Zurich to Schaffhausen and Chur: Private day trip

First mentioned in the 11th century, Schaffhausen was a city state, and even minted its own coins. It owes its success to the impassible Rheinfall waterfall - shippers would need to unload their goods in Schaffhausen to bypass the falls. Dominating the town is the 16th century Munot fortress, which provided great views of the town and surrounding landscape. In the car-free Old Town, visitors can wander the cobbled streets, admiring the oriel windows and lavishly painted facades from the Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. Near the river, visitors can stop by the IWC museum, where Schaffhausen’s most prestigious local business exhibits over 230 of their legendary watches, walking visitors through their history and development.

Dating back to around 3500 BC, Chur’s location made it a prime target for invasion, with the Romans, Ostrogoths, Francs, Magyars, Saracens, and Holy Roman Empire all having controlled it at one point. The town also has been particularly prone to fire, having had several major fires over the years, on of which burnt down everything but a church and bishop’s residence. The city’s long history offers a unique mixture of ancient and contemporary. The scenic old town, with its car-free cobbled streets, gives visitors a taste of traditional Swiss architecture. Parts of the cathedral date back to the 5th century, while most of the structure is from the 12th century. The Church of St. Luzi was first mentioned in 821 when the relics of St. Luzius were removed from the church. Or experience Swiss modernity in the Giger Bar, designed by H. R. Giger himself, or cubist art gallery.