The agglomeration of Rapperswil-Jona was created in 2007 following the merger of the municipalities of Rapperswil and Jona (named after the river that crosses it). This city of 27,000 inhabitants, the second largest in the German-speaking canton of St. Gallen, is located on the north shore of Lake Zurich. It is 35 minutes from the regional metropolis and one hour from St. Gallen. Today it is an important regional economic center, home to companies such as Wicor, (insulators and synthetics), Graf, (components for textile machines), Geberit, (sanitary equipment), Pestalozzi, (steel manufacturing). Rapperswil University of Applied Sciences welcomes students on a beautiful campus near the lake. The city is closely linked to the Knie Circus which holds its winter quarters here. Public transport, city trains and buses, and motorway links serve the city and provide connections to Zurich, Bern and Basel. To see: the medieval old town; the castle ; the many churches and chapels and the pedestrian bridge, the longest wooden bridge in Switzerland, which allows you to cross the other side of the lake on foot.
Rapperswil-Jona is nicknamed "the city of roses". This flower appears on its coat of arms and municipal gardeners lovingly maintain the rose beds that illuminate the squares and the three rose gardens. Rapperswil-Jona has also been a popular holiday resort for a long time on the shores of Lake Zurich. It was probably no coincidence that Carl Jung, the famous Swiss psychiatrist, had settled nearby in Bolligen. In the old town of Rapperswil with its well-preserved building heritage, many shops invite you to shop and there are many shopping centers in Jona. Every Friday in the old town a very popular market is the meeting place for the locals. The two cities, merged into one, offer sports and leisure, tourist attractions, cultural life, hiking in the beautiful surrounding landscapes, all in a holiday atmosphere. The locals enjoy the nearby ski resorts in winter, and in the summer there is the beach on the lake shore. You only need to cross it to get to the Aquamare water park located in Pfäffikon on the other side. At the end of August, every year, a dragon boat race takes place on Lake Zürich. Real estate prices in the agglomeration are in the Swiss high average.