go at all; in the winter, the ferry operates on a limited schedule, and the Untersee has many foggy days. An often-overlooked detail: On hot summer days, the Lake Constance Bike Path is packed—setting out early isn’t worth it because of the heat, but because of the ringing bells.

What the journey will cost you

Let's be honest right off the bat: This trail has no operator, so there isn't No pilgrim rates — all the values here are Estimation ranges based on empirical and research data (as of August 2026), in two currencies, because the price level jumps twice. Germany (Lindau to Konstanz, about 2 days): Double room at an inn: 80–120 €, single room: 60–95 €, youth hostel: 30–45 €, daily special: 14–20 €. Switzerland (from Konstanz to Basel, about 10 days) — the most expensive section of the route: Youth hostel in a shared room: CHF 45–65; basic hotel double room: CHF 130–200; main course at a restaurant: CHF 24–35; daily groceries at a supermarket: CHF 15–22. The best way to save money is on the other side of the river: In Bad Säckingen, Laufenburg (Germany), or Rheinfelden (Germany), you’ll pay noticeably less for the same things — The Rhine also serves as a price boundary here. France (Basel to Héricourt, about 3 days): Bed and breakfast: 55–85 €, breakfast included; hotel: 65–95 €; daily special: 15–22 €. You should budget 45–75 € in Germany, 80–130 CHF (about 85–140 €) in Switzerland, and 40–70 € in France — so roughly for the entire 316.5 kilometers in 15 days 1.000–1.700 €, consistently significantly lower on the German side of the Rhine. Fixed small expenses: the Meersburg–Konstanz ferry costs about 4–5 € for pedestrians; museums such as Allerheiligen, St. Georgen, or Augusta Raurica cost 8–15 CHF each; and a short train ride in Switzerland costs 10–30 CHF. And the most expensive beginner’s mistake on this route is buying bottled water at Swiss prices—the drinking fountains are free.

Getting Here

To Lindau: The starting point has had the best possible transportation links since Lindau-Reutin It is a stop on long-distance routes—since December 2020, there have been six daily high-speed connections to Munich and Zurich (ECE/EC), as well as regional trains and a pair of Westbahn trains from Vienna via Innsbruck and Bregenz. The old terminus station Lindau-Insel is located two minutes from the harbor, where the first stage begins. The nearest airports are Friedrichshafen (about 25 km), Memmingen, Zurich (direct train), and Munich. Anyone who wants to Münchner Jakobsweg If you've completed the hike on foot, you don't need to travel there—you just need one night's stay.

Back from Héricourt: The city has its own train station on the Dole–Belfort line, and ten kilometers away is the TGV-Bahnhof Belfort-Montbéliard — From there, you can be in Paris, Strasbourg, or back in Basel in just a few hours. The second, more scenic route goes through Switzerland: Starting from Delle, the most important border station between France and the Swiss Jura, has seen trains running again via Delémont to Basel since the line was reactivated in 2018. And along the way, you’ll experience the great advantage of this route: on the Upper Rhine, trains stop at almost every stop—you can get on and off anywhere.

• Getting to the starting point: ECE/EC trains to Lindau-Reutin from Munich or Zurich (about 6 daily departures each), Westbahn from Vienna via Bregenz; Lindau-Insel terminal station is located directly at the harbor. Airports: Friedrichshafen, Memmingen, Zurich, Munich.
• Ferry en route: The Meersburg–Konstanz car ferry runs every 15 minutes during the day and is part of Stage 2; Lake Constance scheduled ferries connect Lindau, Friedrichshafen, Meersburg, and Konstanz on a seasonal basis.
• Getting off while the bus is moving: There are train stops at nearly every stage destination along the Upper Rhine (Thurgau, Schaffhausen, Zurich Unterland, Aargau, Fricktal)—the trail can be hiked on a day-by-day basis.
• Return trip: From Héricourt (Dole–Belfort line) or from the Belfort-Montbéliard TGV station (about 10 km) to Paris, Strasbourg, or Basel.
• Alternative route via Switzerland: from Delle via Delémont to Basel (the Belfort–Delle section has been back in service since December 2018).