Frühling am Bodensee | ARD Reisen

Weiter geht’s mit einer Auszeit am Bliesgau im Saarland. Die findet ihr in der ARD Mediathek:
https://1.ard.de/reisen-bliesgau-swr?yt=d

Der Bodensee erwacht aus dem Winterschlaf und läutet den Saisonstart ein. Die Affen vom Affenberg in Salem haben schon Frühlingsgefühle, auf dem Wasser kann man jetzt Fahrrad fahren und die Schiffe stehen hier bald auch wieder unter Strom: einfach eine magische Zeit.

00:00 Intro
00:29 Helikopterflug um den Bodensee
05:05 Blumeninsel Meinau
09:38 Waterbiking über den Bodensee
13:23 Pfahlbauten Unteruhldingen
17:07 Mountainbiking auf dem Gehro-Trail
21:28 Eselwanderung auf dem Höchsten
25:33 Affenberg in Salem
29:49 Gin-Herstellung & Weinberg in Hagnau
34:36 Elektroschifffahrt in Friedrichshafen
40:08 Kajaktour auf dem Bodensee
43:27 Outro

Der Bodensee ist ein beliebtes Urlaubsziel im Sommer. Doch auch zwischen Winterschlaf und Frühlingserwachen ist es dort wunderschön. Eine magische Zeit. Nicht nur für die Einheimischen. Immer mehr Urlauber:innen kommen an den See, um die Ruhe vor dem Sturm zu genießen. Am Affenberg in Salem sind die Vorbereitungen für die ersten Besucher:innen bereits voll im Gange. Knapp 200 Berberaffen leben in dem Waldstück und etwa 50 Storchenpaare, von denen bereits die ersten aus dem Süden zurück sind.

In Immenstaad entdeckt Moderatorin Annette Krause besondere Wasserfahrzeuge: Seit einem Jahr gibt es dort Wasserfahrräder zum Ausleihen – auch geführte Fahrradtouren auf dem Wasser. Noch ist wenig Betrieb auf dem See, die Weiße Flotte liegt noch im Hafen. In der Werfthalle in Friedrichshafen wird das erste Elektroschiff fertiggestellt, das dieses Jahr vom Stapel laufen soll.

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“Frühlingserwachen am Bodensee” ist ein Film von Jochen Schmid. Leitung Anne Kreibich.
Dieser Film wurde 2023 im Auftrag des SWR produziert. Alle Aussagen und Fakten entsprechen dem damaligen Stand und wurden seitdem nicht aktualisiert.

Everything is still quiet on Lake Constance. Someday I’ll be a captain too. But preparations are already well underway. You don’t want to be disturbed at breakfast, right? We’re going on an expedition between hibernation and… Chip? – Functions. Fire? – Works too. Let’s close it again. Then we check that the power transmission works from the pedals on the tail rotor. It will start soon! Spring and we are in the middle of it. This time we are at Lake Constance at a time that many claim

Is the most beautiful on the lake. Still quiet, no hustle and bustle yet, but there is already a sense of optimism everywhere. Here also. Julia? – Yes? Standing still isn’t your thing anyway. – No! You’re something of an overachiever, and this is just your hobby. Exactly, yes. – Fly helicopters.

Which of the two is flying? I’m a student today with my flight instructor Timo. Then we go on an introductory flight. I’m about to take to the air. Ahh! Take a seat, fasten your seat belt, please. – Mmm. I’ll do it. So. Mhm. Is everyone actually allowed to fly around the lake in a helicopter here? Yes gladly. We’re definitely there, we do a lot of helicopter flying ourselves, sightseeing flights over Lake Constance, the Rhine Falls, the Alps, all over Austria. “We’re already flying!” – (laughs:) “Yes!” “You feel a bit like a bumblebee.” – “Yes.” (Julica:) “You have to do everything just like you do with an airplane.” “So we’re basically driving along the paths now.” (Timo:) “There’s another machine coming back there, we have to let it pass and then…” (radio:) “Departure as requested, wind…” “3.0 degrees, four knots … slope …” (Timo:) “So, now we’re going up.” “Ohh, that looks great!” (Julica:) “Great view today.” – “Julica, excited?” “Nope.” (Loud laughter) “But still, it’s always a unique feeling for me.” “You already have your helicopter license, right?” “Yes exactly.” “I already have the license for the small R22, but if you want to take a few people with you,

Then you have to train for a larger model.” “This is what the future looks like, so to speak.” (laughs:) “The one you’re already looking forward to.” – “Yes / Yes!” “That’s good.” “Speed ​​is okay?” “We’re supposed to be 80, right? That’s okay?” – “Yes, 75, 80. Yes, that’s good.” “Why does it have to be a helicopter with you, Julica?” “ I got into helicopter flying through a fellow student of mine.” “He always flew to Friedrichshafen in a helicopter to study

And took me with him one day.” “And then after the flight I was so in love.” “And I really got into flying helicopters, so straight after that I registered at the flight school here in Friedrichshafen and started.” (Timo:) We drive slower, a little bit back.” “Back a little more.” (Julica:) “So?” – “Yes.” “And, Timo? She’s doing it well, isn’t she?” – “Very well.”

(Julica:) “Well at least not like the first time, I think.” “Well, I can understand your passion for flying understand, even for flying helicopters.” “Yeah, right?” – “Mhm.” “But your other passion isn’t without it either, that’s your job.” “It’s pretty exciting too.” (Annette laughs.) “Yes.” “Is flying actually sexy?” “I find flying very sexy. Absolutely, right?” “He won’t tell.” – “No.” (off:) There has to be a bit of tension. But don’t worry, we’ll reveal the secret. Because I meet Julica again later at her work in Hagnau. But there are many more exciting stories on our itinerary. On the northern shore of Lake Constance we visit the famous pile dwellings

In Unteruhldingen. The Affenberg in Salem, meet a water cyclist and go paddling in the cold water with a pretty cool group. First stop: the flower island of Mainau. Here you are always a little closer to spring. Great things are being prepared at the moment. As always, the flower year starts with the orchid show in the Palm House. The island boss herself shows me the way there. Most excursion destinations on Lake Constance take a break in winter. Not so in Mainau. No, because we actually think that gardens and nature are very beautiful even in winter. What is there to see right now? It’s very nice that winter brings things

Like a blooming witch hazel, for example. So there are trees that simply bloom in January and February. We have a paper bush that blooms beautifully in white and yellow. And when you’re in the spring avenue… there’s a lot of sun there because it’s the south side – you

See those green leaves poking out, then you feel how much energy there is in the ground, right? I notice, the two of us, we love spring, right? It is great. When I see the first crocuses – I want to say hello. Nice that you’re here. Is there more to come? Now it’s about to start, what does Mainau have planned for the start of the season? Yes, we can celebrate a really great theme this year and next year . Because our castle is 275 years old. And so we thought about putting the next two years under the heading: “We celebrate”.

So for example… there will be large dresses made from plants. Uh, which you can then stand behind and then photograph yourself in a festive robe made of flowers. (Man:) We still have the bed. – Exactly. We have green and mixed… Then we have to do the fine-tuning… We’re already working on things in the palm house for the new season. Yes, it is like that. Hello, Mr. Zeiler, Mr. Schober. Nice to see you. Hello! – Hello, Ms. Krause.

They are already in the middle of setting up for the orchid show. That is, how many orchids will be incorporated into the show? Approximately 3,000 from the very small to the lush. All kinds, the whole color palette, exactly. We have a very large collection here that we keep in the nursery over the summer and winter and then go to the orchid show… to see that they are in bloom. And that’s about 6,000 copies. We have Wanda, for example. – Ooh! But it’s also beautiful. It works without any soil.

But it needs to be moistened daily. We then hang them up like this in the greenhouse. But probably not everyone is allowed to touch them, right? We have a special team that primarily takes care of the orchids. Now when I visit this orchid show, I can get some tips too, right? In fact, we have our plant advice here at the orchid show. She’s also moving into the palm house up here. This means that visitors can

Bring their plant problems, including their specific orchid problems, with them and ask the question here and get a well-founded answer. And we can also satisfy one or two shopping needs here. Orchids are fascinating. They are available from very simple to… wow! – Absolutely. There are so many different colors and shapes.

And here we can already see a bit of the range. But there are also some with very small flowers. And it’s a lot of fun to really show this diversity that nature has invented, this great inventor, and really start a flower year. On the Mainau there is the calm before the storm, also here at the lake. Still totally quiet, but it won’t be long before there will be a lot of ships and watercraft driving around here. Including something really crazy and I want to try it out now. I hope it’s a good idea. Well, I’ve seen a lot, but never a bicycle on the water. Where does the idea come from? (out of breath:) The idea didn’t come from me, but from many, many crazy… (laughing:) water bike enthusiasts… people. Who just want to do exactly what I do. Riding a bike on the water.

You can see for yourself, we are sitting over a meter high above the water. Yes! This gives us a fantastic view of the surrounding area and also of the water. And you actually steer like you do a bicycle, right? It is a bicycle frame that has a propeller instead of the rear wheel.

The two floats have a catamaran effect. You can’t tip over here, so I can’t do anything. If you stop kicking, then we’ll just be here… chilling. But it feels pretty shaky. I’m starting to enjoy it. What are the comments when you… (laughs) meet people here on the water with your bike? Well, you see the wonder of the world. Until “Aha, I already did that in South Africa.” But are you a pioneer here on Lake Constance? – In Germany even. There are some in Germany who have water bikes.

But a water bike provider, rental, tours and sales is unique in Germany. You can do that very small here, right? This can be taken apart. Think of them like big sub bags, they have all the little parts in them that haven’t been inflated yet. Then there is the bike frame you see there.

(Clears throat.) It’s a unit. And the propeller is snapped into place at the back. And you’re ready to go. Peter, you’ve basically been riding a water bike for 15 years. What did they initially look like? The beginnings were even completely different; I was still on the floats with a real bike. You fell into the water a lot, didn’t you? Often empty money paid, exactly. (Laughter)

It was just this curiosity and this sense of adventure. – Mmm. You also offer tours, right? – Exactly. Of course, when I go water cycling, I always explain a little something about the region. The guests are curious. That’s what they’re supposed to be.

Yes! How much does a water bike cost if you rent it alone from you? So it costs 80 euros for the whole day, but it starts at 20 euros an hour. The great thing is: the lake belongs to us alone. So on a normal nice day, if you rent the water bike for the whole day, you can travel to Switzerland in a relaxed manner. (off:) It doesn’t have to be that far. My next destination is the pile dwellings in Unteruhldingen. The visitor-free time here is used to carry out final repair work. (on:) The world-famous pile dwelling museum is waking up from hibernation, huh? Yes. We are happy that winter is over and we can start the new season. The houses have been freshly painted and swept, all that’s missing are the posts and then we can get started. It’s like Ulm Minster:

Once you’ve finished at one corner, you start again at the other. The museum is built entirely of wood and needs a lot of care so that it can continue to be visited. There you go. – Ugh! Well, great Stone Age lighting here. (Laughs.) Yes, that applies to our new pile dwelling exhibition.

100 years of pile dwellings. – Yes. That’s actually great, isn’t it? A reason to celebrate. A reason to display things. Here, for example, finds that were taken from the lake bed. Part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage can only be seen for the first time. How should I imagine that back then?

How 100 years ago did people here on Lake Constance come up with the idea of ​​building such a museum here? Yes, it was a dream to show how people lived back then. And as always, they were the people from here. Traders, the district administrator, the painter, the University of Tübingen.

And together this idea came into being in very, very difficult times. People have been researching here in Lake Constance for 70 years, and there were many ideas that can also be found in art, in paintings. But during this time new media came along. They tried not only with poetry or theater performances, but also with films. Does that mean they slipped into these clothes

And re-enacted it? Yes, today you would say that you worked as a reenactor. They actually implemented living history in a modern way, precisely out of the desire to imagine these early times. You have to think about it, we’re in our 20s. The Spanish flu was over, the economic crisis was immense,

And yet there were people who built a museum like this with esprit and a very strong will within a very short space of time . The museum is still standing today, after 100 years, and tells us how people lived back then. How do you imagine that back then, 3,000 years ago? People wanted to live together here, they had to master the situation by cultivating their fields, raising livestock, fishing or even hunting.

Because back then the area around the settlements was almost more important than the actual houses. People lived from the surrounding space, the environment was important. And there you got everything you needed for life. That means they weren’t just by the water, but also went into the woods and roamed through the thickets there, Nice in lay the curve. – Exactly. But I have to say, even beginners can ride here, right? Even I managed it. Uh! But I have the impression that more and more people are discovering cycling, right? Oh yes, definitely. That’s also one reason why we thought about it a few years ago.

Because until now we have always been traveling illegally. Illegal? – Actually. You from the Swabian Alb Club? (Laughter) We weren’t at the Swabian Alb Club back then. In 2016 we talked for the first time in a group. And we thought it would be great if we had something that was official and where we could also get involved ourselves. Such mountain bike trails are always a bit controversial, aren’t they? It’s true, there’s always a bit of hunters, residents, hikers. Sure, it’s a hot topic, it’s true. As you say. But with a lot of friendliness, if you respond immediately, with a lot of friendliness, you have gained a lot.

If you rush through here and shout: “Get to the side!”, then you don’t score any brownie points. If you have a hiker on an access path, dismount, be considerate, dismount, be friendly and use the forest together. The Swabian Alb Club has such an image – something like that, dusty?

How do you experience that? Or you? Yes, I thought that too at the beginning. But we were so warmly welcomed and then founded the mountain bike group within the Swabian Alb Association . And there we like to take care of this Gehro Trail and want to develop it further.

What’s great is that you can ride the trail all year round. It’s great right now too. – Perfect. Little traffic. Great conditions, you dress warmly and enjoy the Gehro Trail even at this time of year. Yay! Whoa! The view! Splendid. Great. And now a break. – Now take a break. We deserve it too. That’s just the thing, I’d say. Well chosen. Arrived great. We deserve it now. That’s part of it, right? There are many such places to stop for refreshments here. Yes, but that’s one of the most beautiful with a view. You can look directly at the lake.

The mountain panorama in the background – just great. Ah, it’s really beautiful. And there’s something to drink too. Say hello to one another. (The guests greet.) We are already raving about how beautiful it is here. – Yeah is not it? At the top of mountain 833, we are up here.

And is a Canadian log cabin. A Canadian log cabin? – Exactly. How does this come to the Most High? A dream of my husband and me. – Self made? To some extent yes. – Respect. Yes. – And the highest one is a special mountain anyway, right?

Yes, a lot of hiking. From the Deckerhauser Valley. There are lots of great hiking trails up here. And of course, with cyclists, mountain biking is very popular here. And not just hikes like this. There are also completely different ones. And specially. These long ears make sure of that. Which are specially dressed up for the tour. They belong to Bonnie Uttenweiler. She is deaf. But she can still communicate well and knows everything about her donkeys. We don’t walk behind the donkey. And not in front of the donkey either. Because then you won’t see the donkey. And when the donkey runs well, we keep the reins loose. I say a horse is like a dog and a donkey is like a cat. – AHA OK. A dog follows.

The cat doesn’t always listen. They’re cute! – Yes. Bonnie, you’re like the woman with the donkeys here on top? – Yes, that’s right. True. This is your world here – offering hikes with the donkeys. Why with donkeys? My brother bought a donkey six years ago. In Kiel. And hiked here from Kiel with this donkey.

From Kiel? – Yes. No! From Northern Germany here? To the highest? – Yes. Crazy, right? – Yes. My brother. And practically left the donkey with me. And I didn’t want a donkey. What should I do with a donkey? What are you supposed to do with a donkey! And now you have how many?

Seven donkeys of our own now, yes. Come! Hm? – Yes. Look, you’re doing great. – Excellent! Well, she really has a temper. – Yes, French. French, hmm. Come on, Nicky. I learned you only like gentle pressure. Great. Good. Good. – Don’t eat yet, we’ll walk a little longer. And whenever we go down, we pluck. Then we pluck a little again.

Come on, let’s walk. Now I have to be confident? Yes, be consistent from the start. – I have to be consistent. But I’ll get involved with you. – Nothing else. That’s right, Nicky, come on, come on. Pluck, pluck. Yes, that’s good. That’s how you do it, great. If she runs well – easy.

And then let it go, ah good, I understand. Have you ever walked with a donkey? – Bangs. Pony. Uh. And how are you doing with the donkeys right now? Special experience. – Or? So also how the animals react and participate or not participate. So yes, something special that you don’t experience every day. And they always say donkeys are stubborn.

But are they stubborn? They have their own will. I think you have the will too. But they are also somehow sensitive. Are you Bonnie’s son? – Yes. Have you learned anything from donkeys yet? I learned a lot from donkeys. To come down a bit. Does it slow down a bit?

Yes, you learn from a donkey to just enjoy the situation. It doesn’t always go my way, the donkey usually sets the pace. Picnic in the park. Best time for the Berbers here. We’re just getting to the main morning feeding. We distribute fruit, vegetables and grains widely. This is largely because all animals get their food and don’t have to fight over it. Is there a hierarchy among them? – There is a hierarchy.

At the top is a full-grown male, a boss. Then all the other males come, only then the females. But they also have a highest ranking. And the highest-ranking female and the highest-ranking male form the center of the group. Can I basically observe people here? When I look at our men,

I am reminded of our politics. Because they also have to be good networkers. It is not automatically the strongest male who becomes the head of the group, but rather the one who manages to get the highest-ranking friends possible on his side. He needs coalition partners

In order to really be able to make the race to the top. In fact, we are in the area every day. I can just see my wife doing population control. Then we really look in each group, are all the animals there? Are females pregnant? And especially in spring, are the first babies already here? Are you counting them all here? Yes exactly.

But you don’t know exactly how many there are, do you? But. – How many exactly? We currently have 176 monkeys. What’s the mood like right now? Do the monkeys also get something like spring fever? I think they’re looking forward to spring. Or? – Yes, you can already notice changes in behavior.

And for us it’s really exciting because there could be a surprise every day. The babies are always born at night. And then you check in the morning whether we have children or not. Here we have the world’s most important reserve stock of Barbary macaques that can be released into the wild.

Unfortunately, the Barbary macaques are critically endangered and therefore threatened with extinction. It is estimated that there are still around, yes, fewer than 8,000 animals in their home countries of Morocco and Algeria. And with that in mind, we have a really, really valuable reserve stock. Almost half of what is known about Barbary macaques actually comes from our park here, from Salem and our two partner parks. This is because the Barbary macaques’ behavior hardly differs in quality from those in the wild due to their natural husbandry. And that is of course ideal for researchers.

For my doctoral thesis, I had to walk through the jungle for months and get the animals used to me. Here, students can start recording data from now on and collect great behavioral data. But now spring is starting, the park is opening again. How can you notice this? The babies are coming back. The babies come, and when the visitor is in the parking lot and then walks through the farm, you can hear the rattling on the roofs. We not only have Barbary macaques,

But also the largest stork colony in southern Germany with almost 50 breeding pairs. They were almost extinct throughout Baden-Württemberg in the 1970s . And through reintroduction projects in stork stations, like ours at Affenberg, we have once again managed to make the storks feel at home again in the Ländle. I’m glad I ended up with you again, Julica. – Yes. The thing with the helicopter was sensational. But your second passion, I think it’s at least as exciting. I can already smell hard liquor. That’s gin. Gin, made by us. – Exactly, between the two of us. OK. – We’ll start with kumquats.

And we always cut them into beautiful rings. – Mmm. And then everything goes into our bucket here afterwards. Tell me, why gin? Well, you could say gin has been on everyone’s lips for ten years. And I came to my dad with the idea. And he was anything but enthusiastic. – Why?

He said to me, every idiot makes gin now. (laughs:) And then what did you say? Then I’ll try it too. There are always these terms about botanicals and maceration, but it can be explained quite simply. You have neutral alcohol that really doesn’t taste like anything.

And you dilute it with water to about 60 percent. Then you can basically put anything in as you like. This then takes effect and the alcohol absorbs the aromas of the herbs. Everything is then burned. Alcohol and juniper definitely make gin gin. Yes. – Everything else can be added

According to the distiller’s whim. – Yes. What exactly does gin have to do with aviation? Your gin. – Mile High 69. Goes back to the Mile High Club. A club that only exists in linguistic usage. And it brings together all those who have already

Had an amorous relationship in the air, a mile up. – No! Yes. (They giggle.) You joined your parents’ business. And you don’t just start fires. Exactly, we also have the winery. We were even the first organic winery on Lake Constance. For over 30 years. Although we are small at two hectares, we still produce around 20,000 bottles a year. Overlooking the lake. – Yes, premium location of course.

We also have a small hotel. But of course the location is also very, very beautiful, and it’s like a holiday at the winery in the middle of the vines. How do you come up with the recipes, or you and your family? We’ve also done it before

By just trying it out and not writing it down – really bad. Then, in the meantime, we started doing a sniffing course, checking again and again to see which nuances go with what. (on:) Have a medium nice color. Actually, I wouldn’t make wood anymore.

I think it’s so good. – I believe that this is the maximum. (off:) And that’s how you basically sniff out your way to his perfect gin. And at the end: whatever you like is allowed. And there are no limits to creativity. So, it’s now at the right temperature.

And here we have our finished mixture. It’s coming now… Oah. Can I take a quick look? – So. Yes, sure. Caution hot! – How it’s bubbling. And how it smells. – Smells great. Let’s close it again. A bit like being in a steam bath. – An aromatherapy steam room. Mmm. – So.

Now it’s distilled and the result is wonderful gin. Making gin is one thing. Drinking gin is another. And it’s also an art, huh? In any case. At the beginning I always tell everyone that they have to smell it and try it once. That it really has the noble result completely pure in the glass. Mmm, smells really fresh.

Can I offer you something? The classic tonic? Or the Red Love? Um…Red Love. (Giggle) Red Love, okay. Not all gin and tonics are the same. There are an incredible number of stories. That’s almost overwhelming. – True. You go into a bar and feel like you have a gin menu,

A tonic menu and you can’t cope at all. You can also ask for recommendations. I am excited. – For the benefit. Very good. It tastes like it works with love above the clouds. How much? – 1,852 meters. You definitely had a really cool idea. But something unique, new and cool is emerging not far from here. In Friedrichshafen. (off:) On the harbor area of ​​the Bodenseeschiffsbetriebe. Welding and building work is taking place here,

Which will soon cause a stir on the lake. (on:) You’re starting the spring with something absolutely new. Yes, that is absolutely correct. We will put our first fully electric ship into operation in July. The first fully electric ship for 300 passengers for Lake Constance. We decided on the catamaran principle. Because this creates a nice, calm wave image.

And because it is very energy efficient. These are moments that a shipbuilder lives for. And to be able to experience how the ship is built, finished and the sections are welded in our own shipyard, which is only used for maintenance , is fabulous.

Building a catamaran like this on Lake Constance would no longer be possible today? No, we no longer have a shipyard here on Lake Constance. We decided in a tender process to commission the shipyard in Stralsund Ostseestahl to build the ship for us. The hulls came here by heavy transport.

Ooh. – And transported over three nights. And then arrived here about two weeks ago. Brought into the water and raised in the shipyard here. Adding such an electric catamaran to your fleet isn’t a decision you just make, right? So far we have a purely fossil fuel fleet.

We would like to herald a turnaround for our fleet. To send a signal that we all have to do something when it comes to the issue of climate neutrality. What happens to the other ships? The winter months are maintenance months for us. Our skippers are also technicians.

And sometimes we repair the ships ourselves using the BSB’s original technology . And now it starts? I would say that, right? – Count me in. Yes hello. – Yes hello. This is Ingo, my nice colleague, and he’s taking us on a nice test drive. Exactly. – Let’s go inside. Let’s go inside. – Excellent. Up here we go into the wheelhouse. Test drive. – Yes indeed.

This basically means that the ship is awakened from hibernation. – Exactly. I’m checking my instruments again. Whether everything is turned on. All going! All going! Now that’s special, isn’t it? If it starts again soon. How much do your fingers itch? It’s about time now, yeah yeah. The winter is beautiful, it suits me in the shipyard too. You have regular working hours and a weekend. But then it will be time again, you have to go again.

That’s life, that’s the job, right? You also offer training, right? Exactly. For several years now. Vocational training to become a wind skipper. We also carry out internal training up to the level of skipper . We have a course right now. A few young helmsmen on the ship right now.

They are doing their skipper course, which will be completed in mid-March, hopefully with success for everyone. Is it a nice job? – Absolutely. So I’ve never regretted it so far. You were once one of the few female ship captains. Exactly. – But you switched sides a bit.

Let’s put it this way, I’m doing the organizing now. That Ingo knows what he has to drive. You are responsible for normal shipping on Lake Constance. But you also have special offers. – Exactly. There are also things like the whiskey ship. So our MS Schwaben has been revitalized in the Art Deco style.

And what hardly anyone knows is that there are whiskey barrels down in the bow. That the whiskey is gently rocked and reaches the right level of maturity gently here on Lake Constance. We have really great parties here in Friedrichshafen. Many people probably know the Euregia motor ferry. The hit parties with our KingKarla.

And the fleet rally, which now marks the official start of the season here at the lake at the end of April. We’re looking forward to it. There’s not much going on right now. So there are hardly any small boats. A few fishermen, but hardly anything else in winter. But there is a… tough little group. She goes on the water in any weather. And it’s just five degrees Celsius. Brrrr. The good news is that the suit is tight. (off:) A dry suit is recommended for this ice-cold adventure. It provides protection in the event that the boat capsizes. Which of course I hope not. Going out on the water at this time of year is not for wimps. Not necessarily. If you dress properly, it’s a little safer, but of course, it gets icy cold at times and you have to want to. Does that mean you really go out in any weather?

At minus 15 degrees, with blowing snow. In waves. Whenever you have the opportunity. You’re crazy. This is just incredibly fun. – Yes. But it is also peace, meditation. We paddle towards the sun. And it’s just beautiful. It’s an experience that I can’t get or don’t know any other way, it’s beautiful. You’re a tight-knit group, or what’s that like? Yes, we are a club here in Fischbach. And some of the members also like to go out in the winter. There are four, five people, sometimes six. We meet on Tuesday evenings between 5 and 6 p.m. and go out on the water.

Judith, why are you taking part in this? Because of the little adventure during the week after work. For me it’s often sport because I’m usually the only woman in winter and the men want to paddle faster. Then it gets tiring for me. – Mmm.

Is there anything that you have to or should pay attention to? Of course, we are here in nature and that should be respected. This means that you stay away from nature reserves and make sure that the water birds are not disturbed, as they come to the south and overwinter here in the winter.

Often floating together on the water in large flocks. If you disturb them, i.e. paddle into this accumulation, then they lose strength. Because they fly up, come down, fly up again. This should definitely be avoided. (off:) Nature conservation is very important for Daniel. And sticking to the rules is the top priority.

(on:) Do you actually do larger tours like this? Yes, sure. It’s really nice to say when it’s snowing, pack up your tent and sleeping bag and paddle to places to spend the night. Pitch your tent, light a fire, enjoy the night and paddle back the next day.

Can’t take a lot of luggage with you? It’s fine for two weeks if you limit yourself. (Laughter) Really? OK. Yes, well, what do you need in life? A paddle in hand, the sun in front of your eyes. – Exactly. Now something hot. Hey , that’s hot. Thanks. For me too. Oh, that feels really good. But I just don’t know… what could be nicer right now, right? Than sitting here on the beach now. Then the sound of the Swabian Sea. – Exactly. Last mulled wine before spring.

Are you looking forward to it? – Yes, I’m happy about that again. When the leaves turn green, a lot of water comes into the lake. And you don’t have to wear as much on the kayak. You don’t have to squeeze into the drysuit. Everything is more relaxed and airy, which is also fun.

What a wonderful tour here at Lake Constance. Is there anything nicer right now? I don’t believe. I’ve actually been here at the lake in every season. But now, when it’s a little quieter here, the time of year really has magic. Splendid. So, I come more often now. But spring should still come now.

SWR 2022