Stein am Rhein & Rhein Falls

Today was my birthday, and in honor of the occasion the entire country of Switzerland and surrounding Europe took the day off from work. Okay...the truth is May 1st is "Labor Day" over here in Europe, so it's a national holiday. So since Jenny had the day off from work we all jumped in the car and took a day trip.

We drove about an hour north to a town called Stein am Rhein. It's a quaint little Swiss village that sits on the Rhine river next to the German border. The village has a old city center that is enclosed by buildings, houses, and city wall. The result is a medieval setting that is well preserved with lots of character. Many of the buildings are painted with murals and paintings depicting bavarian culture and characters.

About 15 minutes from town lies Rhein Falls. The falls, which sits on the Upper Rhine just north of Zurich, is the largest waterfall in Europe (based on volume.) The area is very similar to Niagara Falls in the U.S., where you have a natural attraction surrounded by lots of tourist activities. The kids had a fun time.

One of the surprises of the afternoon came on the drive home.  We took an unplanned detour through the countryside and came across fields and fields of golden "Rapeseed," which are flowering plants in the mustard family.  They're all over the place around here.  They smell like lilac and they're stunning to look at.

Overall it was a fun day.  The weather is turning warmer here and we're starting to get out more and see what Switzerland has to offer.