A couple of weeks ago, I promised to bring you to the old town of Stein am Rhein, so here we go. Yesterday was one of the last sunny days for the next couple of weeks, so we didn't want to waste it and spent it all outside. Stein am Rhein is one of our favourite places, so we didn't have to think twice before jumping in the car and driving in that direction.
It was a quiet Sunday, and I guess that most people went to the mountains instead. We were considering it too, but in the end we decided to make it more relaxing and spend it close to our home.
Stein am Rhein is well known for its medieval houses with beautifully painted facades. Each house has its own story, and you can book a guided tour to learn more about them. It's one of them most picturesque cities in Switzerland comparable to Lucerne (not by size though)
Majority of houses have a restaurant, a bar or a shop on the ground floor. All of them are bursting with life in summer. Sometimes, it's even difficult to get a table for dinner as everyone wants to enjoy the atmosphere of this fairy-tale like old town.
The town fountain was used to supply water to the inhabitants of Stein am Rhein in the past. Today, it is not only a pleasure for the eyes, but it also is a source of delicious refreshing drinking water (and it's free! 🙂) for visitors. The statue shows a soldier with coat of arms of Stein am Rhein. The fountain is more than 4 centuries old!
The most impressive building on the main square is the Townhall (on the left). It was built in the 16th century. I've visited Stein am Rhein many times, but always only during the weekend, so I didn't get a chance to see it from inside yet.
All events in Stein am Rhein happen in front of the townhall. There is a Christmas market, weekly Saturday market, harvest celebrations, and much more.
Spring is in the air - I like that in Switzerland there are seasonal decorations displayed in many places. Nobody is afraid that it would get stolen, so we can enjoy looking at them.
In a couple of weeks there will be beautiful flowers instead of these tiny stalks.
There are many charming corners such as this.
As soon as there is a bit of sun people start drinking their coffee on terraces. I prefer to wait until it is a bit warmer as drinking coffee in my winter jacket is not so much fun 🙂
During World War II some Swiss cities at the border with Germany were bombed. Stein am Rhein was one of them. Towards the end of the war some buildings in the town were damaged by the Allies. There were several people killed and injured. The pilots claimed that they didn't know that this was already Switzerland. They saw the red squares with white crosses, but didn't know that this was the Swiss flag. Swiss cities were compensated after the war to restore their buildings.
These events are well covered by various museums in the region as this was a horrific experience in the history of neutral Switzerland.
One of the buildings destroyed during the attack is Untertor, also known as The Clock Tower. It is not exactly clear when the original tower was built, but it dates back to at least 14th century. There is a sign on the tower which gives some information about the bombing attack.
Today, the tower serves as one of the entrances to the old town.
The other side of the tower...
As I said... A bit of sun and everyone drinks and eats outside.
One of the most interesting buildings in Stein am Rhein is Hexenturm, or The Witch tower. The tower was used as a jail for women and men who were suspected of sorcery and witchcraft. There were many people executed at that time.
I love the typical architecture of these medieval houses.
Can you see the castle on top of the hill? This is where I will take you next time 🙂
Until then...