Stein am Rhein

Stein am Rhein stands where the Rhine leaves Lake Constance, and its centre is one long square and a couple of lanes of houses painted from ground floor to gable. The frescoes are mostly sixteenth-century in origin and much restored, full of biblical scenes, coats of arms and figures named after the houses themselves. Oriel windows in carved wood project over the street, and the whole set is small enough to take in slowly on foot. On the riverbank stands the former Benedictine monastery of St George, with a cloister and painted halls, and above the town Hohenklingen Castle looks over the vineyards and the lake.

What you actually see

• Rathausplatz - the painted house fronts and carved oriel windows along the main square.
• St George's Abbey - the former Benedictine monastery on the river, with cloister and painted rooms.
• Hohenklingen Castle - the hilltop tower above the vineyards, reached by a walk of about half an hour.
• The river bank - the wooden bridge, the boats and the low green water leaving the lake.

When to go

May to September for the boats between Schaffhausen and Constance, which are the best way to arrive. Mornings and evenings belong to the town, since coach groups and boat passengers arrive in the middle of the day and mostly leave again by late afternoon. Autumn brings the vineyard colour without the queues.

Honest expectations

The centre is very small and can be walked out in under an hour, so it works better with the boat trip or the castle walk attached. It is heavily geared to visitors, with souvenir shops in the painted houses and prices to match. The frescoes are repainted rather than original, which some people find disappointing when they get close.

Nearby

Lake Constance begins just upstream, and Schaffhausen with its fortress is a short ride down the river.