Wed 29 May 2002
Stein-Am-Rhein
Posted by Ken Atherton under germany, switzerland
1 Comment
(Logo cleverly swiped from http://www.steinamrhein.ch/)
We stopped at Stein-Am-Rhein on our way home from the Rheinfall, not because we knew much about it, but because our guidebook said it was a good idea to visit during the off season– during the summer, the village receives almost a million visitors.
When we arrived, it was clear why so many people visit.
Stein-Am-Rhein is a small village that spans the Rhein just a few kilometers from the Swiss-German border. Its primary attraction is the old city, which has been preserved to look much the way it did in the 16th century.
1642 map of Stein-am-Rhein (also swiped)
The buildings in the Burgerplatz were painted to describe the families who built and owned them. The building facades form murals on each floor. These paintings have been preserved on the buildings.
Because of this, the town has a definite atmosphere that makes it feel older than many of the nearby contemporary towns.
A view of the street in Stein-Am-Rhein leading to the Burgerplatz
One of the buildings on the square
A close up of one of the murals
A sundial near the square. It’s hard to read, but the date in the upper right hand corner is 1542.
The other reason that people visit the town is that it offers some spectacular views of the Rhein. There are boats that run regular passenger service up and down the river and Stein-Am-Rhein is one of the major stops in the local area.
Sandi got some good pictures from the bridge visible in the map above.
This view is to the southeast.
This is the view to the southwest.
This is the view to the almost directly to the south of the bridge.
Local Tags: expat, germany, ken, rhein, rheinfall, sandi, stein-am-rhein, summer, switzerland
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