Rapperswil-Jona offers a range of highlights for a stay: urban history, art, seasonal rose gardens and activities on the water.

Castle, Old Town and Cultural History

Rapperswil Castle was built in the early 13th century and redesigned several times over the years. The renovated castle offers visitors an atmospheric tour through its history. Fallow deer have lived in the deer park on the northern slope of the castle hill since 1871. The Old Town tour also focuses on the past: local guides share legends and anecdotes from the city’s history.

The Rapperswil-Jona City Museum presents 800 years of urban and cultural history. It is housed in the Breny House and its adjoining tower in Rapperswil’s Old Town, both of which are part of the local history. Another stop for culture enthusiasts is the Polish Museum in Rapperswil, founded on 23 October 1870.

The Capuchin monastery in Rapperswil was founded in 1602. A guided tour includes the church, the prayer and meditation room, the cloister and the refectory. Guests can also share the daily routine of the ecumenical community, including meditation, meals and working together. The Kunst(Zeug)Haus Rapperswil-Jona has a collection of 7,000 works of art. A refectory is a monastery’s dining hall.

Activities for a range of interests

At Knies Children’s Zoo, visitors can ride ponies or two-humped camels. The activities also offer the chance to learn more about around 380 animals and biodiversity. At the “Himmapan” elephant park, visitors can observe the elephants from above on a wooden bridge. These experiences offer a different focus from a museum or Old Town visit and can help shape your choice of activities.

The Rapperswil-Jona FoodTrail is a self-guided culinary scavenger hunt with five stops. At each stop they successfully reach, participants receive samples from local producers or restaurants. The trail combines exploring with regional tastings, while the Old Town tour focuses on stories about the city’s history.

Roses and paths by the water

A seasonal highlight is the rose gardens near the Capuchin monastery and on the “Schanz”: more than 20,000 roses bloom there from May to October. This gives rose enthusiasts a specific timeframe to consider when planning their trip. The Rapperswil-Hurden wooden footbridge is 841 metres long and the longest wooden footbridge in Switzerland. Rapperswil-Jona is also a starting point for boat trips on Lake Zurich.

Plan your journey

Rapperswil-Jona can be reached by train, bus and boat. Trains run between Zurich and Rapperswil approximately every 15 minutes; check the timetable before your trip. The different modes of transport give you a range of arrival options, so you don’t have to plan around just one way of getting there.

Discover more destinations: Hintergoldingen, Benken, Schänis, Uznach, Amden, Ernetschwil, Gommiswald, Eschenbach.

See the wider travel overview: See-Gaster.