Markthalle Altenrhein

Northeastern Switzerland


The wacky creation of Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928–2000), who once called the straight line 'godless', this market hall bears his indelible hallmark with its wonky walls, rainbow-bright colours and golden onion domes – like a hallucinatory vision of legendary Arabia in small-town Switzerland. It's a 50-minute walk or two-minute train ride (Sfr5.60) from Rorschach.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Northeastern Switzerland attractions

1. Hauptstrasse

2.55 MILES

Rorschach's main drag, Hauptstrasse, sports some fine oriel windows, particularly at numbers 33 and 31 and in the town hall, number 29.

2. Museum im Kornhaus

2.66 MILES

Lodged in Rorschach's imposing 18th-century Kornhaus (granary), this museum turns the spotlight on science, technology, industry and local history with…

3. Badhütte

2.89 MILES

Out on the lake is the 1920s Badhütte, attached to land by a little covered bridge. It's a pleasant place for a refreshing dip in the water and a drink.

4. Rheindelta

5.01 MILES

Easily explored on foot or by bike, this nature reserve sits 5km south of Bregenz, where the River Rhine flows into the Bodensee. The mossy marshes, reeds…

5. Historisches Museum

5.62 MILES

Housed in 16th-century Schloss Arbon, this museum races you through 5500 years of history, from the Stone Age to the 18th-century linen trade. Among the…

6. Neuer Leuchtturm

7.51 MILES

Climb 139 steps to the top of this 36m-high lighthouse for cracking views out over Lindau and Lake Constance, especially on clear days when the Alps are…

7. Seepromenade

7.55 MILES

In summer the harbourside promenade has a happy-go-lucky air, with its palms, bobbing boats and folk sunning themselves in pavement cafes.

8. Peterskirche

7.59 MILES

Looking back on a 1000-year history, this enigmatic church is now a war memorial, hiding exquisite time-faded frescoes of the Passion of Christ by Hans…