Rapperswil is an old medieval town in the Canton of St. Gallen , on Lake Zurich. However, most visitors who come here focus their attention and time on the small Rapperswil, a town with an old heart and an interesting medieval historic center. However, the whole area around the town offers many options for sports and outdoor activities lovers both during summer and winter. We were here last spring, with the aim of getting to know this area by visiting the city and the small island of Ufenau , which is located in Lake Zurich just in front of the town and is easily accessible by boat.
In this article we tell you about our visit and give you some useful tips for your stay. We reach Rapperswil on a sunny Sunday in mid-April. As always, to get here we choose public transportation and specifically a direct train that takes us from Lucerne to the city in about an hour and a half.
To be honest, the train ride is in itself an experience worth trying , both because of the beauty of the area around Lake Zurich and because of the particular route that the train line follows which, at a certain point, crosses the lake on a narrow embankment. Upon arrival, we are greeted by a lively and dynamic city β despite it being Sunday morning β and a peaceful lakefront. Strolling here is really pleasant! So we decide to start right from here, from the lake, our itinerary in the historic center.
However, at the same time, we suggest you include these must-see attractions in your itinerary:. Built between and , the building stands on a hill in the center of the city and is worth a visit for the magnificent view it offers over the old town, Lake Zurich and the mountains that surround the area.
Walking towards the entrance of the castle, take a few minutes to look at the two sides of the hill on which it stands: while on the southern side you will find the oldest vineyard of Lake Zurich, still productive today, on the opposite side you can see the deers that, since , live in this area, protected and photographed as real celebrities.
