Self-Guided Walking Tour in Schaffhausen

A 3.2 km self-guided walking tour through Schaffhausen's medieval centre: 13 stops from the Obertorturm gate tower to the Munot fortress, the painted Haus zum Ritter, and back. The page gives you a step-by-step map, per-leg walking times, real opening hours and prices, and two shorter versions if you are pressed for time.

13 Stops3.2 km~3 hours walking2.5–3.5 hours with stops
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Schaffhausen Walking Tour at a Glance

This loop is built for travellers who want the whole medieval story without rushing: gates, fortress, river, painted facades and churches in the right sequence, with no backtracking. Every interior is optional. Skip the museum, linger on the Munot battlement, duck into St. Johann for a quiet minute; you set the pace, not a guide with a schedule.

StartObertorturm
FinishDiebsturm
Route typeA clockwise loop starting and ending at the Obertorturm. It swings north-east to the Schwabentor, south-east up to the Munot, down to the Rhine at the Rhybadi, then west through the painted Vordergasse and south to the Diebsturm before closing the circle. No backtracking.
Realistic timeAllow about 2.5 hours at a relaxed pace, including the climb up the Munot and a proper look at the painted facades. Add 45 to 60 minutes if you go inside the Museum zu Allerheiligen, and 20 to 30 minutes more on the Munot battlement if you want the full panorama over the Rhine bend.
Difficulty3.2 km total, almost all flat cobblestone through a pedestrian old town. The single real climb is the vine-covered ramp up to the Munot fortress, with stairs as an alternative. Wear flat, grippy shoes: the polished stones are slippery when wet.
Cost to followThe outdoor route is free: both gate towers, the Munot fortress, the Rhybadi, every fountain, both churches and the Haus zum Ritter facade cost nothing. The only paid stop is the Museum zu Allerheiligen at CHF 8. Budget under CHF 10 for everything plus food.
Best for:

Travellers who want the best-preserved medieval centre in Switzerland almost to themselves: quiet lanes, painted facades, a hilltop fortress and the river, all in under three hours and almost entirely free.

The Route

Free Walking Tour Map of Schaffhausen

13 stops3.2 kmabout 3 hours
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The 13 stops along this route

  1. Obertorturm in Schaffhausen, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour
    1Obertorturm
  2. Schwabentor in Schaffhausen, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour
    2Schwabentor
  3. Munot in Schaffhausen, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour
    3Munot
  4. Rhine bath (Rheinbad) in Schaffhausen, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour
    4Rhine bath (Rheinbad)
  5. Schillerglocke in Schaffhausen, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour
    5Schillerglocke
  6. Hallen für Neue Kunst in Schaffhausen, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour
    6Hallen für Neue Kunst
  7. Museum of All Saints (Museum zu Allerheiligen) in Schaffhausen, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour
    7Museum of All Saints (Museum zu Allerheiligen)
  8. Münster Schaffhausen in Schaffhausen, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour
    8Münster Schaffhausen
  9. St. John's Church (Kirche St. Johann) in Schaffhausen, stop 9 on the self-guided walking tour
    9St. John's Church (Kirche St. Johann)
  10. Tellenbrunnen in Schaffhausen, stop 10 on the self-guided walking tour
    10Tellenbrunnen
  11. Missing required field: waypoints[10].image
    11Saturday Market
  12. Haus zum Ritter in Schaffhausen, stop 12 on the self-guided walking tour
    12Haus zum Ritter
  13. Diebsturm in Schaffhausen, stop 13 on the self-guided walking tour
    13Diebsturm
  14. That's the complete route.

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Your Schaffhausen Walking Tour, Stop by Stop

  1. 1

    Obertorturm

    Obertorturm in Schaffhausen, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour

    Start where the old town starts. The Obertorturm is the western gate tower and the oldest surviving building of the city fortifications, first mentioned in 1273 as "zem obern tor." Look at the corner stones: the lower, differently coloured blocks mark the original height before the tower was raised to its present 47 metres in 1513. Every cargo barge coming down the Rhine from Lake Constance had to unload here, because the rapids and the Rhine Falls downstream made the river impassable. Goods were carted up the Vordergasse and out through this gate. That detour is the reason Schaffhausen exists and grew rich. The pedestrian passage you walk through was only cut in 1939. Hours: open 24/7, free, exterior and passage only. Tip: stand back on the western side and look up at the two late-Gothic oriels on the roofline. They set the visual theme for the whole walk, you will see dozens more of these projecting bay windows in the next two hours.

    Hours
    Open 24/7
    Price
    Free
  2. 2

    Schwabentor

    Schwabentor in Schaffhausen, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour

    Head north up through the lanes and you reach the second medieval gate, the Schwabentor, first recorded in 1361 as the "Neuturm." This was the town's northern seal, facing Swabia and the German lands, where the other tower faced the river trade. At 32 metres it is shorter than the Obertorturm but it has the better surviving context: on its western flank a genuine stretch of the old town wall still stands, complete with the covered wallwalk and the Finsterwald corner tower. Walk to that side to see it. Pass through the gate and you step into the Vorstadt, the medieval suburb that grew up outside the wall. Hours: open 24/7, free, exterior only. Tip: read the painted inscription on the gate's town-side face. It is a Schaffhausen dialect rhyme about leaving and returning home, one of those small local touches the rushing crowds never stop to notice. From here you double back and aim for the hill to the east.

    Hours
    Open 24/7
    Price
    Free
  3. 3

    Munot

    Munot in Schaffhausen, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour

    The climb is the only real effort on this walk, and it is worth doing early. A vine-covered ramp leads up the Emmersberg hill to the Munot, the circular fortress that is the city's emblem. It was built through the 16th century out of local Malm limestone, and here is the joke locals love: it was barely finished before military engineers decided the design was already obsolete, and it was only ever used in anger once, in 1799, covering the French retreat from the Austrians. Walk the broad circular battlement for the best panorama in town, the old-town roofs, the Rhine bend, the vineyards across the water. The vaulted casemate inside is dim and atmospheric. Hours: May to September 8:00 to 20:00, October to April 9:00 to 17:00. Free entry. Tip: a watchman still rings the Munot bell every evening at 21:00, a tradition kept since the days when it signalled the closing of the town gates. Come back at dusk if you can. Then take the stairs down toward the river.

    Hours
    May-Sep: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM | Oct-Apr: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Price
    Free
    Website
    munot.ch ↗
  4. 4

    Rhine bath (Rheinbad)

    Rhine bath (Rheinbad) in Schaffhausen, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour

    Down at the water you hit the Rhybadi, a wooden public Rhine bath strung out along the riverbank, built in the 19th century and still in daily use. After the stone of the fortress this is all warm timber, cabins and decks and ladders straight into the green current. In summer locals swim here in the open river, drifting with the flow and climbing out downstream. It is the most everyday, unmonumental stop on this route and that is the point: this is where Schaffhausen actually lives, not where it poses for photos. Hours: always open as a riverside structure, free to walk along and look; the actual bathing season runs through the warm months with its own opening times posted on site. Tip: even if you are not swimming, walk out onto the deck for the cleanest low-angle view back up at the Munot rising over the rooftops. On a hot day, bring a swimsuit, the Rhine here is clean and the locals will think you are one of them.

    Hours
    Always open
    Price
    Free
  5. 5

    Schillerglocke

    Schillerglocke in Schaffhausen, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour

    Walk back up off the riverbank into the lanes and you come to the Schillerglocke, a fountain crowned with a bell. The reference is to Friedrich Schiller's 1799 poem "Das Lied von der Glocke," the Song of the Bell, long one of the most quoted poems in the German language. Schaffhausen claims a direct link: the bell-casting that is said to have inspired Schiller's verses is tied to a local foundry tradition, and the town put up this fountain to mark it. It is a quick stop, a minute or two, but it is a neat hinge in the walk, you are leaving the river behind and entering the cultural quarter around the old abbey. Hours: always open, free. Tip: this whole cluster of stops, the bell fountain, the art halls, the abbey museum and the Minster, sits within a two-minute radius. Slow down here. You have just covered the fortifications and the river, and now the next four stops are all about what the town did with its money: art and faith, packed into one block.

    Hours
    Always open
    Price
    Free
  6. 6

    Hallen für Neue Kunst

    Hallen für Neue Kunst in Schaffhausen, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour

    A few steps on stands the Kammgarn, a former cotton-spinning mill that became the Hallen für Neue Kunst, for years one of the most serious contemporary art spaces in the country, showing large permanent installations of minimal and conceptual art in raw industrial halls. It is a striking pivot in the walk: medieval stone one minute, bare concrete and steel the next. Be aware the institution's programming and opening arrangements have changed over the years, so check the current situation before counting on going inside. Treat it here as the architectural and cultural marker of the old Kammgarn complex, which is now a wider cultural venue. Hours and price: confirm current details on site or online before you visit, as access has varied. Tip: the Kammgarn courtyard and its bar-restaurant are open in the evenings as an event and nightlife spot, so if you are doing this loop later in the day, this is your candidate for a drink. By day, just take in the contrast of the brick mill against the church towers and move next door.

    Hours
    UNKNOWN_NEEDS_MANUAL
    Price
    UNKNOWN_NEEDS_MANUAL
  7. 7

    Museum of All Saints (Museum zu Allerheiligen)

    Museum of All Saints (Museum zu Allerheiligen) in Schaffhausen, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour

    Right beside it, set inside the cloister of the former Allerheiligen Benedictine monastery, is the Museum zu Allerheiligen, the main museum for the whole region. The setting alone earns the ticket: you walk through genuine Romanesque cloister arcades and a herb garden to reach galleries that run from archaeology and medieval art through the Renaissance to local industrial history. It is large, so do not try to see all of it. Pick the medieval and Renaissance rooms and the cloister itself if your time is short. Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 11:00 to 17:00, closed Mondays. Admission CHF 8. Tip: the entrance to the cloister and herb garden is part of the museum complex and is one of the quietest corners in the old town, a genuine pause after the busy fountains. Build in at least 45 minutes if you go in. When you leave, the Minster is the next door over, the two share the same ancient monastery footprint.

  8. 8

    Münster Schaffhausen

    Münster Schaffhausen in Schaffhausen, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour

    The Minster grows straight out of the same monastery. First built in 1064 as a Romanesque basilica for the Benedictine Kloster Allerheiligen, it became the Reformed church of the city in 1524. The interior is austere in the way Reformed churches are, plain walls, heavy round Romanesque arches, almost no ornament, and that severity is exactly what makes it powerful after the painted facades outside. Step into the cloister courtyard to find the famous Schillerglocke's ancestor: the great Allerheiligen bell, cast in 1486, carrying the Latin inscription that is widely held to have given Schiller the motto for his poem. Hours: daily 9:00 to 17:00, free. Tip: stand in the centre of the nave and look up at the bare stone vaulting. This is one of the purest pieces of Romanesque architecture in Switzerland, and unlike grander cathedrals you will likely have it almost to yourself. From the Minster, head north toward the next church, St. Johann, the town's other great medieval house of worship.

    Hours
    Daily 9 AM - 5 PM
    Price
    Free
  9. 9

    St. John's Church (Kirche St. Johann)

    St. John's Church (Kirche St. Johann) in Schaffhausen, stop 9 on the self-guided walking tour

    St. Johann is the old town's second great church, begun around the year 1000 and rebuilt repeatedly into the late-Gothic hall church you see today. Where the Minster is the monastery church, St. Johann was the church of the townspeople, and the difference shows: it is taller, lighter, more vertical inside. Its last full restoration was completed in 1990. It is also one of the most important organ venues in the region, with a large instrument that draws concert audiences, so if you see a recital posted, it is worth your evening. Hours: daily 9:00 to 18:00, free. Tip: the exterior is easy to walk past because it sits tight against the surrounding houses, look up to pick out the steep roof and tower over the rooflines. Inside, the acoustics are remarkable even when empty, so step in for a quiet minute. From here you drop back toward the Vordergasse, the painted-house spine of the town, starting with its Wilhelm Tell fountain.

    Hours
    Daily: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
    Price
    Free
  10. 10

    Tellenbrunnen

    Tellenbrunnen in Schaffhausen, stop 10 on the self-guided walking tour

    Back on the Vordergasse you meet the Tellenbrunnen, the Wilhelm Tell fountain, marking the eastern end of the town's great axis of painted facades. The column is topped by a figure of Tell, the crossbow-carrying folk hero of Swiss independence, and like most old-town fountains in Switzerland it was a working public water source long before it was a monument. This one orients you: from here the Vordergasse and Fronwagplatz run west, lined with the best of the oriel windows and frescoes, ending at the Haus zum Ritter. Hours: always open, free, running drinking water (it is potable, Swiss fountain water almost always is). Tip: treat the Tellenbrunnen as the start line for the facade walk and look down the street rather than just at the statue, you are looking at one continuous run of decorated merchant houses. Refill your water bottle here for free before you carry on. The next stop is the square where the whole town has gathered for centuries.

    Hours
    Always open
    Price
    Free
  11. 11

    Saturday Market

    Missing required field: waypoints[10].image

    A few steps on the street opens into Fronwagplatz, the broad central square that is the social heart of the old town and the site of the Saturday market. The square is anchored by the Mohrenbrunnen fountain and framed by tall painted townhouses, and it is where Schaffhausen has bought and sold and gossiped for centuries. If you can time your walk for a Saturday morning, do it: stalls of vegetables, cheese, flowers and bread fill the square and the whole place comes alive in a way no monument can match. Hours: market runs Saturdays roughly 7:00 to 12:00, free to wander. Tip: this is the best food stop on the route. Grab regional cheese and bread from a market stall, or if it is not market day, the cafes around the square have outdoor tables, expect to pay around CHF 5 to 6 for a coffee, Swiss old-town prices. Eat here, then walk the last short stretch west to the painted house everyone comes to see.

  12. 12

    Haus zum Ritter

    Haus zum Ritter in Schaffhausen, stop 12 on the self-guided walking tour

    This is the one. The Haus zum Ritter carries the most important Renaissance facade fresco in Switzerland, painted by Tobias Stimmer in the 1560s and covering the entire front of the merchant house with mythological and historical figures. What you are looking at on the building today is a faithful reconstruction, the badly weathered original fragments were removed for protection and are kept in the Museum zu Allerheiligen, the museum you passed earlier. That is the smart move on this walk: see the surviving originals in the museum, then stand here and read the full composition as it was meant to be seen on the wall. Hours: always visible, free, exterior only. Tip: cross to the far side of the narrow street and look up, the facade is tall and you cannot take it in standing directly underneath. Morning light hits it best. This is the photo of Schaffhausen, so give it the few minutes it deserves before you make the final leg back toward the gate where you started.

    Hours
    Always open (exterior view)
    Price
    Free
  13. 13

    Diebsturm

    Diebsturm in Schaffhausen, stop 13 on the self-guided walking tour

    Head southwest off the main drag toward the edge of the old town and you find the Diebsturm, the surviving "thieves' tower" of the western fortifications. There were originally two of these round towers with polygonal pointed roofs; only this lower one remains. The name is literal: it served for many years as the town prison. At 21 metres it is squat and blunt compared to the gate towers, and that plainness is the point, this was a working tower of confinement, not a showpiece. It sits in a quieter, more residential corner of the old town that most visitors never reach, which makes it a calm last sight before you close the loop. Hours: open 24/7, free, exterior only. Tip: this stop is genuinely off the tourist path, so use it as a breather. The lanes around it show you a plainer, lived-in side of medieval Schaffhausen away from the painted main street. From here it is a short walk north back up to the Obertorturm to complete the circuit.

    Hours
    Open 24/7
    Price
    Free

How Long Does This Walking Tour Really Take?

Pure walking is well under an hour; plan 2.5 hours at a relaxed pace, or about 3.5 hours if you add the Museum zu Allerheiligen and a long break on the Munot battlement.

The full loop is 3.2 km. Pure walking time is well under an hour, the stops are what fill the day. Allow roughly 2.5 hours for a relaxed version that includes the climb up the Munot and a proper look at the painted facades, and longer if you go inside the Museum zu Allerheiligen, which deserves 45 minutes to an hour on its own.

The Munot is where to spend real time: do the full circuit of the battlement and let the view sink in, that is 20 to 30 minutes well spent. The churches need only a few minutes each unless a concert is on. For a break, the cafes around Fronwagplatz are the natural midpoint, with outdoor tables facing the painted townhouses and the Mohrenbrunnen fountain. If the weather is warm, the better pause is the deck of the Rhybadi down on the river, where you can sit with the water moving past and the Munot above you, the single most pleasant bench on the whole route.

Full Route, Shorter Walk or Two-Day Version?

Three versions of the same loop, picked to fit your time. The full route does everything in order; the short version cuts the longest legs to the Diebsturm; the two-day split leaves the museum and the Minster cluster for a quieter second morning.

Full loop

All 13 stops in one go

Stops 1 to 14, 3.2 km, about 2.5 hours

The complete clockwise route from the Obertorturm through both medieval gates, up to the Munot, down to the Rhine, and back through the painted Vordergasse to the Diebsturm. Add 45 to 60 minutes if you go inside the Museum zu Allerheiligen.

Short version

Skip the Diebsturm detour

Stops 1 to 12 plus close, 2.4 km, about 2 hours

Cuts the longest legs at stops 12 to 13 and 13 to 14, which together add more than 800 m for the Diebsturm tower. You still see both gates, the Munot, the river, the churches, the museum and the Haus zum Ritter, the heart of the medieval centre.

Two-day split

Fortress on day one, art on day two

Day 1 stops 1 to 5, day 2 stops 5 to 14, about 1.6 km each

Day one covers the Obertorturm, the Schwabentor, the Munot climb and the Rhybadi on the river, about 1.5 hours. Day two takes in the Museum zu Allerheiligen, the Minster, St. Johann, the painted Vordergasse and the Haus zum Ritter at a slower pace.

Yes, the loop works in reverse. The recommended clockwise direction gets the Munot climb done while your legs are fresh and puts morning light on the Haus zum Ritter facade. Both are worth keeping. If you start late, reverse it and save the Munot for the 21:00 bell at dusk.

Is This Schaffhausen Walking Tour Right for You?

This route suits a wide range of walkers, with a couple of honest caveats. The distances are tiny, the old town is pedestrian, and almost everything is free; the only real constraint is the single climb up to the Munot.

A good fit if you…

  • Visitors with 2 to 3 hours who want a complete medieval old town without needing transport
  • Anyone comfortable with one short climb up the Munot ramp and flat cobblestone the rest of the way
  • Travellers who like their sightseeing quiet, since Schaffhausen is uncrowded almost year-round
  • Photographers chasing the Haus zum Ritter fresco and the Munot panorama in morning light
  • Independent walkers who want real hours, prices and shorter options, not a fixed group schedule

Adapt the route if you…

  • You have mobility limits: skip the Munot ramp and the Diebsturm detour, stops 4 through 12 are flat or gently inclined
  • You are visiting on a Monday: the Museum zu Allerheiligen is closed, so swap it for more time inside the Minster and St. Johann
  • It is raining: head straight into the Museum zu Allerheiligen and the two churches, all dry, and save the Munot battlement for a break in the weather
  • You are short on time: do the short version at stops 1 to 12, skipping the Diebsturm loop, and you still see both gates, the Munot, the river and the Haus zum Ritter
  • You want to add the Rhine Falls: do it as a separate afternoon trip by train to Schloss Laufen, not folded into this walk

Tickets & Skip-the-Line in Schaffhausen

Schaffhausen has almost no queues: the old town is uncrowded and most stops are free open spaces. Two stops need planning ahead: the Munot has seasonal hours, and the All Saints Abbey Museum is the only paid entry on the route.

MunotEntry is free. Opening hours are seasonal: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM from May to September, and 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM from October to April. No ticket needed; just turn up during opening hours, and come back at 21:00 for the bell if you can. official ticket site ↗
Museum of All Saints (Museum zu Allerheiligen)Admission CHF 8. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, closed Mondays. No advance booking needed; arrive after 11:00 AM so the rest of your morning flows around it. Hold on to the ticket, it is also your chance to see the original Haus zum Ritter fresco fragments.
All other stopsBoth gate towers, the Rhybadi bath, the Schillerglocke, both churches, every fountain, the Saturday market and the Haus zum Ritter facade are free open spaces with no tickets required.
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Tips for Walking in Schaffhausen

  • Arrive by train: Schaffhausen station sits just north of the Schwabentor, a 5-minute walk to the old town. Frequent direct trains run from Zürich (about 40 minutes) and Winterthur. Start the loop mid-morning so the Museum zu Allerheiligen is open (it opens at 11:00) by the time you reach it.
  • Wear flat, grippy shoes. The old town is cobblestone throughout and the Munot is reached by a vine-covered ramp and stairs. Smooth-soled shoes slip on the polished stone, especially when wet.
  • Restrooms: the Museum zu Allerheiligen has clean public toilets (with admission), and there are public WCs near the railway station and around Fronwagplatz. Plan a stop at the museum, as facilities along the route are otherwise limited.
  • Food and drink: time it for the Saturday morning market on Fronwagplatz and buy regional cheese and fresh bread from the stalls. Off market days, the square's cafes have outdoor tables, with coffee around CHF 5 to 6. Every old-town fountain, including the Tellenbrunnen, gives free, drinkable water, refill your bottle there.
  • Best photo: the Haus zum Ritter facade on the Vordergasse. Cross to the opposite side of the narrow street and shoot upward in morning light, when the sun is on the painted wall. You cannot frame it standing directly beneath it.
  • Stay for the Munot bell at 21:00, rung every evening by the resident watchman as it has been for centuries to mark the old curfew. Climbing back up at dusk gives you the town lights and the river bend as a bonus.
  • Bolt on the Rhine Falls: it is about 4 km southwest, reached in minutes by train to Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall or Neuhausen. The northern banks are free to access; the Schloss Laufen viewing platforms cost CHF 5 (CHF 3 for children 6 to 15). Best as a separate half-day, not squeezed into this loop.

Why Walk This Route?

Schaffhausen is small enough to walk end to end in twenty minutes, which is exactly why so many people get it wrong. They rush off to the Rhine Falls four kilometres south and skip the old town entirely. That is a mistake. This is one of the best-preserved medieval town centres in Switzerland, and almost no one is here. The streets are pedestrian, the buildings carry painted facades and projecting oriel windows on nearly every corner, and you can lean against a Renaissance fountain without a single tour bus in sight.

This route is a round trip. It starts and ends at the Obertorturm, the oldest surviving piece of the city wall, and loops through the two medieval gates, up to the Munot fortress for the view, down to the Rhine, and back through the painted houses of the Vordergasse. It is built so you climb the Munot early while your legs are fresh, then spend the rest of the walk on flat cobblestone admiring frescoes and ducking into churches. Everything on this list except two museums is free.

Why walk it instead of wandering? Schaffhausen looks like a grid but it is not. The fresco houses are scattered, the best fountains hide on side streets, and the Munot ramp is easy to miss. Follow this order and you see the whole story, fortifications, faith, money, art, in the right sequence, without backtracking. Then, if you still have an afternoon, the Rhine Falls is a short train ride away.

Common Questions

Is Schaffhausen safe to walk around?

Yes, very. Schaffhausen is a small, prosperous Swiss town with low crime and a pedestrian old town that feels comfortable day and night. There are no tourist-scam hotspots here. The only real hazards are practical: cobblestones underfoot, the Munot ramp and stairs, and the open Rhine current at the Rhybadi, where you should only swim if you are a confident swimmer comfortable in flowing water.

What if it rains during my Schaffhausen tour?

The town handles rain well because the best wet-weather stops are on this exact route. Duck into the Museum zu Allerheiligen (CHF 8) for an hour, and spend time inside the Minster and St. Johann, both free and dry. The old-town lanes also offer cover under the projecting oriel windows and arcades. Save the Munot battlement and the Rhybadi for when it clears, those are the open-air parts.

What's the best time of day for this walking tour?

Start around 10:00 to 11:00. That way the Museum zu Allerheiligen is open when you reach it, the morning light is on the Haus zum Ritter facade for photos, and on Saturdays the Fronwagplatz market is in full swing before it packs up around noon. If you can stay into the evening, return to the Munot at dusk for the 21:00 bell and the lit-up town.

Can I combine this walk with the Rhine Falls?

Yes, and most people should, but as two separate outings on the same day rather than one continuous walk. The Rhine Falls is about 4 km southwest of the old town, too far to fold into this loop on foot. Do the old-town walk in the morning, then take a short train to Schloss Laufen or Neuhausen in the afternoon. The northern banks are free; the Schloss Laufen platforms cost CHF 5.

How much does the Schaffhausen old town walk cost?

Almost nothing. The two gate towers, the Munot fortress, both churches, every fountain, and the Haus zum Ritter facade are all free. The only paid attraction on the route is the Museum zu Allerheiligen at CHF 8, which also holds the original Haus zum Ritter frescoes. Budget under CHF 10 for sights, plus food and any train to the Rhine Falls.

Is the Munot fortress worth climbing?

Yes. It is the one real climb on the route and it pays off with the best panorama in town, the old-town roofs, the Rhine bend and the vineyards across the water. Entry is free, the circular battlement is open to walk, and the vaulted casemate inside is worth a look. Hours are 8:00 to 20:00 from May to September and 9:00 to 17:00 from October to April.

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