Schaffhausen

City · Canton of Schaffhausen, 🇨🇭 Switzerland

Schaffhausen is a medieval town on the north bank of the Rhine, close to the German border. The old town is car-free and full of painted houses and carved bay windows. A round fortress, the Munot, stands on the hill above it.

The Rhine Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in Europe, lie a few kilometres downstream. Most visitors combine the old town with the falls in one day.

Schaffhausen – Planning a Trip?

Build your day-by-day itinerary in the Tripomatic app.

Start Planning

When to visit

May to September is the best time for the old town, the falls and the Rhine. Summer is warm, and the falls are at their strongest in early summer. Autumn is mild and quiet. Winter is cold and grey, and some boat trips stop. Rain is common in spring and summer.

Select a month

Typical weather in January

Poor

4° (feels like -1°) · extremes -9°–10°
-2° at night
14 rainy days
2 sunny days
3 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Calm winds
UV index 1 · low

Typical weather in February

Poor

6° (feels like 1°) · extremes -11°–13°
-2° at night
12 rainy days
5 sunny days
4 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Light breeze
UV index 1 · low

Typical weather in March

Poor

10° (feels like 6°) · extremes -4°–18°
2° at night
14 rainy days
10 sunny days
6 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Light breeze
UV index 3 · moderate

Typical weather in April

Fair

15° (feels like 12°) · extremes -1°–22°
5° at night
13 rainy days
10 sunny days
7 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Calm winds
UV index 4 · moderate

Typical weather in May

Good

19° (feels like 17°) · extremes 4°–26°
9° at night
18 rainy days
8 sunny days
7 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Calm winds
UV index 5 · moderate

Typical weather in June

Good

23° (feels like 22°) · extremes 8°–29°
13° at night
18 rainy days
10 sunny days
8 hours of sunshine per day
Comfortable humidity
Calm winds
UV index 6 · high

Typical weather in July

Good

24° · extremes 10°–30°
15° at night
18 rainy days
11 sunny days
8 hours of sunshine per day
Comfortable humidity
Calm winds
UV index 6 · high

Typical weather in August

Good

24° · extremes 10°–30°
15° at night
16 rainy days
12 sunny days
8 hours of sunshine per day
Comfortable humidity
Calm winds
UV index 6 · high

Typical weather in September

Good

20° (feels like 19°) · extremes 5°–26°
11° at night
13 rainy days
10 sunny days
6 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Calm winds
UV index 4 · moderate

Typical weather in October

Fair

16° (feels like 13°) · extremes 1°–22°
7° at night
13 rainy days
6 sunny days
4 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Calm winds
UV index 2 · low

Typical weather in November

Poor

9° (feels like 6°) · extremes -4°–16°
2° at night
14 rainy days
2 sunny days
3 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Calm winds
UV index 1 · low

Typical weather in December

Poor

5° (feels like 0°) · extremes -9°–11°
-1° at night
15 rainy days
1 sunny day
2 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Calm winds
UV index 1 · low

Climate data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2) · 1996–2025

Top sights

Munot is a round stone fortress built in the 16th century. You can walk on its roof and climb the Munotturm for views over the town and the Rhine.
Münster Schaffhausen is a Romanesque church in the old town.
Kloster Allerheiligen is a former abbey with a large cloister. It houses Museum zu Allerheiligen, with art, history and archaeology.
Schwabentor is a medieval town gate on the old town wall.
Schillerglocke is a bell linked to a poem by Friedrich Schiller.
Vebikus Kunsthalle Schaffhausen shows contemporary art.

Featured Lists

JoachimKohlerBremen / CC BY-SA 4.0

Schaffhausen Essentials

Schaffhausen is characterized by its well-preserved medieval architecture and the circular 16th-century Munot fortress. The historic core features the Kloster Allerheiligen, a former Benedictine monastery housing a museum and the Romanesque Münster cathedral. Nearby, the Schwabentor gate stands as a remnant of the city's ancient fortifications, while the 15th-century Schillerglocke bell, which inspired Friedrich Schiller’s poetry, remains on display in the cloister garden.

7 places

What to experience

Walk the old town and look at the bay windows and painted houses.
Climb to the Munot for views.
Visit the Rhine Falls from both banks.
Take a boat or cycle along the Rhine to Stein am Rhein.
Swim in the Rhine in summer. Use the marked swimming areas.
Visit the abbey cloister and museum.

Tours & Activities

Schaffhausen — Map

Day trips

The Rhine Falls are about 10 minutes away by train or bus, at Neuhausen. Paths and viewpoints lead to the water. Boats go to a rock in the middle of the falls in season.
Stein am Rhein is a small town with painted façades. It is reached by train or boat along the Rhine.
Zurich is about 40 minutes away by train.
Lake Constance is about 1 hour away.

Getting there

By air: Zurich Airport is the nearest main airport. Trains take about 1 hour.
By train: Schaffhausen is on the line from Zurich. Check times on SBB.
The station is a 5-minute walk from the old town.

Getting around

The old town is flat, car-free and easy to walk.
Local buses link the station with the Rhine Falls and the districts.
Boats run on the Rhine in the warm months.
The Rhine path is good for walking and cycling. Bikes can be rented at the station.

Driving

A car is not needed in the old town, which is car-free.
Car parks lie at the edge of the old town.
The border with Germany is close. Carry your passport or ID.

Food & drink

Try Rhine fish, such as perch and trout. Schaffhausen is known for the Schaffhauser Zungenbrot, a local sweet bread, and for local wine from the surrounding hills. Cheese dishes and rösti are common.

People speak German with a local accent. English is widely understood.

Breakfast

BirchermüesliA raw-oat, fruit, and yogurt breakfast invented by a Zurich doctor around 1900, now standard on breakfast buffets.

Lunch

RöstiA fried, shredded-potato cake, originally a Bernese farmer's breakfast, now a national side dish.

Dinner

Cheese Fondue FondueMelted Gruyère and Vacherin cheese in a shared pot, eaten by dipping bread cubes on long forks.

RacletteCheese melted tableside or under a grill and scraped over boiled potatoes, pickles, and onions.

Zürcher GeschnetzeltesSliced veal and mushrooms in a creamy white-wine sauce, traditionally served with rösti.

ÄlplermagronenAlpine herder's macaroni gratin with potatoes, cheese, and cream, often topped with fried onions and served with apple sauce.

Snacks & street food

CervelatSwitzerland's best-known sausage, usually grilled and often called the country's unofficial national dish.

Sweets & desserts

Swiss Chocolate Schweizer SchokoladeSwitzerland pioneered milk chocolate in the 19th century; look for small-batch chocolatiers alongside the big national brands.

Basler LäckerliA dense, spiced honey-and-candied-fruit biscuit from Basel, traditional around Christmas.

Drinks

Swiss Wine Vin SuisseMostly consumed domestically rather than exported; Valais and Vaud, along Lake Geneva, produce the best-known Chasselas whites.

Safety & health

Schaffhausen is very safe.
The Rhine has strong currents. Swim only in marked areas.
Stay behind the barriers at the Rhine Falls.
Tap water is safe to drink.

History

Schaffhausen grew where boats had to unload before the falls. The town became rich by trade and by moving goods around the rapids. It joined the Swiss Confederation in 1501.

The Munot was built in the 16th century to defend the town. In 1944, American bombers hit the town by mistake. The old town was rebuilt, and many of its decorated houses survive.