4 Best Sights in Eastern Switzerland, Switzerland

The grounds of the abbey and the cathedral border the Altstadt, which demonstrates a healthy symbiosis between scrupulously preserved Renaissance and baroque architecture and a thriving modern shopping scene. The best examples of oriel windows, half-timbering, and frescoes can be seen along Gallusstrasse, Schmiedgasse, Marktgasse, and Spisergasse, all pedestrian streets.

Between Romanshorn and Rorschach on Highway 13, Arbon sits on a little promontory jutting out into the Bodensee, surrounded by lovely meadows and orchards. It was a Celtic town before the Romans came in 60 BC and built military fortifications. Evidence of the Romans (who called the place Arbor Felix) can be found in an interesting collection of relics in the late-Gothic St. Martinskirche.

About halfway between Kreuzlingen and Rorschach (follow Highway 13 east along the Bodensee) you'll come to the small town of Romanshorn. An industrial town and an important ferry port for Friedrichshafen in Germany, this is also a surprisingly enjoyable resort with fine views of the Swiss and Austrian mountains.

Fourteen kilometers (9 miles) east of Stein-am-Rhein, the town of Steckborn has some fine old houses, including the Baronenhaus and the Gerichtshaus. It's also home to Turmhof Steckborn, a half-timber waterfront castle built in 1320 that currently houses a small local museum containing artifacts from prehistoric times through the Roman and Alemannic settlements.