Discover Schaffhausen
A town with Rhine Falls.
An important industrial centre and well-preserved medieval architecture
Schaffhausen, capital of a region of the same name, has an estimated population of 36,400 and is located right next to the shore of the High Rhine. The official language of the canton is German. The old portion of the town houses numerous remains of the medieval past and old-time fortifications, such as the Munot castle and beautiful houses with oriels. Today, Schaffhausen is an important industrial centre, with seats of a number of companies such as the Georg Fischer Group (mechanical industry), BB Biotech, International Watch Co (watchmaking), Furrer-Jacot (silversmithing) and Unilever. The town is also a popular tourist destination. Its centre is only a few kilometres (a 10-minute bus ride) away from Neuhausen am Rheinfall, with the magnificent Rhine Falls. The capital of the canton of Schaffhausen is crossed by EuroVelo 6, a 3653 km long cycling route connecting Saint-Nazaire in France with the Romanian town of Constanţa. The local attractions include Renaissance buildings decorated with exterior frescos and sculptures; fountains, 17th century gabled bourgeois houses with fish-scale tiles or the Munot fortress, Schaffhausen’s symbol towering over the town from a hilltop or the Benedictine monastery of All Saints (today’s historical museum); or the Church of St. John in the old town.
Real estate: living in Schaffhausen
The official language of town and the canton is standard German, but the main spoken language is the local variant of the Alemannic Swiss German dialect. The car-free old town is very lively and offers abundant shopping opportunities. In summertime, the local people swim in the Rhine or enjoy the charms of the surrounding forests of Randen and Reiat, popular hiking destinations. The former All Saints Monastery (Kloster zu Allerheiligen) now houses a museum with a rich programme of exhibitions. The Schaffhausen Jazz Festival and other local festivals attract enthusiasts of different musical genres. The region has a long wine-growing tradition, culminating during events such as the Wiiprob, a tasting of Pinot Noir wines in August held in the cloister of the All Saints Monastery. Fans of ecological transport use bicycle trails or travel by ships along the Rhine. The Zurich-Kloten International Airport can be reached within 30 minutes by car or 40 minutes by train. Property prices in Schaffhausen are rather moderate compared to the rest of Switzerland. Cuisine lovers should definitely try the local speciality, Schaffhauserzungen (kitten tongues), elongated cookies with hazelnuts and almonds and with layers of cream.
