Easily accessible from either the lovely and nearby Stein am Rhein or Zurich, Schaffhausen is another picturesque medieval town which is mostly known to tourists as the location of the Rhine Falls. The Old Town is beautifully preserved and mostly pedestrian-only which makes wandering around a peaceful and delightful affair.
You’ll see examples of late Gothic, baroque, and rococo architecture as well as some lavishly painted facades (though Stein am Rhein still wins in that category!).
Characterful streets show the many fine guildhouses and merchant’s houses with their oriel windows, a sign of wealth from the Baroque and Gothic period.
None more so than Vondergrass where you won’t be able to miss the frescoed Haus zum Ritter, dating from 1485.
The whole house exterior is covered in Renaissance frescoes and is one of the most important pieces of work north of the Alps. It depicts the adventures of a knight, and while the original is carefully kept in a museum, you can enjoy the colorful reproduction painted in 1942.
There are also plenty of cute little boutiques for shopping and casual cafes to grab a midday meal while people watching.
Café Vordergasse is an art nouveau–style tearoom with a lovely, flowery pavement terrace and a light menu of salads and tartines.
Step slightly outside the pedestrian zone to see more historical landmarks and government buildings.
The Museum zu Allerheiligen is set in a beautiful monastery and is the oldest building in Schaffhausen (around 1000 AD).
Hop on a short bus ride to get to the nature part of your day – the famous Rhine Falls. While the falls are the main attraction here, the riverside landscape along the Rhine is also worth exploring whether by taking a short boat cruise or simply walking on the trails along the river.
The mighty Rhine River is impressive on its own, passing through four countries as it flows from the Alps to the North Sea.
The falls are on a stretch of the river known as the High Rhine where the waters cascade down to a lower level in a spectacular waterfall. The village surrounding it and the creation of Schaffhausen arose where shippers needed somewhere to unload and stack their goods when avoiding the rapids that were impassable for ships.
The Rhine Falls are usually described as Europe’s largest waterfall though it should be noted that many other waterfalls in Europe have greater drops and many are much longer, combining a series of cataracts. With a drop of around 23 metres, across a width of 150 metres, the falls are large and impressive though their main claim to fame is the immense volume passing through – it’s very powerful!
You’ll be able to walk all around and see them from every angle.
Standing high above the falls and hearing their thunderous roar was pretty special, and I imagine they look equally stunning in every season. It sure didn’t beat the waterfalls in Iguazu but they were also much easier to access. 🙂
