Rapperswil, Switzerland: The Town of Roses
The skyline of Rapperswil, Switzerland, is dominated by the Schloss Rapperswil, the early 13th century castle that now houses the Polish Museum.
Climb Lindenhof Hill to Schloss Rapperswil for the view of the medieval old town, lake, and Glarus Alps.
Rapperswil, on the east side of Lake Zurich, is a transportation hub, making it easy to board a train for places like Einseideln Abbey or a ferry to Zurich. But first, you’ll want to spend several days enjoying the holiday atmosphere here.
The coat of arms is decorated with roses, and there are three designated gardens that are filled with this fragrant this flower.
It’s a place to stroll the medieval alleyways of Altstadt, German for Old Town.
Many of the buildings in Rapperswil are colorfully painted.
Not to be missed are places like the lofty Herrenberg,
The pedestrian main square, Hauptplatz, is easily recognized by the words that are changed from time to time.
The reconstructed wooden bridge to Hurden is the longest wooden bridge in Switzerland. It is on the pathway used by pilgrims.
and there is a bridge chapel, Heilig Hüsli .
The sign indicates that this is an inn for people on a pilgrimage.
Many other signs are decorative wrought iron.
A deer sign marks the Hotel Hirschen.
It is located by the Fischmarktplatz and Rapperswil harbor, which is specially beautiful at sunset.
There is a lakefront promenade, Bühlerallee, past fortifications that date to the Middle Ages.
Families come to this area to feed the ducks and swans.
There are boat rides on the lake or to Zurich.
The Old Town has an abundance of restaurants and cafés, like the local favorite, Restaurant Falkenburg.
Rapperswil is headquarters of the Circus Knie, which is why you may stumble upon a clown statue…
or a super sized clown shoe.
There is also a Circus Museum and Kinderzoo.
