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Bargain Travel Europe guide to Europe on a budget for unusual destinations,
holiday travel tips and secret spots missed by travel tours.




ARBON - LAKE CONSTANCE
Castle and Old Cars on the Bodensee Shore

Lake Constanz Arbon Bat Harbor photoSituated on a small spur of land jutting from the southern shore of Lake Constance, Arbon is one of the small cities along the rail and road route along the Swiss shore of the lake, between Rorschach and Romanshorn, known for its lively waterfront with bicycle and skate paths, swimming pool, canoeing school and boat rentals. Arbon had one of the first public bathing beaches in Switzerland on its sandy shore, commemorated by a fountain of playing water nymphs. The Lake Constance (Bodensee) ferries from Lindau or Friedrichshafen dock a rail stop away in Romanshorn or Rhorschach.

Schloss Arbon Museum photoSurrounded by meadows, fields and forest on the landward side against the lapping waters reflecting distant mountain, Arbon was one of the first settlements on the lake which divides Switzerland from Germany’s Black Forest and Swabian Alp region. The remains of Neolithic dwellings have been found in the area and the town is on the site of a Roman village. The Irish monk Gallus whose monastery became the city of St Gallen, now famous for its World Heritage Baroque Library (see St Gallen Abbey Library), first set foot on the Lake Constance shore at Arbon where the Gallus Chapel is marked by a stone in the wall of the old Roman Fort. The fort foundations can be seen next to the Rotes Kreuz Hotel between the old town and the harbor (Arbon Hafen). A quiet little village in medieval times, Arbon had a growth spurt in 1692 during the Palatine War of Succession (see Heidelberg Castle) when linen traders from Swabia headed across the border to take advantage of Switzerland's open trade with France. Arbon’s old town features several beautifully restored old buildings from this era making for a pretty little town to explore. Arbon’s most distinctive features for visiting tourists are its castle and antique auto museum.

Arbon Castle Museum

Twoer at Arbon Castle photoThe original medieval castle on the site of the Roman fortification was torn down by Hugo von Landenberg, the Lord Bishop of Constance in 1505 and rebuilt in the form it is today, completed in 1515. Until 1798 it was the residence of the Bishop’s Governor until the French Revolution ended the Bishop’s hold. From 1822 until 1908 the castle was used as a silk weaving factory. In 1911 the castle was bought by local machine and vehicle manufacturer Adolph Saurer, then acquired by the city after the end of the Second World War. The Arbon Castle (Schloss Arbon) now houses the city’s historic museum with artifacts from Roman times to Arbon’s industrial age and features a great stone tower to climb. The Castle Museum is open from 2 pm to 5 pm from May to September. Admission is 4 CHF for adults 2 CHF for students.

Saurer Oldtimer Museum

Old Timer Car Arbon photoAdolph Saurer built his fortune by supplying the machines and looms which powered the region’s textile mills (see St Gallen Textile Museum) and then manufacturing trucks. The Sauer Oldtimer Museum in Arbon, houses a collection of the antique vehicles and textile machines built by Saurer from 1911 up until the 1950s. The museum, formerly located in a dowdy old garage, re-opens in a brand new museum building on the 1st of May, 2010 with a ceremonial parade of the old trucks and cars through the center of town and a classic car show. The new Sauer Oldtimer Museum is located near the Wunderbar Hotel at the shoreline park a short walk from the castle and old town. The new Saurer Museum will be open daily from 9 am to 6 pm. Tickets are purchased at the hotel desk. Admission is 6 CHF for adults, children under 16 are free.

Railroad Swtitches Arbon sation photoArbon also has a beer museum at the Frohsinn Brewery, a restaurant located in the former Feilen Stachen Mill. For rail enthusiasts the station at Arbon (across from the Hotel Metropol) still has the old manual track switches on display and there's a Marklin model train store around the corner from the tourist office. The Lake Constance Experience Card (Bodensee-Erlebniskarte) is available for the region’s tourism offices, allowing admission to 170 attractions and transport on the rail system throughout Thurgau and the boats of Lake Constance (see Lake Constance Cruises). © Bargain Travel Europe

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Saurer Museum

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SEE ALSO:

SCHLOSS ARENENBERG - NAPOLEON MUSEUM

RHEINFALLS - SCHAFFHAUSEN

HOTEL RÜDEN - SCHAFFHAUSEN

THE EINSTEIN HOTEL – ST GALLEN

FLIGHT MUSEUM ALTENRHEIN-ST GALLEN AIRPORT