Must-see attractions in Northeastern Switzerland

  • SWITZERLAND - JANUARY 01:  Library of the monastery St. Gallen, Switzerland. 2000 hand writings, 1635 incunable and almost 100.000 books. The library was built between 1758 and 1767 und richly decorated.  (Photo by Imagno/Getty Images) [St. Gallen, Schweiz: Ehemaliges Benediktiner-Kloster. Stiftsbibliothek mit 2000 Handschriften, 1635 Wiegen- und Fruehdrucken (Inkunabeln) und schliesslich 100.000 Buechern, 1758-1767 erbaut und kunstvoll ausgestattet.   Stift St. Gallen: 612 Zelle des hl. Gallus, eines Gefaehrten Columbans, 719 wird durch den hl. Otmar das Kloster errichtet, das 747 die Regel Benedikts annimmt, 1805 saekularisiert.]
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Abbeys, Architecture, Books, Interiors, Libraries, Photo tgg06/01

    Stiftsbibliothek

    Northeastern Switzerland

    If the greatest masterpieces on earth are wrought for the glory of God, St Gallen’s Stiftsbibliothek (Abbey Library), is like a living prayer. Religious…

  • Rhine Falls with Laufen Castle in Neuhausen am Rheinfall.

    Rheinfall

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Ensnared in wispy spray, the thunderous Rheinfall might not give Niagara much competition in height (23m), width (150m) or even flow of water (700 cu…

  • Kloster Allerheiligen, a former Benedictine monastery in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.

    Allerheiligen Münster

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Completed in 1103, Schaffhausen’s cathedral is a rare, largely intact specimen of the Romanesque style in Switzerland. It opens to a beautifully simple…

  • The Munot medieval circular fortification in the center of Schaffhausen on the High Rhine in Switzerland.

    Munot

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Steps lead up through terraced vineyards to this fine specimen of a 16th-century fortress. The unusual circular battlements were built with forced labour…

  • Stein Am Rhein, Switzerland - October 2019: Preserved historic buildings at Rathausplatz, a town square in old small city of Stein Am Rhein, Switzerland.; Shutterstock ID 1551347360; purchase_order: 65050; job: ; client: ; other:
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    Rathausplatz

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Often hailed as Switzerland’s most beautiful town square (no mean feat!), the elongated Rathausplatz often elicits little gasps of wonder because it's so…

  • Vorstadt street in Schaffhausen.

    Vorstadt

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Schaffhausen is often nicknamed the Erkerstadt because of its 171 Erker (oriel bay windows), once a status symbol of rich merchants. Some of the most…

  • The ornate decorations of the St. Gallen Cathedral Interior.

    Dom

    Northeastern Switzerland

    St Gallen's twin-towered, mid-18th-century cathedral is only slightly less ornate than the world-famous Stiftsbibliothek library nearby. The cathedral…

  • Winter in the Swiss Alps, Flumserberg, St.Gallen, Switzerland

    Flumserberg

    Northeastern Switzerland

    For a little Alpine fun, take the winding mountain road to Flumserberg, perched high above the lake and facing the impenetrable rock wall of the…

  • Swiss tectonic arena Sardona with Glarus Thrust in Switzerland.

    Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Centred on the peak of Piz Sardona, this nature reserve has held Unesco World Natural Heritage status since 2008. A geologist's dream come true, it's one…

  • The old town of Appenzell.

    Altstadt

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Set against a backdrop of rolling hills that rise to rugged mountains, Appenzell's Altstadt is Grimm fairy-tale stuff. The carved gabled houses that grab…

  • Typical wooden houses Sankt Martin, Walser settlement, in Calfeisental, Switzerland.

    St Martin im Calfeisental

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Located at 1350m, this stuck-in-time Walser-speaking hamlet is great for slipping off the map for a while, with its ludicrously picturesque cluster of…

  • Seerenbachfälle, waterfall in Switzerland.

    Seerenbachfälle

    Northeastern Switzerland

    This series of three colossal waterfalls, thundering 585m from top to bottom, is fuelled by underground rivers running through the mountain rock from as…

  • Rhine Falls with Laufen Castle in Neuhausen am Rheinfall.

    Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Looking proudly back on 1000 years of history, the medieval Schloss Laufen offers a close-quarters view of the Rheinfall cascade. You can buy a ticket at…

  • Appenzeller Schaukäserei

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Cheese-lovers won't want to miss out on a visit to this dairy, where an iPad tour gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the cheesemaking process,…

  • Appenzell Museum

    Northeastern Switzerland

    This heritage museum gives the inside scoop on rural life and folk traditions in Appenzell. Occupying seven floors, it displays beautifully painted wooden…

  • Taminatal

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Jewel-coloured Alpine lakes, a fast-flowing river and a striking mountain backdrop make this valley worth a detour. It mixes high pastureland with dense…

  • Fronwagplatz

    Northeastern Switzerland

    At the very heart of the Altstadt lies this square, flanked by ornate facades. The 16th-century Mohrenbrunnen marks the northern end of the old…

  • Textilmuseum

    Northeastern Switzerland

    St Gallen has long been an important hub of the Swiss textile industry, and this museum pays homage to that tradition. The collection brings together many…

  • Schloss Arenenberg

    Northeastern Switzerland

    France’s Napoleon III grew up at this handsome, powder-puff-pink mansion with beautiful grounds on Lake Constance. The little chateau dates to the 16th…

  • Markthalle Altenrhein

    Northeastern Switzerland

    The wacky creation of Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928–2000), who once called the straight line 'godless', this market hall bears his…

  • Museum zu Allerheiligen

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Entered via the cathedral cloister, the Museum zu Allerheiligen showcases treasures from Schaffhausen fossils to Etruscan gold jewellery. The art…

  • Pfarrkirche St Mauritius

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Looking back on almost 1000 years of history, Appenzell’s church is easily identified by its whopping great late-Gothic bell tower, embellished with a…

  • Appenzeller Volkskunde Museum

    Northeastern Switzerland

    This folklore museum, its collection spanning everything from pastoral paintings to embroidery, provides an insight into rural Appenzell life. From April…

  • Werdenberg

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Blink and you’ll miss this village and that would be a shame! Founded in 1289, it is said to be the oldest settlement of timber houses in Switzerland. The…

  • Kunstmuseum Appenzell

    Northeastern Switzerland

    In a town as deeply traditional as Appenzell, this startlingly modern gallery, with its metallic facade and zigzag design, comes as quite a surprise…

  • Gigerwaldsee

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Shimmering a startling shade of turquoise, the fjord-like Gigerwaldsee reservoir is flanked by sheer-sided, wooded mountains and laced with waterfalls. A…

  • St Laurenzen-Kirche

    Northeastern Switzerland

    St Gallen’s cathedral gets all the attention, but this Protestant neo-Gothic church is also beautiful, with its mosaic-tiled roof, delicate floral frescos…

  • Stadtlounge

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Quite astonishingly, part of historic St Gallen is covered by a rubberised red tennis-court coating, with in-situ outdoor-furniture-like chairs, sofas and…

  • Brauquöll Appenzell

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Pure local spring water goes into the refreshing Appenzeller Bier that's brewed here. The hands-on visitor centre whisks you through brewing history and…

  • Hauptgasse

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Appenzell's main pedestrian drag is a stunner, lined with lavishly muralled facades and shops selling everything from folk costumes to local cheese and…

  • Historisches Museum

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Housed in 16th-century Schloss Arbon, this museum races you through 5500 years of history, from the Stone Age to the 18th-century linen trade. Among the…

  • Klostermuseum St Georgen

    Northeastern Switzerland

    This monastery museum sits between the Rathaus and the Rhine. A Benedictine monastery was built here in 1007, but what you see today, including the…

  • Oberblegisee

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Formed by glacial moraine, this vivid blue lake is reached via a beautiful mountain trail from Braunwald. The moderate, 3½-hour walk leads through meadows…

  • Mohrenbrunnen

    Northeastern Switzerland

    The 16th-century Mohrenbrunnen (Moor's Fountain) marks the north end of the old marketplace. The polychrome statue shows the Moorish king Caspar, one of…

  • Metzgerbrunnen

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Marking the southern end of Fronwagplatz, the 16th-century Butcher's Fountain depicts a gallant-looking soldier bearing a sword and a shield emblazoned…

  • Zeppelin Museum

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Friedrichshafen will forever be associated with the Zeppelin, the cigar-shaped craft that made its inaugural flight in 1900. The Zeppelin Museum traces…

  • Piz Sardona

    Northeastern Switzerland

    A glacier spills down the eastern flank of mighty Piz Sardona (3056m), close to the tri-border between the cantons of Glarus, St Gallen and Graubünden…

  • Herrenacker

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Framed by pastel-coloured houses with steep tiled roofs, this is one of Schaffhausen’s prettiest squares. In August it’s an atmospheric backdrop for music…

  • Landsgemeindeplatz

    Northeastern Switzerland

    Appenzell's main square is rimmed with elaborately painted hotels and restaurants. It's a striking backdrop for April's Landsgemeinde cantonal assembly.

  • Zum Grossen Käfig

    Northeastern Switzerland

    The frescos of 16th-century Zum Grossen Käfig present an extraordinarily colourful tale of the parading of Turkish sultan Bajazet in a cage by the…