Summary: on Germany/Switzerland border, ~50min drive, stroller-friendly, free
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From Lynn... I had an interest in visiting Stein am Rhein because my mother's side of the family is from there. I'd heard it is beautiful, and it is. This is a cobblestone street community where the houses date back to the 1100s. All houses are beautifully preserved, and many are up to 5 stories tall. Many are painted from top to bottom in murals. There is one "main" street on which most of the restaurants seemed to be clustered, although we found lots of interesting shops and other restaurants on side streets.
the town is famous for the intricate paintings on the buildings
There are no cars allowed in the town itself. All cars are to be parked a very short distance (like, a 2 minute walk) away. We drove there, and there is ample parking in open lots (6 hr max, I think). We got there at about 11, walked around a bit, had lunch outside, then walked around some more. I stopped by a few shops, then bought ice creams for the kids and headed to the playground of the local school (near where our car was parked). There is a lovely restaurant right on the water, but it serves only fish (not good for my kids). There is access to the river, again for strolling, but no playground there that I could find.
This was definitely worth a visit, but the main attraction is a leisurely lunch and then walking around, so not perfect for the antsy 3-6 year old set. If you have a baby or older kids, I'd say it would be a beautiful trip on a good-weather day. Rhein Falls is very close if you need more to fill up your day.
We just went here last wkd. We combined it with a trip to the Rheinfalls which I think was perfect because although Stein am Rhein is pretty, it is small with not too much to do. It was only a 25 min. drive from Rheinfalls. There is a small kiddie train that you can ride along the water and some sandy areas along the Rhein where little kids can swim. Also, I'd recommend driving to both Rheinfalls & Stein am Rhein - both had large parking lots and it was an easy drive.
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