Rapperswil Castle

The landmark of the “City of Roses”, located on Lake Zurich.

Sitting above the city or Rapperswil, the castle and its church (St. John’s church) have a panoramic view of the city, lake and the alps. Rapperswil castle is the landmark of the picturesque “city of Roses”, which lies on the shores of Lake Zurich, and at the foot to the inner gate to the castle is represented by coat of arms with two roses. This castle, which was built in the end of 12th century and eventually renovated can be seen from far away.

You can walk through old Rapperswil and climb a magnificent set of stairs up to the castle and the St. John’s church to get to the castle gate. You can also enjoy visit to the St. John’s Church and its beautiful stain glass windows.

Castle grounds

The grounds of the castle are well preserved, and also has an animal park. The view of the city and the lake is really good. You should even walk down to the promenade, which helps you to walk around the whole castle around the beach. 

Rose garden and some vineyards also there to enjoy watching. The scenery of the rooftops is always really picturesque and you can see into the harbor. There’s not all that much to explore on the grounds. When you want to visit this castle, it will be a smart idea to visit old Rapperswil and its quaint historic old building and alleyways.

Castle & Museum

There is a large courtyard that is used for events when you enter the main gate of the castle. There is only the Polish museum, no castle museum, which has nothing to do with the history of the castle. However the size of the castle from the inside might give you an impression if you visit the museum. The rest of the castles interior is off limits. There was a petition to remove the Polish museum and establish a Rapperswil museum in the castle in 2008, however this didn’t happen and the Rapperswil museum is still located only a few walking minutes outside the castle walls.

Tip

It is highly recommended to make the trip down the lake on board one of the ships that travel between Zurich to Rapperswil every day. This way you can get a great view of castle as you approach the city from the ship decks.

The castle grounds are open to the public. No admission.

Stadtmuseum Rapperswil
The museum is open to the public with admission. 
Wednesday to friday, 2pm – 5pm
Saturday, Sunday, 11 am – 5 pm

Polish Museum
Polish museum is open to the public with admission. 
April – October
Daily: 1 pm – 5 pm
March, November, December
Weekends: 1 pm – 5 pm

Parking
City Parking