Rhine Falls, Chocolate & Cheese Factory Day Trip from Zurich

Rhine Falls

The Rhine Falls, at Neuhausen near Schaffhausen, is where the young Rhine drops about 23 metres over a rock barrier some 150 metres wide. It formed around 15,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age, and in early summer, when snowmelt swells the river, several hundred cubic metres of water pour over the edge every second, filling the air with spray and noise. Two rock pillars stand in the middle of the falls, and the medieval Laufen Castle watches from the southern cliff.

A Rhine Falls day trip from Zurich takes only about 45 minutes by road, and on this tour you have free time to explore. Paths along both banks and the railway bridge with its footway are open to everyone; the castle platforms and the boats to the central rock have separate tickets that are not included. The best time to visit the Rhine Falls is June and July for maximum flow, though the scene is impressive all year.

Swiss Chocolate Factory Visitor Centre

Switzerland turned chocolate into an art in the 19th century, when local pioneers developed milk chocolate and the long stirring process that gives Swiss chocolate its smooth texture. At the chocolate factory visitor centre you follow that story through interactive rooms: where cocoa grows, how the beans are fermented, roasted and ground, and how the mass is refined, tempered and moulded.

Large windows let you look into the working factory, where bars and pralines move along the production lines. The highlight for most guests is the tasting, with a variety of chocolates to try, followed by the factory shop, where you can buy fresh chocolate to take home. Plan around an hour and a half here. Children usually love this stop, and it is a sweet break between the waterfall and the countryside of eastern Switzerland.

Show Cheese Dairy in the Appenzell Region

In the village of Stein, in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, a show dairy opens its cheese-making to visitors. From a gallery above the production hall you can watch the cheesemakers heat fresh local milk in large copper vats, cut the curd and press the young wheels, usually in the morning hours. In the cellar, the cheeses are washed regularly with a herbal brine whose recipe is a closely kept regional secret and gives the cheese its spicy flavour.

An exhibition explains the life of the Alpine dairy farmers, the seasons of the cows on the high pastures and the long ageing process. The visit ends with a tasting of cheeses of different ages, and there is a shop for regional products. Guests who keep a halal diet may wish to ask about the rennet used before tasting.

Appenzell Countryside and a Traditional Village

The Appenzell region is one of the most picturesque corners of Switzerland: rolling green hills dotted with wooden farmhouses, grazing cows and, on the horizon, the limestone Alpstein massif crowned by Säntis at 2,502 metres. Traditions are strong here; in the half-canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden, citizens still vote by show of hands at an open-air assembly in the village square each spring.

The day includes a stop in a traditional Swiss village, chosen by the driver according to the season and timing, where you can stroll among painted façades, bakeries and craft shops. Appenzell village, the capital of Innerrhoden, is famous for its colourful decorated house fronts along the main street. It is a peaceful end to the day before the drive back to Zurich, through farmland and small towns of eastern Switzerland.