Discover Thal: Vineyard Trail and Old Rhine

Thal is in Switzerland, in the Rorschach constituency of the canton of St. Gallen. Winegrowing, scenery, local history and a variety of leisure activities give a stay here several different focal points. A good place to start is the Thal Vineyard Trail: its twelve stops cover both historic and present-day winegrowing, as well as ecology and geology.

Wine trails and nature along the Old Rhine

The Vineyard Trail is a 2.6-kilometre circular route along the ridge and around the southern side of Buechberg. Allow about one to two hours for this walk, which is suitable for adults and children. The stops cover winegrowing as well as the geology and ecology of the surrounding area. If you take the Vineyard Trail on the climb to Steiniger Tisch, you will find information panels about winegrowing along the way; from there, the views extend over Lake Constance and into Appenzell.

Another option is the 12.0-kilometre “Winter on the Old Rhine” circular hike. It starts and ends at the Thal, alte Post bus stop and reaches the Bisewäldli and Altenrhein nature reserves. At Steiniger Tisch, 565 sandstone steps lead down through the vineyards to Thal. Information panels along the route cover overwintering birds, nature, geology, history and winegrowing. This gives you two different route lengths to choose from: the 2.6-kilometre Vineyard Trail and the 12.0-kilometre circular hike; an approximate walking time is given only for the Vineyard Trail.

Winegrowing and food and drink

The south-facing slopes of Thaler Buechberg provide favourable conditions for growing a variety of grape varieties. At the winery at Steinig Tisch, eight different grape varieties grow on barren, clay-rich soil on extremely steep slopes. The winery also has a dry-stone wall about one kilometre long, brushwood piles and flower mixes, which provide additional habitats for biodiversity. August Rutishauser founded the winery in 1970.

Visitors can tour the wine cellar at the winery at Steinig Tisch, taste the wines and buy them. As an excursion destination, Steiniger Tisch serves Alpine cuisine accompanied by wines from Roman Rutishauser. Winegrowing, wine tasting and a meal are therefore all among the specific experiences related to Thal’s wines.

Museums, architecture and events

The Thal Local History Museum uses exhibition rooms in the old Öchsli in the centre of Thal and presents special exhibitions to the public. Greifenstein Castle was built in 1560 by Dorothea Zollikofer-von Watt. The Altenrhein Market Hall is an architectural project based on the idea and concept of Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

The FFA Museum Altenrhein is dedicated to aviation and motoring history at St. Gallen Airport on the southern shore of Lake Constance. Its approximately 5,000 square metres of exhibition space include, among other things, a flight simulator, a car simulator and a Carrera track, offering experiences for the whole family. Many of the aircraft and vehicles are still airworthy or roadworthy and are maintained at the museum. Tours also cover the history of Altenrhein Airport, which has helped shape aviation over the past 100 years; guides take visitors through the approximately 5,000-square-metre exhibition.

The Thal Thursday Society organises public events, such as exhibitions, excursions, festivals, concerts, theatre performances and talks. Everyone is welcome at its events. The programme ranges from individual cultural events to museum and architecture topics, each offering its own insights into the history and design of the area.

Mystery game, swimming and Lake Constance

KrimiSpass Thal is an interactive crime-solving experience for smartphones. The story centres on a missing professor; allow about two to three hours for the investigation. You can play all year round, at any time of day or night. This makes the game a differently timed activity from the walks, for which route lengths are given.

The Farbmüli bathing facility, “Thaler-Bädli”, is a compact swimming complex for the whole family. It has separate swimming and non-swimming pools, as well as a toddlers’ pool with a small water slide. Lake Constance offers another kind of experience: excursions on the lake are possible from the municipality of Thal. Jägerhaus harbour has 128 berths for fishing boats, motorboats and smaller sailing boats.

Discover more destinations: Steinach, Rorschach, Goldach, Rorschacherberg, Mörschwil

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