It’s a holiday in Germany and here I am right at the border, on a warm day in autumn 2023. It’s no wonder that the streets and the city are full of people. After my stay in Liechtenstein and Dornbirn, this city is my last stop on my motorcycle Alpine expedition.

Many, many years ago I was briefly in Bregenz. But I can’t remember anything anymore. It’s time to refresh my memory a bit.

The further I am from the lake, the fewer people I have around me. The actual old town is also further away from the shore. The medieval old town with its city gates and the iconic Deuringschlössle is even on a small elevation.

I have no plan of Bregenz and walk into the alleys that seem pretty to me. Luckily I’m there on my motorbike, so I don’t have any problems finding a parking space.

Things look different on the lakeshore. There are an incredible number of people here. The cafes are full and so is the promenade. The shore is not particularly beautiful. Or I don’t see the beauty because of all the people. Construction sites at the famous opera on the lake are destroying the idyll. But I wouldn’t be at Bodensee (Lake Constance) if the Zeppelin from Friedrichshafen wasn’t making its rounds over the water on a day like this.

It’s time for me to move on. I’ll look for a place for my tent. With the Alps disappearing from my field of vision, my motorcycle Alpine expedition has come to an end this time and I am returning to the Black Forest.