In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
Around 210 km from the source of the Danube across the Hegau volcanoes, the Höri and Stein am Rhein to the Rhine Falls and the Wutach Gorge – a short borderland loop with two countries, two currencies and plenty of reasons to drive slowly.
The spirit of the route
In the Hegau the mountains stand alone, as if someone had set them down on the fields: Hohentwiel, Hohenkrähen, Mägdeberg, Hohenstoffeln, extinct volcanic vents with castle ruins on their summits. In the morning, mist lies in the hollows, and from the sliding door you see only the dark peaks above it. Then the land drops down to the Untersee: reeds, poplars, vegetable fields, the Höri with its fishing villages where Hermann Hesse and Otto Dix lived and painted. At Stein am Rhein the Rhine leaves the lake, turns narrow and green, flows past half-timbered façades and plunges over the rocks at Schaffhausen. This loop is short, but it has borders: little customs huts, francs in your wallet, a German municipality in the middle of Switzerland. At the end the Danube disappears into the limestone, and the Wutach has carved deep into the rock – a quiet finish after the busy lakeshores.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Donaueschingen to Engen (approx. 40 km)
- The drive
- From Donaueschingen through the broad Danube valley via Geisingen to Immendingen, then on country roads across the plateau at the edges of the Baar southwards into the Hegau and down to Engen. A well-built road with no narrow sections, around an hour of pure driving time. Beyond Immendingen, on a clear day, the first volcanic cones come into view.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Source of the Danube in the palace park of Donaueschingen: the walled spring basin next to the town church; a few hundred metres further on, the Brigach and Breg flow together.
- Danube Sink between Immendingen and Möhringen: the water disappears into fissures in the limestone, and on dry days the riverbed lies completely empty. The water resurfaces around twelve kilometres to the south in the Aachtopf.
- Engen's old town on its hill spur, with lanes, fountains and the Romanesque town church; from the upper end there is a view of the Hohenhewen.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Hegi Familien-Camping in Tengen, just under 10 km west of Engen: a large, well-equipped site with electricity, sanitary facilities and water and waste disposal. In Engen itself there is a small motorhome stopover at the Felsenparkplatz near the old town with only a few pitches. For the start in Donaueschingen, the town offers a motorhome stopover, and in Pfohren Riedsee-Camping lies on a swimming lake.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Baden-Württemberg, a single night in the vehicle to restore your fitness to drive is tolerated where parking is permitted and not expressly prohibited; camping behaviour (chairs, awning, levelling jacks) is not. Do not spend the night at the Danube Sink car park or at hikers' car parks in the Hegau – parts of the landscape are nature reserves.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Danube Sink is most impressive after dry weeks in late summer and autumn; after rain you can hardly see it. Fill up with water and empty your tanks in Donaueschingen before you set off. If you want to see the Aachtopf, fit it in on the way to Singen on the second day.
2Stage 2: Engen to Singen (Hohentwiel) (approx. 40 km)
- The drive
- A loop on narrow country roads through the volcanic landscape: from Engen via Welschingen to Mühlhausen-Ehingen between the Mägdeberg and the Hohenkrähen, west to Hilzingen-Weiterdingen below the Hohenstoffeln, then to Aach and down to Singen. Short hops between the hikers' car parks, some tight passages through the villages, around an hour of pure driving time in total.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Hohenkrähen: a steep phonolite cone with a castle ruin and the legend of the Poppele; a short, steep climb from Mühlhausen.
- Mägdeberg with its castle ruin and a wide view across the Hegau cones to the Untersee.
- Hohenstoffeln: the mountain whose basalt quarrying was stopped in the 1930s after long protests – the quarry faces can still be seen today. Plus the Aachtopf in Aach, Germany's most abundant spring, fed by the Danube Sink.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Motorhome stopover in Singen on Schaffhauser Straße (Camping-Car Park network): a good 20 pitches, open all year, electricity, water and waste disposal, access by barrier and card. Alternatively, the motorhome stopover in Worblingen (municipality of Rielasingen-Worblingen) to the south of Singen.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Hegau volcanic mountains are largely nature reserves. Overnight stays at the hikers' car parks at Hohenkrähen, Mägdeberg and Hohenstoffeln are not intended; fires and tents are prohibited. Use the stopovers in Singen, Worblingen or Engen.
- Insider tip for campers
- The hikers' car parks at the volcanic mountains are small and often designed for cars – with long vehicles, come in the morning or park in the villages. Fuel and groceries are considerably cheaper in Singen than later on at the lake or in Switzerland.
3Stage 3: Singen (Hohentwiel) to Gaienhofen (Höri) (approx. 30 km)
- The drive
- In the morning, walk up the Hohentwiel, then take the B33 to Radolfzell and go round the Zeller See via Moos and Iznang onto the Höri peninsula. The Höri's lakeshore road is narrow and winding and runs through village centres with cycle traffic; slow going at summer weekends. About 45 minutes of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Hohentwiel fortress ruin: the largest fortress ruin in Germany, on the volcanic vent above Singen, with a panoramic view over the Hegau, the Untersee and, when the föhn is blowing, as far as the Alps. There is hardly any parking at the top – park down in Singen, for example at the Festplatz or at the Landesgartenschau grounds, and walk from there, around 35 minutes, to the information centre. Admission charge, seasonal opening hours.
- Mettnau peninsula in Radolfzell: a nature reserve with reeds, fen meadows and an observation tower, plus a lido and lakeside park; Radolfzell's old town with its minster is a few minutes away.
- Gaienhofen: Hesse Museum in the village centre and the Mia-und-Hermann-Hesse-Haus, which the Hesse family had built in 1907, with the garden Hesse laid out himself; the house is privately owned and can only be visited on a guided tour booked in advance or on fixed dates – check beforehand.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Several campsites on the Höri lie right on the Untersee: Campingplatz Horn at the tip of the peninsula near Gaienhofen-Horn, Camping Höristrand between Gaienhofen and Hemmenhofen, and Campingplatz Wangen in Öhningen-Wangen. Electricity, sanitary facilities and lake access; in the summer holidays and at Whitsun the lakeside pitches are often taken months in advance – book early. If you haven't booked, fall back on the motorhome stopover at the Mettnau in Radolfzell (around 30 pitches, electricity, water and waste disposal).
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The shores of the Untersee are almost entirely nature reserve or protected landscape; many lakeside car parks on the Höri have motorhome bans or overnight parking bans. Free camping by the lake is not an option here.
- Insider tip for campers
- On the Hohentwiel, early morning is worth it: fewer people, clearer views. On the Höri many cyclists ride on the road – be patient when overtaking. If you want to explore the Höri without a vehicle: a lakeshore cycle path links the villages, and in summer boats cross the Untersee. The island of Reichenau and Konstanz on the other side of the lake are covered in the CampingSpirit guide “Lake shores, onion domes and Baroque churches – by camper from Konstanz to Sigmaringen” on Lake Constance and Upper Swabia.
4Stage 4: Gaienhofen to Stein am Rhein (CH) (approx. 15 km)
- The drive
- Via Hemmenhofen and Wangen to Öhningen, then across the border into Switzerland (canton of Schaffhausen) at Stein am Rhein. A short stage on the narrow lakeshore road, with a customs post on the edge of town. No vignette is needed for this route as long as you don't use a motorway or expressway.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Museum Haus Dix in Hemmenhofen: Otto Dix's home and studio with a view over the Untersee, open seasonally.
- The Höri's lidos – for example in Hemmenhofen and Wangen – with a shallow entry into the Untersee; the water is warmest in late summer.
- Stein am Rhein: the town hall square with painted façades, St. Georgen monastery, and on foot up to Hohenklingen castle above the little town, with a view of the Rhine flowing out of the Untersee.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping Wagenhausen on the south bank of the Rhine, around 1 km west of Stein am Rhein (canton of Thurgau): electricity, sanitary facilities, water and waste disposal, Rhine access; book ahead in season. You can reach the old town on foot or by bike across the Rhine bridge.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Switzerland, cantons and municipalities regulate overnight stays; around Stein am Rhein and along the Rhine, signs mark many car parks as day-only. Plan on established pitches.
- Insider tip for campers
- The old town of Stein am Rhein is narrow for through traffic and partly closed – park your camper in the signposted car parks on the edge and walk. The access road to Hohenklingen castle is narrow and steep; on foot the climb from the old town takes about half an hour. Have francs or a card ready for parking meters – euros are not accepted everywhere.
5Stage 5: Stein am Rhein (CH) to Schaffhausen and Rhine Falls (CH) (approx. 25 km)
- The drive
- On main road 13 along the south bank of the Rhine via Wagenhausen and Diessenhofen to Schaffhausen, then on to Neuhausen am Rheinfall. A well-built country road through meadows and woodland with views of the river, about 35 minutes. Note: the Schaffhausen bypass is a national road (A4) and requires a vignette – if you don't have one, drive through the town.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Rhine Falls near Neuhausen: the most powerful waterfall in Central Europe, at its mightiest in early summer after the snowmelt. Viewing platforms at Schloss Laufen on the south side, boats to the rock in the middle.
- Schaffhausen's old town with oriel windows and painted houses, and above it the Munot, a circular fortress with views over the Rhine.
- Museum zu Allerheiligen in the former monastery in the heart of the old town.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping Schaffhausen (Freizeitanlage Rheinwiese) on the bank of the Rhine in Langwiesen (municipality of Feuerthalen, canton of Zurich), a few kilometres upstream of the old town, with a lawn for sunbathing by the Rhine; check the season, facilities and length limits beforehand. By bike or bus you can reach Schaffhausen and the Rhine Falls without hunting for parking.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): At the Rhine Falls there are large pay car parks that also take motorhomes; overnight stays are not intended there. In Schaffhausen and Neuhausen, overnight parking bans for motorhomes are signposted at many car parks.
- Insider tip for campers
- Visit the Rhine Falls early in the morning or in the evening – during the day the coaches arrive. The multi-storey car parks in Schaffhausen have height restrictions; with a camper, use the designated car parks on the edge of town or cycle in from the campsite. Diesel and groceries are usually more expensive in Switzerland – shop in Germany beforehand.
6Stage 6: Schaffhausen (CH) to Gailingen am Hochrhein (approx. 15 km)
- The drive
- Upstream along the north bank to Büsingen, the German exclave in the middle of the canton of Schaffhausen, and on across Swiss territory near Dörflingen and over the border to Gailingen. Narrow, winding roads with cycle traffic, around 25 minutes. There is no customs check between Schaffhausen and Büsingen; before Gailingen you pass the customs post back into the EU.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Büsingen am Hochrhein: a German municipality but Swiss customs territory – payment is usually in francs, cars carry their own registration code (BÜS), and St. Michael's church stands on a spur above the Rhine.
- Gailingen: the Jewish Museum and the Jewish cemetery recall the village's once large Jewish community.
- Diessenhofen opposite Gailingen: walk across the covered wooden bridge into the small Thurgau town with its Siegelturm and Rhine promenade.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Motorhome stopover at the lido in Gailingen, right on the Rhine, around 20 pitches; check facilities and fees with the municipality. Alternatively Johannihof near Gailingen, or back to one of the campsites near Stein am Rhein.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Büsingen belongs to Swiss customs territory; Swiss customs and VAT rules apply there. The bank of the Rhine between Büsingen and Gailingen is largely protected, and free camping by the river is not intended.
- Insider tip for campers
- At the Gailingen lido, a swim in the Rhine is worth it in summer – the current is strong, so only get in at the designated spots. If you go back and forth between Büsingen and Germany, you cross a customs border each time: purchases from Büsingen are Swiss goods and count towards the German duty-free allowances on entry.
7Stage 7: Gailingen am Hochrhein to Blumberg (Wutach Gorge) (approx. 45 km)
- The drive
- Via Gottmadingen and Hilzingen to Tengen and through the hilly border country along the Randen to Blumberg. Country roads without narrow sections, but with some steeper stretches, around an hour of pure driving time. The route stays on German territory if you follow the signposts via Tengen.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Tengen: a small old town with a town gate on a rocky spur above the valley.
- Sauschwänzlebahn: the heritage railway between Blumberg-Zollhaus and Weizen with a spiral tunnel, loops and viaducts, originally built as a strategic railway bypassing Switzerland; steam train rides on selected days in season.
- Wutach Gorge: the hike from the Wutachmühle near Achdorf downstream to the Schattenmühle, around 13 km on narrow, sometimes slippery paths through the deeply cut gorge; return by bus.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Wohnmobilbahnhof Blumberg with around 20 pitches, electricity and water and waste disposal; plus a smaller site at the Sauschwänzlebahn's Zollhaus station and a motorhome stopover in the Achdorf valley near the Wutach Gorge. If you prefer a campsite, stay in Tengen at Hegi Familien-Camping.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Wutach Gorge is a nature reserve: overnight stays, tents and fires are prohibited, dogs must be kept on a lead, and you must not leave the paths. Rangers carry out checks. Spend the night at the designated stopovers in Blumberg or Achdorf.
- Insider tip for campers
- Before the hike, check the state of the paths with the municipalities or the nature conservation authority: after landslides and storms, individual sections, such as the Lotenbachklamm, may be closed – check the current status. Sturdy walking boots, no pushchairs. For the Sauschwänzlebahn, check the timetable and tickets in advance on the railway's website; the Wohnmobilbahnhof is close to Zollhaus station. If you want to continue from here into the High Black Forest, you'll find Feldberg, Titisee and Schluchsee in the CampingSpirit guide to the Black Forest from Baden-Baden to the Kaiserstuhl.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Germany: a single night in the vehicle to restore your fitness to drive is tolerated in car parks where parking is permitted and not prohibited by a sign. Camping behaviour – awning, chairs, levelling jacks, grey water – turns it into camping, which is prohibited outside designated sites. In nature reserves (Hegau volcanic mountains, Mettnau, Untersee shores, Wutach Gorge), overnight stays outside approved areas are ruled out.
- On the Untersee and the Höri, numerous municipalities use signs to exclude motorhomes from lakeside and lido car parks or ban parking at night; checks are carried out mainly during the swimming season.
- Switzerland: overnight stays outside campsites are regulated by the cantons and municipalities. In the cantons of Schaffhausen and Thurgau, overnight bans are signposted at many car parks, especially along the Rhine and at the Rhine Falls. In Switzerland, plan on campsites or official stopovers throughout.
- Apps and directories: park4night and Campercontact for stopovers, plus the stopover pages of the municipalities (Radolfzell, Singen, Gailingen, Blumberg), and for Switzerland camping directories such as TCS or camping.ch.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Water and waste disposal is well provided at the German stopovers on the route (Singen, Radolfzell-Mettnau, Gailingen, Blumberg, Donaueschingen); there are no service points at the lakeside car parks. Empty cassettes and grey water only at service points or on campsites.
- Tap water is drinkable in Germany and in Switzerland; it's best to fill up with fresh water at the stopovers in Germany before you cross the border.
- Gas: in Germany, grey 11 kg exchange cylinders are standard and available at many DIY stores and filling stations; Switzerland uses different cylinder systems and connections. For the short Swiss detours, it's enough to enter with full German cylinders. Autogas (LPG) for refillable cylinders is available at some filling stations in the region; check locations in advance in a filling-station app.
- Shopping and fuel: considerably cheaper in Germany. When entering Switzerland, a duty-free value limit of 150 francs per person per day applies; there are additional quantity limits for meat, butter and cream, oils and fats, alcohol and tobacco. Before travelling, check the current allowances on the website of the Swiss Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG); declare any excess at the customs post.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits in Germany: motorhomes up to 3.5 t 50 km/h in built-up areas, 100 km/h outside, no general limit on the Autobahn (recommended speed 130); over 3.5 t up to 7.5 t 80 km/h outside built-up areas and 100 km/h on the Autobahn; vehicles with trailers 80 km/h outside built-up areas and on the Autobahn, 100 on the Autobahn with Tempo 100 approval. Switzerland: 50 km/h in built-up areas, 80 outside, 120 km/h on motorways for vehicles up to 3.5 t; motorhomes over 3.5 t 100 on motorways. Vehicles with trailers drive at 80 outside built-up areas and 80 on motorways and expressways, or 100 if the towing vehicle is up to 3.5 t and the trailer is approved for it (vehicle registration document). Dipped headlights are compulsory during the day too.
- Swiss motorway vignette: 40 francs, as a sticker or e-vignette (linked to the number plate), valid on motorways and expressways for vehicles up to 3.5 t – so also on the A4 near Schaffhausen. No vignette is needed for the riverside roads between Stein am Rhein, Diessenhofen, Schaffhausen and Büsingen; set your satnav to “avoid motorways”. A caravan needs its own vignette.
- Motorhomes and caravans over 3.5 t pay the flat-rate heavy vehicle charge (PSVA) in Switzerland instead of the vignette, calculated by total weight and duration; it applies to the entire road network and to every day of your stay, even if the vehicle is just parked – so also for the short detour to Stein am Rhein, to the Rhine Falls or through Swiss territory to Büsingen. The performance-related LSVA applies to commercial goods vehicles. Payment is made before entry via the BAZG's “Via” (app or web portal), for individual days or the entire stay; check the amounts there, the minimum charge is 25 francs. Without valid proof of payment you risk a fine and back payment.
- Border: Switzerland is in Schengen but not in the EU customs territory. Carry your ID card or passport, vehicle registration document and proof of insurance; customs may inspect motorhomes. Büsingen belongs to Swiss customs territory. Dogs need an EU pet passport and a valid rabies vaccination.
- Dimensions in Switzerland: maximum 4.00 m height and 2.55 m width. If a rear rack with bikes projects beyond the vehicle, the load must be secured and, where necessary, marked. The blood alcohol limit in both countries is 0.5; mobile phones at the wheel only with a hands-free kit. There are no low-emission zones on this route; in Germany, winter tyres are compulsory in wintry conditions, and on the Baar and around Blumberg roads can become icy early in late autumn.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Swiss francs in small notes and coins – for parking meters, Büsingen, ferries and small shops, even though cards are usually accepted.
- E-vignette or PSVA ticket bought in the “Via” app before the border, plus printed booking confirmations for the campsites on the Untersee.
- Sturdy walking boots with good tread and poles – for the steep paths on the Hohenkrähen and Hohentwiel and the often wet, root-covered trails in the Wutach Gorge.
- Bikes on the rear rack: you'll explore the Höri, the banks of the Rhine and Schaffhausen more easily than by camper, and you won't have to look for parking.
- Water shoes and a swim bag: the lidos on the Untersee are stony, and for swimming in the Rhine at Gailingen or Schaffhausen many people use a waterproof bag as a float.
- Binoculars for birdwatching on the Mettnau and along the Untersee shore, where thousands of waterbirds stop over in autumn.
As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
