Switzerland7-Northeastern Switzerland - John Covey - University of ...

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274 NORTHEASTERN SWITZERLAND KLETTGAU SYHA hostel (%052 659 61 52; www.youth hostel.ch/dachsen; dm Sfr28.50-36). Most views of the falls are free, but to get close up to the rushing waters on the south side of the falls, you pay Sfr5 for an adult and Sfr3.50 for a child at the Schloss Laufen souvenir shop (open daily) to descend the staircase to the Känzeli viewing platform. During summer, ferries (www.maendli.ch, in German) fl it in and out of the water at the bottom of the falls. Some merely cross from Schloss Laufen to Schlössli Worth (adult/ child Sfr2/1) but the round trip that stops at the tall rock in the middle of the falls (adult/ child Sfr8/4), where you can climb to the top and watch the water rush all around you, is far more fun. For an above-the-treetops perspective of the falls, visit the new Adventure Park (www.ap-rheinfall.ch, in German; adult/child Sfr40/26; %10am-7pm Mon-Sun Apr Oct), one of Switzerland’s biggest rope parks, with routes graded according to diffi culty. To get to the Rheinfall, you can catch bus 1 or 6 from Schaff hausen train station to Neuhausen Zentrum (Sfr3, 13 minutes), then follow the yellow footprints to a point where you can go right towards Schlössli Worth or left across the combined train and pedestrian bridge to Schloss Laufen. If you come by train from Schaff hausen or Winterthur to Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall (April to October only), you’ll need to climb the hill to the castle. By car, you’ll pull up in the car park behind the castle. Klettgau West of Schaff hausen spreads the red-wineproducing territory of Klettgau, which spills over into neighbouring Germany. Like sheets of corduroy, the serried ranks of mostly Pinot Noir vineyards are draped over pea-green fi elds and gentle rises. Sprinkled about this soothing countryside are engaging villages. The most striking is the medieval Neunkirch, 13km from Schaff hausen. Others worth passing through include Beringen, Hallau and Osterfingen. Some of these slow-paced hamlets come to life in mid-October for wine festivals. In particular, look out for Osterfi ngen’s Trottenfest (www.trottenfest.ch, in German), when vintners throw open their doors for tastings. If you come at any other time, head for Bad Osterfingen (%052 681 21 21; Zollstrasse; mains Sfr30-45; hlunch & dinner Wed-Sun), where you’ll be regaled with hearty local cooking and the best Spätzli (egg noddles) around for miles. Buses from Schaff hausen serve these villages. Stein am Rhein POP 3200 / ELEV 407M Stein am Rhein looks as though it has leaped out of the pages of a Swiss fairy tale, with its miniature steam train, leafy river promenade and gingerbready houses. The eff ect is most overwhelming in its cobblestone Rathausplatz, where houses of all shapes and sizes, some half-timbered, others covered in frescos line up for a permanent photo op. Why isn’t this place on Unesco’s World Heritage list? 1 Sights & Activities Look out for daredevil kids diving from the bridge into the Rhine as you wander along the leafy river promenade. If you’d rather paddle along it, the SYHA hostel rents out canoes and kayaks for Sfr27 and Sfr36 respectively per day. Rathausplatz SQUARE Often hailed Switzerland’s most beautiful town square (no mean feat!), the elongated Rathausplatz is picture book stuff . The fresco-festooned Rathaus (town hall) soars above the 16th-century houses named according to the pictures with which they are adorned, like Sonne (Sun) and Der Weisse Adler (The White Eagle). Museum Lindwurm MUSEUM (www.museum-lindwurm.ch; Unterstadt 18; admission Sfr5; h10am-5pm Mon-Sun Mar-Oct) A four-storey house has been converted into this museum, whose living rooms, servants’ quarters and kitchen replicate the conditions enjoyed in the mid-19th century by a bourgeois family. Klostermuseum St Georgen MUSEUM (adult/child Sfr5/3; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct) Also worth a look is this monastery museum between the Rathaus and the Rhine. A Benedictine monastery was built here in 1007, but what you see today, including the cloister and magnifi cent Festsaal (grand dining room), is largely a late-Gothic creation. 4 Sleeping Given the abundance of gorgeous houses, there’s a disappointing lack of hotels with
MILKY WAY Forget horses, donkeys and llamas; the latest craze to sweep this corner of Switzerland is cow trekking. Yes, cow trekking. And it’s all thanks to the madcap brainwave of local farmer Heinz Morgenegg, who runs the Bolderhof (%052 742 40 48; www.bolderhof.ch) in Hemishofen, 3km west of Stein am Rhein. Today, cow trekking is part of the Morgenegg family’s experiential approach to organic dairy farming, which includes farm Olympics, cheese-making workshops and cow-drawn carriage rides. Simply pick your brown-eyed beauty – with names like Umbra, La Paloma and Oklahoma – saddle up and ride at cow pace through bucolic countryside to the banks of the Rhine. The cows can sense a soft touch and have been known to suddenly make a sprint for the freedom of a meadow full of luscious grass, so a fi rm hand (and riding crop) is needed. A 1½-hour jaunt costs Sfr90 per person, a half-day trek including a picnic Sfr150 per person. character in town. You may be better off fi nding private lodgings through the tourist offi ce. S YHA hostel HOSTEL $ (%052 741 12 55; www.youthhostel.ch/stein; Hemishoferstrasse 87; dm Sfr30-32.50, s/d/q Sfr42/73/146; Wc) On the banks of the Rhine, this neat-and-tidy hostel has attractive gardens, a barbecue area, playground and canoe hire. It’s a 15-minute stroll northwest of Rathausplatz. Hotel Adler HOTEL $$ (%052 742 61 61; www.adlersteinamrhein.ch; Rathausplatz 2; s/d Sfr130/185; W) Behind the frescoed exterior lie simple yet comfortable rooms. The location on Rathausplatz is the big draw. The dining areas have a pleasingly old-fashioned feel about them and the grub, while nothing outlandishly creative, hits the spot. Local fi sh is a safe bet. Rheingerbe GUESTHOUSE $$ (%052 741 29 91; Schiffl ändi 5; s/d Sfr90/60) The rooms in this pretty four-storey house are a little old-fashioned, with dark timber beds and simple furniture. You need to book to get a room with river views. 5 Eating Half-timbered houses serving Swiss grub line the Rhine, but the quality can be hit or miss. Burg Hohenklingen SWISS $$ (%052 741 21 37; www.burghohenklingen.ch; Hohenklingenstrasse 1; mains Sfr39-58 h10am- 10.30pm Tue-Sat, to 5pm Sun) For medieval atmosphere, you can’t beat this 12th-century hilltop fortress, with superb views over Stein am Rhein. Tuck into Swiss classics in the Rittersaal (Hall of Knights). It’s a 30-minute uphill walk from the Old Town. La P’tite Crêperie CREPERIE $ (Unterstadt 10; crêpes Sfr6.90-12.90; h11am-7pm) Mary-Ann is the crêpe queen at this hole-inthe-wall place with a Boho feel. Feast away on her fabulously light crêpes with cheese and Bündnerfleisch (air-dried beef), maple syrup or – what could be more Swiss? – Toblerone. It’s closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays during low season. Rhy Lounge INTERNATIONAL $$ (%052 741 66 70; Öhningerstrasse 10; mains Sfr26.50-46.50; hlunch & dinner Tue-Sat; c) A favourite summertime hang-out for its chestnut-shaded terrace, this sleek bistro and lounge bar is a fi ve-minute walk east from Rathausplatz. The food skips from avocado-shrimp salad to Danish meat balls, and there’s a kids menu. 8 Information The tiny tourist offi ce (%052 742 20 90; www .steinamrhein.ch; Oberstadt 3; h9.30am-noon & 1.30-5pm Mon-Fri) lies east of the central Rathausplatz. MOVING ON? For tips, recommendations and reviews, head to http://shop.lonelyplanet.com to purchase a downloadable PDF of the Austria chapter from Lonely Planet’s Western Europe guide. 275 SCHAFFHAUSEN NORTHEASTERN CANTON SWITZERLAND EATING EATING STEIN AM RHEIN
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