Slow Down in Schaffhausen: A 2-4 Day Guide to Switzerland’s Most Underrated Corner

A lot of tourists only cover Schaffhausen in a quick daytrip from Zurich. And even though that is possible, this region in Switzerland is very underrated and there is a lot more to discover than you can cover in just a couple of hours. So if you have the time and want to slow down in this beautiful corner of Switzerland, here are some tipps from a local who lived there for almost 30 years on what to do in Schaffhausen.

In my opinion, 2 days is the sweet spot to explore Schaffhausen. You can cover the Rhine Falls, Munot, the Old Town and even Stein am Rhein in this time if you plan efficently. But if you have more time and want to slow down, I highly recommend you spend more time there. Schaffhausen is also really popular amongst cyclists so if you want more active holidays, Schaffhausen is the perfect region for that.

This guide doesn’t cover any active activities however, expect for an Adventure Park. If you want to know more about cycling and bike routes in Schaffhausen, you can find a good guide on the website from the tourism board.

Day 1: Explore Schaffhausen

Spend your first day entirely in Schaffhausen. Wander the Old Town properly, this is where taking your time pays off, since the character is in the details: the frescoes, the wells, the wooden shutters. Climb Munot Fortress in the late afternoon, when the light is better for photos. In the evening, the Old Town has a completely different feel once the day-trippers are gone.

Start the morning with breakfast/brunch at Café Vordergasse (or Vordergässli as the locals call it). This beloved café by locals offers full breakfast every day and you will notice that there are always people there. Try their famous Müesli and fresh juices.

What To Do In Schaffhausen

After breakfast you can wander around town and look at all the colorful buildings that Schaffhausen has to offer. Don’t miss all the fountains, churches and archways. Per example:

• Kreuzgang Allerheiligen (Beautiful garden and old church)
• Oberturm
• Schwabentor
• Tell fountain
• Fronwagplatz
• St. Johann Church
• Unterstadt
• Rheinquai

After all that walking you worked up quite an appetite. There are a lot of restaurants around town where you can sit down and enjoy lunch outside. My reccomendations are Barkada (Burger), Theke (Bowls), Mamma Rosa (Pizza), Lemongrass (Thai) and essKultur (Ethnical Food).

How To Get To Munot

Take the afternoon to walk up to the Munot. There are multiple stairways you can take you get up there. There is the Munothaldenweg, Munotstieg or Römerstieg. My suggestion is that you walk up the Munothaldenweg and see if you can spot the deer that live around the Munot. After you climbed the stairs up the Munot you are not done yet. There are no stairs inside the Munot but you still have to talk up to get to the top where you have an excellent view of the city and the Rhine.

Once you have taken it all in you walk back down, but this time, take the other exit that takes you to the vines. These stairs are called the Munotstieg and you will end up in the Unterstadt.

After that you can grab some homemade and fresh ice cream at El Bertin. This is another beloved shop by locals. With the ice cream in your hand walk towards the Rhine and you can either sit down there or if you still have some energy left, walk along the Rhine towards Lindli. This is where locals go to relax by the river or go swimming.

Day 2: Rhine Falls, done properly

Instead of the quick photo-stop version, give the falls a half day. Go early, walk both sides (Neuhausen and the Schlössli Wörth side) and take one of the boats out to the rock platform if you didn’t the first time. Afterwards, walk or take the local bus to Rheinau, a quieter stretch of the Rhine with a riverside monastery, if you want to get off the tourist track.

If you are visiting Schaffhausen with your familiy or want some adventure, there is an Adventure Park right next to the Rhinefall. It’s hidden whithin the forest but there are ziplines that offer amazing views of the waterfall.

If the weather is bad you can visit Smilestones, a Miniature Museum, instead. This is not only interesting for kids, but even as an adult, I enjoyed myself there.

Day 3: Stein am Rhein, the perfect medival town

Take the train or the seasonal boat to Stein am Rhein, one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Switzerland. Its market square is even more painted-facade-dense than Schaffhausen’s, and it’s small enough to see properly in half a day. Use the rest of the day at a relaxed pace, this is a good spot to just sit by the river and get a drink or a sweet treat. If you have kids, there is a huge playground right outside the town and in summer there is even a miniature train for the kids to ride on.

If you want, you can book a tour to learn more about the history about this historic old town. And the history is truly fascinating: Even though Switzerland was neutral during the second world war, Stein am Rhein (just like Schaffhausen) got bombed by mistake.

If you want to explore even further, walk over the bridge to the other side to a little monestary that sits on an island in the river. The island is called Werd and the monestary Wallfahrtskappele St. Omar. It’s free to wander along the gardens. From the town center it’s about a 20 minutes walk.

My tipp to get to Stein am Rhein: Take the train from Schaffhausen to Stein am Rhein in the morning. And then, in the afternoon you can take the boat back to Schaffhausen. It’s a beautiful boat ride down the river. They operate from May to September.

Day 4: Klettgau wine country

This is the day to slow down even further. The Klettgau region, just southwest of Schaffhausen, is one of Switzerland’s lesser-known wine areas, and it’s easy to reach by regional train or car in about 20-30 minutes. It’s known for Blauburgunder (Pinot Noir), which does surprisingly well in this microclimate.

Base yourself in a village like Hallau or Trasadingen, both are within the wine region and have small, family-run wineries you can visit directly, many offering tastings if you call ahead or check for open cellar days. A few options:

• Domaine Bösch (Hallau): a small-group tasting held right in the vineyard, with sweeping views over the Klettgau. Seven wines, roughly 1.5 hours, with the option to add a cheese or meat fondue afterward.
• Weingut Gasser (Hallau): offers a vineyard walk or drive combined with a cellar tour and tasting, paired with local Hallau specialties. They’re flexible on scheduling, any day of the week.
• Wunderstaa Wein (Hallau): a tasting in a vaulted cellar in the medieval village center, 90 to 150 minutes, bookable directly online, in German, French, or English.
• Nägeliseehof (Hallau): a family-run winery growing IP-Suisse-certified grapes, with vineyard walks, picnics, or a fondue evening in their vineyard hut (Räbhüüsli); they even offer overnight stays with wellness if you want to make it a proper stop.

If you’d rather not choose a single winery, the Weinkrone in Hallau is the region’s wine museum and a good starting point, and the Wii-Express, a vintage-car round trip from Schaffhausen through the vineyards with tastings and a meal in Osterfingen, is a nice option if you don’t want to plan the logistics yourself.

You don’t need a car for any of this: Hallau and Trasadingen are reachable by regional train or bus from Schaffhausen, though having one gives you more flexibility to hop between wineries at your own pace.

Looking for a hotel in Schaffhausen? Check out my blogpost on where to stay in this charming old town.