Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Schaffhausen is the kind of quaint medieval town one more readily associates with Ger-
many - no coincidence, given how close it is to the border. Ornate frescos and oriel bay
windows grace the pastel-coloured houses lining the pedestrian-only
Altstadt
(Old
Town).
Sights
Opening hours are given for high season (April through October); many sights have re-
duced hours at other times.
VORSTADT
Schaffhausen is often nicknamed the
Erkerstadt
because of its 170
Erkers
(oriel bay win-
dows), which citizens built as a display of wealth. One of the most noteworthy windows
belongs to the 17th-century
Zum Goldenen Ochsen
(Vorstadt 17)
, whose frescoed facade
displays, among other things, an eponymous Golden Ox. The 16th-century
Zum Grossen
Käfig
(Vorstadt 45)
presents an extraordinarily colourful tale of the parading of Turkish sul-
tan Bajazet in a cage by the triumphant Mongol warrior leader Tamerlane. The centuries-
old frescos were freshened up in 1906.
A block east, the eye-catching
Haus zum Ritter
(Vordergasse 65)
, built in 1492, boasts a
detailed Renaissance-style fresco depicting, you guessed it, a knight.
| Neighbourhood
FRONWAGPLATZ
Vorstadt meanders south past the 16th-century
Mohrenbrunnen
(Moor Fountain) into the
old market place, Fronwagplatz. At the southern end stands the
Metzgerbrunnen
(Butcher's Fountain) and there's also a William Tell-type figure and a large clock tower.
Facing the latter is the late baroque
Herrenstube
(Fronwagplatz 3)
, which was built in 1748
and was once the drinking hole of Schaffhausen nobles.
| Square
ALLERHEILIGEN MÜNSTER
(All Saints' Cathedral; Münsterplatz; 10am-noon & 2-5pm Tue-Sun)
Schaffhausen's church was
completed in 1103 and is a rare and largely intact specimen of the Romanesque style in
Switzerland. It opens to a beautifully simple
cloister
(
| Cathedral
7.30am-8pm Mon-Fri, from 9am Sat &
Sun)
, which has gardens that seem like a tangled forest.
HERRENACKER
Framed by pastel-coloured houses with steep tiled roofs, this is one of Schaffhausen's
prettiest squares.
| Square
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