Today, it's a public holiday in Switzerland and although we have more than enough to do in the garden we decided to take a day off and spend it in Stein am Rhein. Indeed initially, we planned to go to the garden, but we woke up in a lazy mood, so instead we walked along the river, enjoyed delicious lunch, and did some shopping too. It's been a great day!
It's been 28 degrees Celsius today and it makes me wonder how warm it will become in a couple of months. We expected that the city would be full of tourists, but it's nothing unusual there as it's on the route of the most beautiful places in Switzerland, so many people come here on their trips. On the other hand, Stein am Rhein becomes a ghost town in the winter months as most of the shops and restaurants are closed. Today, it was buzzing with life.
Let me take you around!
Most people come here to admire the painted facades of medieval houses. Each house has a name, and all paintings tell us a story. It's interesting to book a guided tour and learn more. However, you can also look around on your own as there are some signs with interesting details too. Most of these houses are on the main street, but you can see a couple of them close to the river as well.
The restaurants are ready for the summer season. There were not so many people sitting on the terraces yet as we came before lunch. On the way back home the situation was very different and there was not one free table.
It's impossible to decide which house is the most beautiful. Every time I come here I think about picking my favourite one, but it's not possible for me. Each one of them is special and beautiful in its very own way.
We take all our family and friends visiting us to see this place and they seem not to be able to pick a favourite either.
The main street is marked with the town hall on one end and the tower on the other end. Everything in between has a historical value, and you can spend hours and hours learning about each house. If you have enough time there are a couple of museums to visit on the way too.
Heading to the river we crossed a part of the residential area with typical small apartment buildings. It looks like single big houses, but there are a couple of apartments on each floor. We live in a touristic area, but Stein am Rhein is a completely different level and I wonder how comfortable it is to live in a place with so many tourists.
And lunchtime has started...
The side streets were almost empty which is exactly how I like it...
Lunchtime is the best time to walk around 馃槉
You can approach the river from various places, and we decided to go through the monastery. You can go inside to see the collections or you can stay in the courtyard. I would definitely recommend to visit it if you happen to be around.
On the right side you can see the entrance to the monastery. We sat down for a few minutes and enjoyed the atmosphere. The lilacs also smelled so good! 馃槉
Stein am Rhein is well-known for its wine making tradition, and you can find the equipment needed for the harvest inside of the stall. I didn't take any photos as it's really dark in there.
And we're at the water!
It always amazes me that the water here is so clean. When you're here the only thing you want to do is jump in the river, but it's forbidden because of the frequent boat traffic. There are plenty of boats on the way to the lake Constance.
How can they be so strong? They literally grow out of the cracks in concrete...
Some of the views that never get boring...
We took another road back home and saw a church on top of hill. We were not in a hurry, so we stopped there and looked around. We thought that the church would be open, but unfortunately it wasn't, so we didn't get to go inside, but there were some nice views that I would like to show you.
Spring in its full glory - everything looks so fresh and healthy...
We walked around the church, and on the way we saw this cute bell. I can only imagine that it was once hanging in the tower as there was no information written next to it.
The church is in a strange place which belongs to Germany, but it is in Switzerland. It's a German enclave, but you can pay with Swiss Francs, the public transport is from Switzerland and most of the cars parked next to the houses have Swiss licence plates, so I have no idea how this belongs to Germany. Even the flags here show both Germany and Switzerland, plus the flag of the village.
I must admit that I have no idea if we were looking in the direction of Germany or Switzerland, but I think that nobody in this area cares anyway 馃槉
We were getting hungry, so it was time to finally drive home. The days hasn't ended yet, and I guess that we will still go to the garden to get some lettuce for dinner 馃槉
See you next time!
