Things to Do in Schaffhausen, Switzerland

Quick facts: Munot Fortress has an impressive circular stronghold with a diameter of 36 meters and thick walls that were used for the defense of the city. The lookout point on the fortress offers a panoramic view of the Rhine River and the old part of the city.

Highlights: One of the peculiarities are the traditional Munot fair and fireworks that gather locals and tourists every year, while wine tastings are occasionally held in the fortress cellars. Visitors can feel the authentic atmosphere of Swiss medieval defense and architecture.

Quick facts: The mighty waterfalls cascade over a 23-meter-high cliff and are about 150 meters wide. The raging waters downstream reach speeds of up to 150 cubic meters per second during spring.

Highlights: A natural phenomenon where water violently hits the rocks below creates a thick cloud of water droplets that refreshes visitors. By boat, one can approach the very center of the waterfalls, providing a first-hand view of the power of the water.

Quick facts: In the old part of the city, more than 170 multi-layered facades with paintings can be seen, and the 300-year-old frescoes draw attention. This area preserves a unique blend of medieval architecture and narrow stone streets that invite a stroll.

Highlights: The Munot fortress that surrounds the old town is especially charming, with high walls and a view of the city windmill. The old square is full of colorful houses with carvings and hanging arches, creating a feeling as if you have returned to the past.

Quick facts: More than 150 years of precision shape the ticking of the watches produced by this manufacture. Each mechanism is hand-assembled and tested with unprecedented care, which has earned a reputation among collectors worldwide.

Highlights: The interior of the museum hides original sketches and prototypes of watches that were never released for sale, providing a unique insight into the development phase. Visitors can see detailed displays of complex mechanisms through glass showcases lit with soft LED light, which evokes the art of watchmaking.

Quick facts: A medieval fortress clings to a cliff directly above Europe's largest waterfall, where the river drops 23 meters and swells past carrying more than 23,000 cubic feet of water per second in summer. Its timber-framed hall and cliff-edge terrace have hosted visitors to the falls since the late 1800s, when boatmen first rowed sightseers across the churning basin below.

Highlights: Stand on the Känzeli balcony and spray from the 150-meter-wide falls mists your face while the roar vibrates through the rock underfoot. In the sunken cellar, an old iron bucket hoist recalls the 1905 contraption that hauled guests and their luggage straight up the cliff face.

Quick facts: A steep vineyard-hugging path climbs to this medieval hilltop fortress, whose watchtower has looked out over the valley for over 800 years. Climb the old keep, and you can trace the river's course and, far to the south, the pale spine of alpine peaks.

Highlights: The vaulted knight's hall doubles as a wedding venue, and newlyweds clink glasses straight from a wine cellar tucked into the medieval walls. As dusk nears, the terraced vines ignite in coppery light, and the tower's shadow stretches clear across the valley to the far hills.