The charming and historic city of Schaffhausen is the capital of the Swiss canton of the same name and is located on the Upper River Rhine between the Black Forest and Lake Constance. It is surrounded by vineyards and forested hills and was founded around a Benedictine monastery in the 11th century on the northern banks of the meandering River Rhine. Today this cosmopolitan city is home to a captivating medieval Old Town, centred around the12th century buildings of the All Saints monastery and overlooked by the impressive 16th century Munot Fortress and the beautiful towers of the 13th century Parish Church of St Johann and the 13th century Minster Tower. The city is also well known for its many fine Guild houses and Merchants houses which are heavily decorated with beautiful external wall frescos, ornate oriels (windows), entrance ways and sculptures, its unique fountains and above all for its proximity to the Rhine Falls which are located only 3 kilometres downstream from the city. This riverside city is surrounded by delightful rural landscapes of fields and forests and the Altstadt maintains an atmosphere of days gone by and constantly re-lives its close connections with the River Rhine.
Scafusun, as Schaffhausen was once known, was established by watermen as a docking point for passengers and goods moving along the river beyond the waterfalls towards Basel. This facility developed into a thriving market town which by 1045 was recognised as a city/state and minted its first coin. By 1050 its importance grew with the establishment of the Benedictine monastery of All Saints, which became the centre of the community. During the 12th century Schaffhausen became an imperial free city through its steady growth as a market centre, and by the early part of the 15th century was ruled by the strong and wealthy Guilds who in 1418 purchased their status of a Free City. As the 15th century progressed Schaffhausen allied itself with neighbouring Swiss confederate states and became an equal member of the Swiss Confederation in 1501. Today the continual growth and subsequent wealth of this early period in its history is reflected in the picturesque streets and buildings of this beautiful and charming old town, leaving evidence for the community of its vibrant and exciting past.
To enjoy historic Schaffhausen, it is best perhaps to take a stroll around the old streets which stand on the banks of the river at the foot of the fortress. Starting at the Munsterplatz you will see the All Saints Minster which was built around 1100 and displays the pure Hirsau style or Romanesque architecture. This complex includes the Minster Tower, which was built around 1200 and has recently been fully renovated and is considered to be one of the most beautiful church towers in Switzerland, the Cloister and its enchanting gardens, and the Herb Garden that is a reconstruction of a medieval herb garden which the monks would have cultivated. There is also the All Saints Museum which displays the archaeology, cultural history, art and natural history of the old town and the region of Schaffhausen. As you walk around you will also find in the Kirchhof Platz the St Johannkirche, which was built in 1248, and on the hill above the Altstadt is the impressive circular 16th century Munot Fortress which is the city’s landmark and home to a small deer farm.
The city was once a fortified enclosure and the Obertor or High Tower formed the western end of the old town, and is the oldest surviving part of the city walls, and the renovated Schwabentor is the northern gate. On the Fronwag Platz you will find the Fronwag Tower with its astronomical clock which was once used to weigh the goods in transit around the waterfall and numerous richly decorated renaissance houses with their oriels and frescoes. The most famous of these houses is the Haus zum Ritter which was built in 1492 and is painted with one of the most impressive Renaissance frescoes north of the Alps, the original of which is located in the All Saints Museum. If museums are your thing there is the Military Museum which is located in the cantonal armoury, the IWC Museum which displays 140 years of watch making, and the Stemmler Museum which is located in the middle of the Altstadt and displays a unique collection of zoological exhibits. There are also several art galleries such as the Hallen fur neue Kunst or New Art Gallery which is a leading museum of European and American art after 1965, the Forum Vebikus, the O Gallery and the UBS Kulturfenster which highlights the works of artists associated with Schaffhausen. Just in case this is not enough, one more thing is the local Observatory.
|