Introduction
Welcome to Rapperswil, the City of Roses. This small town on the upper shore of Lake Zurich has been synonymous with roses since the Middle Ages, and today more than fifteen thousand rose bushes bloom in three major gardens around the castle hill, filling the air with fragrance from June through October. But Rapperswil is more than its flowers. It is a town of unexpected stories: a medieval castle that houses the only Polish museum in Western Europe, the longest wooden pedestrian bridge in Switzerland, and an old town whose narrow lanes preserve a mercantile charm that larger Swiss cities have lost.
Rapperswil sits on a peninsula that juts into Lake Zurich at the point where the lake narrows dramatically, creating a natural crossing point that has been used since prehistoric times. The town grew wealthy from tolls on lake traffic and from the trade that passed through it on the route between Zurich and the eastern Swiss lands. Its position, at once commanding and picturesque, has made it a destination for pleasure seekers since the nineteenth century.
The connection to roses may date from the medieval period, when Cistercian monks cultivated roses in the monastery gardens on the castle hill. By the seventeenth century, Rapperswil was already known as the Rosenstadt, and in the twentieth century the town embraced this identity with ambitious planting programmes that have made it one of the great rose destinations of Europe.
Stop 1: Rapperswil Harbour — 47.2265, 8.8180
Begin at the harbour, where the passenger boats from Zurich dock after their ninety-minute voyage down the lake. The harbour is a lively spot, especially on summer weekends, with pleasure boats, paddle steamers, and sailboats creating a constant show on the water.
Lake Zurich stretches 40 kilometres from Zurich in the northwest to Schmerikon in the southeast. At Rapperswil, the lake narrows to a width of about two kilometres, divided by a causeway and bridge that effectively separates the upper and lower lakes. This narrow point has been bridged since at least the fourteenth century, and the current wooden bridge, which we will visit at the end of our walk, follows the line of medieval and earlier crossings.
From the harbour, look up at the castle hill. Rapperswil Castle sits dramatically on a low bluff above the town, its three characteristic towers visible from every point on the lake. The castle dates from approximately 1220, built by the Counts of Rapperswil, a noble family that controlled this stretch of the lake and grew rich from the tolls they charged on passing traffic.
The waterfront promenade is lined with chestnut trees that provide shade in summer and turn golden in autumn. Several restaurants and cafes offer terraces directly on the lake, and the views across the water to the snow-capped peaks of the Glarus Alps are magnificent.
Stop 2: Schlossberg Rose Garden — 47.2260, 8.8192
Climb the gentle path that ascends the Schlossberg, the castle hill, and you will find yourself surrounded by roses. The Schlossberg Rose Garden is the oldest and most extensive of Rapperswil's three major rose plantings, covering the southern slopes of the hill in a cascade of colour and scent.
The garden contains over six hundred varieties of roses, from ancient species roses to modern hybrid teas and English roses. The plantings are organised thematically, with sections devoted to wild roses, old garden roses, climbing roses, and contemporary cultivars. Each variety is labelled, making this one of the finest educational rose collections in Switzerland.
The peak flowering season is June and early July, when virtually every bush is in full bloom and the fragrance on a warm day is almost overwhelming. But the garden has interest throughout the growing season. Many varieties produce a second flush of flowers in September, and the rosehips that form in autumn are decorative in their own right, providing food for birds through the winter.
Look for the Rosa gallica officinalis, the Apothecary's Rose, one of the oldest cultivated rose varieties in Europe. This deep crimson flower has been grown since Roman times for its medicinal and cosmetic properties. Medieval apothecaries used it to make rose water, rose oil, and rose-petal confections, and it is the ancestor of most modern red garden roses.
Stop 3: Rapperswil Castle — 47.2255, 8.8198
At the summit of the Schlossberg stands the castle, a compact but imposing medieval fortress with three towers and a surrounding wall. Built around 1220 by Count Rudolf of Rapperswil, it was designed both as a residence and as a statement of feudal power, dominating the lake crossing and the town below.
The castle has had a remarkably varied history. After the Rapperswil family died out in the fourteenth century, it passed through various hands before becoming the property of the town. In the nineteenth century, it found an unexpected new purpose when it became the home of the Polish National Museum, founded by Polish exiles who had settled in Switzerland after the failed uprisings against Russian rule.
The connection between Rapperswil and Poland is one of the most unusual stories in Swiss-Polish relations. In 1868, Count Wladyslaw Broel-Plater donated his collection of Polish historical artefacts to the town, and the castle was designated as a museum of Polish history. The collection grew over the decades to include weapons, paintings, maps, documents, and personal effects of major figures in Polish history. After Polish independence in 1918, much of the collection was returned to Warsaw, where it was destroyed during the Second World War. A new collection was assembled after the war, and the museum continued to operate in Rapperswil until 1952. It was refounded in 1975 and operates to this day, a small but deeply moving testament to the bonds between Swiss hospitality and Polish resilience.
From the castle terrace, the panorama is superb. Lake Zurich stretches in both directions, the Seedamm causeway connects Rapperswil to Pfaffikon on the opposite shore, and on clear days the Glarner Alps form a dramatic southern horizon.
Stop 4: Capuchin Monastery and Rose Garden — 47.2248, 8.8175
Descending from the castle on the western side, you reach the Capuchin Monastery, founded in 1606 during the Counter-Reformation as part of the Catholic response to Protestantism in the Lake Zurich region. Rapperswil remained Catholic while Zurich, just down the lake, became one of the strongholds of the Swiss Reformation under Huldrych Zwingli.
The monastery garden contains the second of Rapperswil's major rose collections. Here, the emphasis is on heritage and species roses, varieties that have been cultivated for centuries and that connect to the monastic tradition of gardening that lies at the root of Rapperswil's rose identity.
Monastic gardens in the Middle Ages were not merely decorative. They were pharmacies, supplying the herbs and plants used in medicine. Roses were among the most important medicinal plants: rose water was used as an antiseptic, rose oil as a calming agent, and rosehip tea as a source of vitamin C. The Capuchin friars who tended these gardens were continuing a tradition that stretched back to the earliest monasteries of the Dark Ages.
The monastery buildings themselves are typical of Capuchin architecture: simple, austere, and built to reflect the order's commitment to poverty. The cloister garden, visible through the iron gate, is a peaceful enclosed space that contrasts with the public exuberance of the Schlossberg gardens above.
Stop 5: Hauptplatz and the Old Town — 47.2258, 8.8165
The Hauptplatz, or main square, is the heart of Rapperswil's old town. This compact, cobblestoned square is flanked by colourful town houses with stepped gables and shuttered windows that date from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. The square has been the centre of civic life for hundreds of years, and it still hosts markets, festivals, and community events.
The Town Hall, on the eastern side of the square, is a fine Renaissance building with an arcaded ground floor that served as a market hall. The upper floors housed the town council chambers, where the affairs of the community were debated and decided in the direct democratic tradition that characterises Swiss local government.
Notice the fountain at the centre of the square. Like many Swiss town fountains, it features a painted stone figure atop a column, rising from a hexagonal basin. The figure represents a standard-bearer carrying the town's coat of arms: two roses on a blue field, a heraldic statement of Rapperswil's rose identity that has been the town's symbol since the Middle Ages.
The streets radiating from the Hauptplatz are lined with small shops, galleries, and restaurants. Rapperswil's old town is compact enough to explore in half an hour but rich enough in detail to reward much longer attention. Look for the carved stone doorways, the wrought-iron shop signs, and the occasional glimpse of the lake through gaps between the buildings.
Stop 6: Stadtpfarrkirche (Parish Church) — 47.2252, 8.8159
The parish church of Rapperswil, dedicated to St. John, stands just south of the Hauptplatz. This Gothic church was built in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and has been the main place of worship for Rapperswil's Catholic community ever since.
The interior features a fine late Gothic ribbed vault, several Baroque side altars added in the seventeenth century, and stained glass windows that span the full history of the building. The most notable feature is the choir, which contains carved wooden stalls that demonstrate the skill of the Rapperswil woodcarvers who were known throughout the Lake Zurich region.
Outside the church, the small cemetery contains some of the oldest gravestone inscriptions in the town, providing a poignant record of the families who built and sustained this community over centuries. The inscriptions are in the local dialect of Swiss German, and the names that recur generation after generation speak of a stable, rooted community with deep local ties.
Stop 7: Fischmarktplatz and Lakefront — 47.2263, 8.8155
Walking down from the old town to the lakefront, you reach the Fischmarktplatz, the old fish market square. As its name suggests, this was where the day's catch from the lake was sold, a trade that sustained Rapperswil for centuries before tourism became the main economic driver.
Lake Zurich was once teeming with fish: perch, pike, whitefish, and trout were caught in large quantities and sold fresh or smoked. The fishing boats departed before dawn and returned in the early morning to sell their catch to the waiting townspeople. Today, commercial fishing on the lake has declined dramatically, but a few fishermen still operate, and the local restaurants serve lake fish that is prized for its delicate flavour.
The lakefront promenade that extends in both directions from the Fischmarktplatz is one of the most pleasant walks on Lake Zurich. To the west, it leads along the shore toward Kempraten, passing bathing areas and small parks. To the east, it curves around the harbour toward the wooden bridge.
The third of Rapperswil's rose gardens, the Duftrosengarten, occupies the terraces along this stretch of lakefront. This garden focuses on fragrant varieties, and walking through it in high summer is a sensory experience that perfectly captures the spirit of the Rosenstadt.
Stop 8: The Holzbrucke (Wooden Bridge) — 47.2240, 8.8128
Our walk ends at one of the most remarkable structures in Switzerland: the Holzbrucke, the wooden pedestrian bridge that crosses the lake from Rapperswil to the town of Hurden on the opposite shore. At 841 metres, it is the longest wooden bridge in Switzerland and one of the longest in Europe.
The current bridge was built in 2001, replacing an earlier wooden bridge that had stood since 1878. But the crossing point itself is ancient. Archaeological evidence shows that a wooden causeway or bridge has existed here since the Bronze Age, approximately 1,500 BC. The lake narrows dramatically at this point, making it the obvious place for a crossing, and the underwater remains of prehistoric pilings have been found along the bridge's alignment.
The medieval bridge, built in the early fourteenth century, was a vital link in the trade route between Zurich and the eastern Swiss lands. It was wide enough for pack animals and carts and was provided with a toll gate at the Rapperswil end that generated substantial revenue for the town. The bridge was destroyed and rebuilt multiple times during the wars and conflicts of the medieval and early modern periods.
Walking across the bridge today is a marvellous experience. The wooden planks echo beneath your feet, the lake stretches away on both sides, and the Alpine peaks form a distant backdrop. In the middle of the bridge, you are truly standing on the water, with nothing but wood between you and the lake below.
Conclusion
Rapperswil is a town that rewards a leisurely visit. The roses, the castle, the old town, and the lake combine to create an atmosphere of gentle, cultivated beauty that is uniquely Swiss. Return by boat to Zurich, or walk across the wooden bridge to Hurden and catch a train back from Pfaffikon. Either way, you will carry the scent of roses with you.
Practical Information
- Best Time: Mid-June to early July for peak rose flowering. September for the second bloom and wine harvest atmosphere. The wooden bridge is particularly atmospheric at sunset.
- Wear: Comfortable shoes. The castle hill climb is gentle but involves steps.
- Bring: A camera for the rose close-ups and lake panoramas. Sunscreen in summer.
- Nearby Food: The lakefront restaurants serve excellent lake fish (Felchen and Egli). Try the Ratsherr, the Brasserie Rosengarten, or any of the old town cafes.
- Getting There: Direct trains from Zurich (35 min) and St. Gallen (60 min). CGN boats from Zurich (90 min) in summer.