The Rose Gardens of Rapperswil

Wednesday June 7, 2023 -- After our 14-km hike on the Toggenburg High Trail near Appenzell (photos are HERE), we were on our way home via Rapperswil on Lake Obersee (the southern section of Lake Zurich) and decided short notice to do a stopover in that city. We've been here often, as it is a beautiful old town (especially the castle), but this time we just wanted to take a quick look at the famous rose gardens of the city.

The four rose gardens are very famous, (see this Zurich Tourism link for information), especially the one on the grounds of the Capuchin Monastery, boasting 1500 varieties of roses (and 75 distinctive scents) which bloom from May to October. There are apparently 24,000 rose bushes in the four gardens, and a whole lot more in front of all the houses in the alleys!

Here are some of the roses we saw on this stop-over.

Heading into the old town of Rapperswil, that tower is part of the castle grounds higher on the hill. 

Walking up and down the alleyways, admiring all the rosebushes EVERYWHERE!

On the left is a mini-rose-garden

Roses in the mini rose garden

What a beautiful bush! These don't look like what you typically consider roses!

On the walkway just below the castle walls, you get a look at Lake Zurich (on the right) and Lake Obersee (on the left of the isthmus)

That beautifully-painted house has paintings depicting Rapperswil joining the Swiss Confederacy. We saw the paintings up close when we returned to the train station. 

A look over the roofs of old town Rapperswil. Apparently, this is also a good spot to grow grapes. These are the gardens of the Capuchin Monastery. 

Looking down at one of the two rose gardens here in the Capuchin Monastery grounds. 

Heading down the steps along the wall of the monastery. 

Here are two of the rose gardens (the larger one belongs to the Castle Gardens, the smaller to the monastery). We spent more time in the smaller one. 

Apparently there are 1500 different types of roses here!

An assortment of some of the many roses!

This is a very unusual one!

One of the two paintings on the house we saw from above. It has the title: "Rapperswil swearing allegiance to the Swiss Confederacy 1458"

The other painting. (I don't know the significance of this building).

Heading back toward the train station we pass the main square on the lake shore. This looks like fun!

Train station in Rapperswil

A look south along Lake Obersee and the promenade, as the train heads west across the isthmus to Pfäffikon.