If the title of today’s post seems like nonsense, you’re right. But it is the English translation of the name of a picturesque Swiss town.

I will admit I had never heard of Stein Am Rhein, a place that I gather is a popular tourist destination. I probably don’t read enough guidebooks.

It was a rainy Saturday, which means I want to return at some point to properly explore the area. Somehow admiring cute buildings isn’t as much fun when you are getting wet. The same is true if you want to go for a walk along the river.

There’s a millennium-old monastery, some old churches, a castle – the sort of things you expect to see in a European tourist town. There is also a town centre that seems untouched since the Middle Ages, with bright frescoes on the building walls and, of course, a museum or two.

As it is close to Zurich it is a popular tourist destination, as people look to find a place that “looks Swiss.” On a rainy Saturday in June it wasn’t that crowded, but I can see that in summer the village would expect to have thousands of tourists daily.

I’m not sure I’d fly to Europe just to see Stein Am Rhein, but if you are in the area already it would make sense to experience it.