Schaffhausen
Switzerland · 403 m
Description
Schaffhausen is the capital of Switzerland's northernmost canton, a territory whose border runs with the German state of Baden-Württemberg along four fifths of its length. Its old town is among the most complete medieval streetscapes in the country, and its defining feature is the oriel window, of which more than a hundred and seventy project from the house fronts, from plain single bays to carved multi-storey turrets. The Haus zum Ritter carries a painted Renaissance facade, and the squares hold stone clock towers and figured fountains. Above the roofs stands the Munot, a circular artillery fort of the sixteenth century, fifty metres across with walls four metres thick, raised under the city architect Heinrich Schwarz along the lines Albrecht Dürer had set out for round fortification. The Rhine Falls lie three kilometres downstream at Neuhausen.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 2 days (optimal 1 day)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – June or September
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Munot Fortress
- Schaffhausen Old Town
- Oriel Windows of Schaffhausen
- Rhine Falls(Day trip)
- Haus zum Ritter
- Fronwagplatz
- All Saints Abbey Museum
- Minster of All Saints
- Vordergasse
- Rhine Promenade
- IWC Schaffhausen Museum
- Rhine Boat Cruise
- Stein am Rhein(Day trip)
- Church of St. John
- Büsingen German Enclave(Day trip)
- Herrenacker Square
Getting there
- Train stations:
- Schaffhausen
- Border town:
- Switzerland