Altnau, Switzerland

We are a family of 4 members. Niklaus (26), Lena (28), Katharina (logopedist, 60) and Joachim (physical education teacher, 60). Our two children no longer live at home.
We live in Altnau, a village with about 2300 citizen, straight to the Lake Constance (Bodensee) and close to the boarders to Germany and Austria. The area round Lake Constance goes for a holiday-paradise and it’s calling “Euregio Bodensee”.
Our house is large. The garden is large as well, perfect to spend a lot of time there while summertime. Of course we have bicycles for use.
Altnau itself has possibilities for convenience shopping. There are a grocery, one bakery and a butcher. Bigger shopping malls you’ll find in Kreuzlingen, 10 minutes by car.
If you like biking, skating, hiking, swimming and other watersports you’ve got a wide range of possibilities. For swimming you could go to the lake or chose between two public pool areas in Romanshorn and Kreuzlingen, each 10 minutes away by car (30 minutes by bike).
The cities of Konstanz (GER) and St.Gallen (CH) are 10, respectively 30 minutes away by car. Both cities have a long cultural past and so there are plenty of historical buildings to see. The baroque cathedral with the famous abbey library in St.Gallen is awarded in the status World Cultural Heritage Site.
Two ferries are leading over the lake to the cities of Meersburg (GER) and Friedrichshafen (GER). Friedrichshafen is the city of Earl Zeppelin, the inventor of the Zeppelin airships. A museum shows the history of the airships.
Of course there are a lot of attractions for the kids like the lake-dwellings of the stone-age in Uhldingen (GER), wildelifeparks in St.Gallen (CH), Allensbach (GER), Salem (GER) and Pfänder (A), kids-leisure-parks in Lipperswil (CH), Ravensburg (GER) and Allensbach (GER), the sea life center in Konstanz (GER) and more.
If you like hiking in the mountains or learning more about typical Swiss traditions you could reach the Appenzellerland in 1 hour. Endless trails are leading through a unique countryside. You can reach the top of the “Säntis” - the most famous mountain of East-Switzerland - by a cable railway or, if you prefere, in a 4-hours-walk. The “Aescher” mountain restaurant is also known worldwide.
Zürich, the biggest city of our country, is about 1 hour away, Basel is about 3 hours away. In about 2 hours you could reach Luzern in the heart of Switzerland.
We’ve a very good public transport system in Switzerland. So you could reach most of the spots comfortably by train, bus or ship.
The nearest airport is Friedrichshafen in Germany (1 hour by car and ferry). The usual airport is in Zürich (1 hour by car or 1.5 hours by train).
 
More helpful informations you’ll find on the following websides:
 
www.seeferien.com
www.thurgau-tourismus.ch
www.altnau.ch
www.st.gallen-bodensee.ch
www.appenzell.ch
www.friedrichshafen.ws
www.konstanz.de
www.connyland.ch
www.ravensburger.de/spieleland/
www.saentisbahn.ch
 
We hope you are looking forward to discover our beautyful country.