Schaffhausen: Old Town, Museums and Munot

When looking for a hotel in Schaffhausen, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on: the Old Town and its museums, the Munot, or a seasonal boat trip on the Rhine. The destinations also differ in their visiting conditions: some areas of the Munot can only be visited on a guided tour, and boat services operate seasonally.

Culture and Architecture in the Old Town

The Museum zu Allerheiligen is located in the heart of Schaffhausen’s picturesque Old Town, in the former Benedictine monastery of Allerheiligen. Under one roof, it presents archaeology and cultural history, a major collection of antiquities, an art collection featuring works by Cranach, Hodler, Vallotton, Otto Dix and Adolf Dietrich, as well as a natural history collection. Its range makes the museum a good choice if you would like to explore several collection areas in one institution.

Schaffhausen’s Old Town is known for its 171 oriel windows. An oriel window is a projecting part of a building and thus a recurring architectural feature. The murals on the Haus zum Ritter are considered the most significant Renaissance frescoes north of the Alps. Twelve guild houses once influenced the development of the city of Schaffhausen. For visitors interested in architecture, this brings together façade design, a single ensemble of frescoes and the former role of the guilds.

The Munot: Publicly Accessible and Guided Areas

The publicly accessible part of the Munot is open to everyone during the day. During opening hours, the casemate, with access from Emmersberg and via the Munotstieg, the spiral ramp and the battlements with toilet facilities are freely accessible to the public. As opening hours may change, check them before your visit.

The underground passage and the rampart walk are different: these areas are not generally open to the public and can be visited on tours led by the Munot warden. If you specifically want to see these areas, plan the guided tour as a separate part of your visit.

IWC Museum: Watches and Getting There

The IWC Museum offers a different focus: it brings the history of the largest watch manufacturer in German-speaking Switzerland to life using multimedia. The exhibition includes more than 230 exhibits; the exact number may change.

The museum is about a ten-minute walk from Schaffhausen railway station. You can also reach it by taking bus route 6 to the “Rhybadi/IWC” stop. Check the current service before travelling by bus, as routes and stops may change.

Rhine Boat Trip to Stein am Rhein

A Rhine boat trip from Schaffhausen goes as far as Stein am Rhein. Passengers can briefly visit the Old Town there before returning to Schaffhausen on the return boat. As the boat trip operates seasonally, check the dates before travelling.

The Canton as a Geographical Setting

The canton of Schaffhausen lies almost entirely on the right bank of the High Rhine and west of Lake Constance. About 45 percent of its area is used for agriculture, and a further 43 percent or so is forested. These cantonal figures complement the urban perspective with a broad overview of the area’s location and land use.

Discover more destinations: Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Schleitheim, Beringen, Trasadingen, Hallau

Return to the regional travel overview: Schaffhausen.