Stein am Rhein is one of the most beautiful Swiss cities. The medieval urban layout has been preserved here with beautiful, painted tenement houses and half-timbered houses. A hill with a late Romanesque castle rises above the buildings.
The city is situated at the end of Lake Constance, where the Rhine flows out of it. Its history dates back to Roman times, and from the Middle Ages it developed as a Benedictine monastery center with the privilege of minting its own coin and organizing fairs. There was also a port on Lake Constance, which contributed to the development of trade.
Stein am Rhein's biggest attraction is the perfectly preserved Old Town with its frescoed houses. Their facades show genre and biblical scenes, plant and animal compositions, and events from the life of the city. The city center is the Town Hall Square with the Town Hall decorated with paintings, the Steinbock House and the Fountain in the Market Square.
On the lake shore, near the market square, there are buildings of the medieval monastery of St. George, which now houses a museum. You can also visit the Gothic monastery church of St. George and the picturesque monastery garden. The Klingenberg hill with the Hohenklingen Castle, dating back to the 9th century, rises above the buildings. Today, it houses a historical museum.
Stein am Rhein also has the Lindwurm Museum and the Nativity Scene Museum.
