The plan today is to see the area where the Blauburgunder grape grows, the Klettgau in Schaffhausen. Located in the rain shadow of the Black Forest, it is very dry and sunny and the largest wine growing area in German-speaking Switzerland. A region in the South Baden district of Waldshut forms Germany’s part of the Klettgau. In Switzerland, it is parts of the cantons of Aargau, Schaffhausen and Zurich that belong to this agricultural region, which is one of Switzerland’s breadbaskets. In Bad Zurzach you leave Switzerland down by the Rhine River. The name of the first town in the country of our neighbours to the north is Rheinheim. The Romans once used to rampage in Küssaberg-Dangstetten, an early Roman legionary camp. The so-called Alpine war (15-14 B.C.) led to the defeat of the local tribes. Once you pass the sign saying “Römerstrasse Neckar-Aare”, you’re on a well-known tourist route, a section of the former long-distance connection leading from Comum (Como) across the Julier Pass to the Mittlere Neckarland. If you would like to look at Küssaburg Castle, take a short, but steep 2 km detour from the bike route in Bechtersbohl.

Continuing to Geisslingen and Erzingen, on the other hand, is a leisurely ride. Relaxed and unhurried you travel through the beautiful Klettgau, appreciating the view of the corn fields and forests nearby. Once in a while you come across a so-called downy oak. This is a rare occasion because significant populations of this often crooked type of oak are no longer found in many areas of central Europe. Back in Switzerland, around Wilchingen, you will enjoy seeing sun-drenched slopes with vineyards and you might begin to look forward to a glass of the regional Blauburgunder wine when you reach your destination.

But first you get to small Neunkirch, an interesting village with a lovely half-timbered alcove on the castle and an attractive upper gate. The village was named long ago for its new church and has nothing to do with nine churches, as the name suggests. Follow the straight line to Beringen along the railroad track. You may even get passed by a “thurbo” of the Eastern Switzerland Regional Railways or by a Deutsche Bahn train. On your left is the Randen mountain range. This mountain ridge belongs to the so-called Southwest German cuesta landscape, which follows the Jura here. The highest elevation on the Swiss side is Hagen Mountain at 912 m. At some point, the water of Europe’s most powerful waterfall will flow into the ocean. The Rhine Falls are definitely worth seeing. They are particularly impressive in the summer when the snow in the Alps is melting and many tourists are flocking to Neuhausen and Schaffhausen to see the striking Munot fortress.