Switzerland travel series - part 5 - Stein am Rhein

Let me take you for a walk in one of the most charming medieval towns in Switzerland...

Stein am Rhein

Stein am Rhein is a small town located in northeastern Switzerland where the lower end of Lake Constance becomes again the river Rhine.

It looks like it is very popular to own a boat here 😊

I enjoyed walking along the riverbank and feeding some swans and ducks..

If you like you can take a boat ride to Lake Constance or to Schaffhausen and enjoy beautiful scenery..

Can you see the castle Hohenklingen that I showed you a couple of weeks ago?

We are approaching the town now...

Stein am Rhein is well known for its old stone houses with magnificent painted façades.

The most beautiful frescoes can be found in front of the town hall at Rathausplatz. Each house has a different name as in the past there were no house numbers.

The house on the left is called 'Zum roten Ochsen' (To the red ox)- The fresco on this house was created in 1615. It is based on humanistic themes and designed by A. Schmucker.

The house in the middle is called 'Zum Steinenen Trauben' (To the stone grapes) - The house served as a residential building in the past. The frescoes on the upper floors shows heavily laden carts merchants. On the first floor we can see two men carrying heavy bunch of grapes. Inside of the house is beautifully decorated.

The house on the right serves as a hotel called Hotel Sonne. It is the oldest hotel in the town. It can be easily recognized by painting of laughing sun in the middle of the house.

The house called 'Zum Weissen Adler' (To the white eagle) is considered to be the most beautifully painted house in the town. The fresco was painted in 1520 and the white eagle is its centerpiece.

Let's go to the St. George's Abbey now..

The abbey was founded in the 11th century when Emperor Henry II moved the Benedictine abbey of Saint George from Hohentwiel in Germany to its present location. It is one of the best preserved medieval complexes in Switzerland.

The last major renovation and expansion of the Abbey was done in the 15th and 16th centuries. The monastery was dissolved during the Reformation in 1525 and from then until the 19th century it served as the official residence of bailiffs appointed by Zurich.

The abbey consists of the cloistral buildings including the chapter house, refectories, dormitories, abbot's parlours and abbot's chapel, cloister and the banquet hall.

The banquet hall was acquired in the 15th century. It is famous for its murals which serve as the best examples of Renaissance art north of the Alps. I'll show them to you next time.

Let's have a look through the open door in the back..

There are stairs leading us down to the river. From here we can admire the other side of the town with its small church on the top of the hill.

The water level is very low. Usually I would be already standing in the water..

The atmosphere in the monastery is idyllic. It's so quiet and you can sit there for hours listening to the birds chirping above your head, breathing the fresh air and observing people enjoying various water sports.

But sometimes (like today) it's not for hours but only for a couple of minutes before a very noisy family comes and spoil your moment 😊

Anyway, it's time to go to a museum to show you how wealthy people lived here in the past.

We'll go back to the city through this gate..

It didn't take us long to approach the museum..

Museum Lindwurm

The house Lindwurm was founded in the 13th century and it served as a residential building. It is one of the oldest buildings in the town. Today, the rooms have been arranged in such a way that you will feel like you were transported back to 1850!

The museum was founded by siblings Jacob and Emma Windler who inherited the house in 1945 from their cousin Marie. They came from a once prosperous family of bakers and grain merchants but they went through a hard time in the 19th century.

They both spent their childhood in the house and inheriting it from their cousin meant being able to realize their dream - inhabit the representative townhouse.

Emma devoted her life to the renovation and lived in the house as if it were a museum already..

The siblings founded the Jakob and Emma Windler Foundation in 1972. After Emma's death the foundation received all her wealth.

Are you ready for the tour?

Let's start with the elegant dining room. It looks like it's ready for a delicious lunch to be served. Who wants to join?

I would love to take a nap in one of these beds..

The kitchen is fully equipped. I even found some objects that I remember from my grandmothers kitchen..

Shoes must be kept clean..

Can you imagine sipping your afternoon tea in such room?

Or sitting on this sofa? Before you jump right on it please note that the most of the furniture is original and it is prohibited to touch it..

You can also ask somebody to play the piano while you're sipping your tea..

You have servants to do your laundry and hang it on a line under the roof..

They also prepare your supplies for winter time..

As the family belonged to the bakers and grain merchants there is a big space under the roof full with grain..

While you're sipping your tea your servants are taking care of your house.. There are some chicken and roosters walking around 😊

Can you imagine such life?

It's time to go home now. I hope you have enjoyed our tour today.

Thank you for reading!

Cheers,
Martina

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