Completely renovated in 2012, the town's biggest museum now sports a cool facade that's half modernist perforated bronze and half 14th-century stone tower. Inside, the wide-ranging historical and cultural artefacts span eight centuries, from the late Middle Ages to the present. Highlights include its gold collection, a late-Gothic banquet room with vibrant murals and a beautifully wood-panelled Renaissance room. For a view out across the town and lake, head up to the top floor of the tower.
Stadtmuseum Rapperswil-Jona
Canton of Zürich
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
![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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29.5 MILES
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…
26.96 MILES
You haven’t really been to Lucerne until you have strolled the creaky 14th-century Kapellbrücke, spanning the Reuss River in the Old Town. The octagonal…
16.26 MILES
This 13th-century church is renowned for its stunning stained-glass windows, designed by the Russian-Jewish master Marc Chagall (1887–1985), who executed…
7.65 MILES
Follow the crowds flowing towards this baroque edifice, the 18th-century handiwork of Caspar Moosbrugger. The interior dances with colourful frescoes,…
16.03 MILES
Zürich’s impressive fine-arts gallery boasts a rich collection of largely European art. It stretches from the Middle Ages through a mix of Old Masters to…
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27.02 MILES
Lucerne’s blockbuster cultural attraction is the Sammlung Rosengart, occupying a graceful neoclassical pile in the heart of town. It showcases the…
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29.67 MILES
This gorgeous little museum is an ensemble of art, architecture and botany, housing a cornucopia of French impressionist art in a stately home surrounded…
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26.61 MILES
By far the most touching of the 19th-century sights that lured so many British to Lucerne is the Lion Monument. Lukas Ahorn carved this 10m-long sculpture…
![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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Nearby Canton of Zürich attractions
0.1 MILES
Rapperswil's Old Town is dominated by the sturdy turrets of its much-photographed 13th-century castle. Climb up to its terrace for views over a jigsaw of…
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This enormous panoramic painting depicts Christ on the cross, with explanations in 13 languages.
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For a fine view over the abbey complex to the surrounding hills, wander through the monastery stables and continue uphill for 15 minutes to this statue.
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Follow the crowds flowing towards this baroque edifice, the 18th-century handiwork of Caspar Moosbrugger. The interior dances with colourful frescoes,…