Apple-Blossom Trail in Altnau on Lake Constance in Canton Thurgau

Saturday April 19, 2025 -- After our ca. 8-km walk along the "Alpine Panorama Trail" from Heiden to Rorschach near Lake Constance (those photos are HERE), we caught a train in Rorschach at shortly before 2 p.m., for a 35-minute trip along the lakeshore to the village of Altnau in Canton Thurgau, a region reknowned for its apple orchards and lovely blossoming landscape in Spring. 

Even though we had ended a walk here in Altnau in April of 2017 (on a 13-km hike to admire the apple blossoms of this region, photos are HERE), we figured since we were close by anyway, that we would do an additional walk this day on the themed trails there. (I had contacted the tourism office there and was informed that the trees there were currently in full bloom). We walked about half of the suggested tour, starting at the large village church at the south end of the village, and covering four kilometers back to the train station.

There were many half-timbered houses to admire, and yes, many flowering apple orchards, but most of the plantations here are small-growth trees densely planted, and I do prefer the old high-growth pear and apple trees when they are in full bloom. We saw more of those on the train ride back home, in the region between Romanshorn and Weinfelden. Something to remember for the next Apple-Blossom hike we do in Canton Thurgau.

Note: The Apple-Blossom Trails (there are three of them) in the village of Altnau mostly follow paved roads, so it was a bit tedious for us, especially after already having done an 8-km walk earlier in the day. 

As the train heads west along Lake Constance from Rorschach, we observed many people out along the lakeshore parks and trails on this beautiful day. 

It was a 35-minute train ride from Rorschach to Altnau, from were we took a five-minute bus ride to the south end of the village, from where we then walked four kilometers back to the train station. 

We had a quick look at the two churches here. This one is the Evangelical church but it reminded us more of a Catholic church. 

A few steps away from the larger Evangelical church, was a smaller church which was apparently the Catholic church. 

The inside of the Catholic church was relatively plain and made us think of typical Evangelical church buildings. Somehow it looked like the two religions had swapped buildings at some point!

The town is also known for its many half-timbered houses. 

Look at all these pretty houses. This is all around the road with the two church buildings. 

At 2:50 p.m. we started out on the Altnau Apple Trail. 

There are three suggested trails, and this one was called "Emma". It is the suggested trail on the west side of the village. 

From the Altnau Tourism Website, this is a description of the three various trails they have suggested, with various information sites along the way, showing the history and processing of apples, berries, honeybees etc. We chose the green trail called "Emma", because it was listed as a 3-km, 90-minute walk, with some large-growth trees. 

Even though the western section of the "Apple Trail" as listed as a 3-km trail, it ended up being more than four kilometers! Mostly along paved roads, which was a bit tedious. We started in the Oberdorf (Upper Village) on the south end of town at about 3 p.m., and got back to the train station at 4:10 p.m. The trip home was two hours and 15 minutes. 

A look back at the main village church as we head out on the trail. 

First view of Lake Constance to the north. The hills at the back are in Germany. 

Close-up look at the hills in Germany, past the apple orchards of Altnau. 

Most of the plantations here are the compact apple trees, densely planted, with nets that will be rolled out to prevent hail damage. This is how my Dad planted his orchard in Canada 50 years ago. 

This is an interesting way for the trees to be planted. It allows for maximum production and ease of picking as you can easily walk down each side, and no ladders are required.  

Finally we got to an orchard with older trees, larger trees as they used to be grown. These look so much more spectacular when in bloom. 

Beautiful blooming apple trees. 

The trail heads back into the village here. 

This is cute!

Advertising for Thurgau apples

More beautiful half-timbered homes. 

Spectacular Japanese cherry tree in full bloom. 

The different kinds of trees blossom at different times. 

These trees are in full bloom, and were listed as being the type Braeburn. It is listed as a late-blooming tree, so it might be that we are toward the end of the blossoming season?

A placard lists different varieties of apples: Old local types, well-known accidental crosses (such as Boskoop, Breaburn and Golden Delicious) and selective breeds such as Gala, Jonagold etc. 

Interesting pair: A large blossoming apple tree and a large palm tree!

Another beautiful tree with so many blossoms! This was in someone's yard. 

We got to the Altnau train station at 16:05, but had to wait about 25 minutes for the 16:29 train. At least it was a comfortable wait in the shade!

The trains cross here. We caught the 16:29 train back to Romanshorn, and the whole trip home was just two hours and 15 minutes. 

The blue trail is the one we walked this day in Altnau. The green trail is when we walked through the town of Altnau on the 2017 April walk starting 13 kilometers further to the south. 

As the train heads eastward back to Romanshorn, we see many more flowering trees near the lakeshore. 

Far to the southeast we get a view of Mt. Säntis and the Alpstein massif!

The harbour in Romanshorn where the ferries travel back and forth to Friedrichshafen in Germany. I used to travel with these ferries often, but haven't been since 2019! (We had to change trains here).

Harbour in Romanshorn. 

More views of Mt. Säntis and the Alpstein Massif as the train heads south toward Zurich. 

These are the large high-growth trees which we love to see during blossom time!

More flowering trees in the region near Weinfelden. 

Another favourite view of the Glarus Alps as we once again change trains in Zurich and head south along Lake Zurich. 

Shortly before we reach home, we also get a view of the Central Alps and Mt.Pilatus on the right. This is the town of Baar, the neighbouring town of Zug. 

Even here close to home, the trees are blossoming!

Location of Altnau (no.2) and Rorschach (no.1) along the Lake Constance lakeshore. 

Madame Blüescht (Blossom) Trail between Sulgen and Amriswil (Thurgau)

Saturday May 6, 2023 -- Just like two weeks ago when we traveled to NW Switzerland in the hopes of seeing a sea of blossoming cherry trees.... but knowing we were probably too late, so it was this day as we traveled to the apple-growing region of Switzerland--Canton Thurgau, near Lake Constance--in the hopes of seeing a landscape "like snow", but we really just made it to the end of the blossom season.

I was hoping for the beautiful high-growth trees, they are splendid when in full bloom. (See also my favourite hike we did in this region in April 2017). But we were much too late for those. There were still many orchards with blossoming trees--possibly late varieties--so it was not a totally wasted trip. But because of the large amounts of rain lately, and the fact that there never was good enough weather in the past two weeks, we really were too late for the "snowy" landscape.  

We followed a 15-km trail suggested to us by the Thurgau Tourism Bureau (Sulgen to Amriswil, the trail has the nickname: "Madame Blüescht") as one where you would pass through many apple orchards, and even though we had determined to do this one, I was not thrilled that we were almost purely on paved roads. Unfortunately, there wasn't much else to distract (i.e. castles, rivers, lakes, bridges). The weather was nice, though, and we treated ourselves to dessert at a Gasthaus in one of the villages along the way. 

NOTE: Still, I took lots of photos of blossoming trees... 

Our walk started at 11:15 in a town called Sulgen. The evangelical church here has sections dating from mid 15th Century, although there have been many renovations since then. 

Even the church bells are old. This one, on display, is from 1474

Leaving Sulgen and heading north, then east, to find the blossoming apple trees. 

We started at 11:15 in Sulgen, and got back on the train in Amriswil at 16:20. In Niedersommeri we spontaneously decided to have coffee and dessert at an old restaurant with a nice garden area

A nice feature of the landscape currently are the flowering fields of rapeseed 

Some of the first trees we saw. Not in full bloom anymore, but still pretty

The next village we came to was called Leimbach. Urs made an interesting discovery here....

...a bird sculpture made of all kinds of interesting metal items!

Blossoms up close

The first forested section was welcome, as it was turning into a warm day, and I had to change into shorts right away. 

These forested sections, especially with streams, are always welcome in summer

There are a lot of lovely half-timbered houses in this region

This still looks pretty, but you have to imagine it in pure white!

For the first half of our hike, it was mostly larger trees. 

This lovely-landscaped farm was called Guggenbühl

Most of our walk was along wide roads like this one

This grass really needs mowing!

On the second half of the hike, nearer to the city of Amriswil, the orchards were more modern, low-growth, compact plantings, and all of them with extensive nets for protection against hail. 

I don't know what this flower is, but those blooms are HUGE!

A conveniently-placed bench, a welcome rest (there weren't nearly enough benches along the way). 

More neat, compact apple orchards. 

Flowering fields of rapeseed along the way. You could smell them from afar. (They stink)

As the day wore on, we saw more of the mountains to the south

This was the only stretch of narrow meadow trail on the full 15 kilometers!

As we approached the community called Niedersommeri, we could hear music (Guggenmusik, in fact) as there seemed to be an event. Looks like the cows were listening as well! (Normally they would have been observing us go by!)

These blossoms were pink. Possibly crabapple or quince?

The spire of the church in Niedersommeri had a mosaic-tile roof. 

On the way to look at the church we peeked into the garden of the Löwen Restaurant and decided to stop here for something to drink and/or dessert! (3 p.m.)

This was new to me: Every customer got "free" tap water brought to the table, as soon as we sat down. So of course we ordered dessert instead of beer! (Usually you have to ask for water, and sometimes tap water isn't even free)

All decorated with wisterias, it looked so lovely!

Leaving Niedersommeri for the last stretch to Amriswil

More fantastic wisteria vines!

Some more attractive half-timbered houses

OK, I guess we weren't totally "too late" for the apple orchards in blossom. We saw many trees!

We call these "Marshmallows"

It's always fun to spot the herons in the meadows. They watch you carefully. If you stop too long, they fly off. 

A lovely park and pond just a couple of minutes' walk from the train station in Amriswil. It's called the "Brickworks Pond" and is a remnant of the Industrial Period. 

The light blue trail is the one we did this day, and the two other hikes were also "blossom" hikes done in April of 2017.

The Thurgau apple-growing region of Switzerland is near Lake Constance (Bodensee) in the northeastern part of the country.