scubish.com: Scuba diving Jona - Switzerland

Rapperswil-Jona is a municipality in the Wahlkreis (constituency) of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.

It is located on the east shore of Lake Zurich. It is sometimes referred to as Rappi.

In 2003 the municipalities of Rapperswil and Jona merged to form a new political entity. Rapperswil-Jona has a population of 24,400 (17,100 from Jona and 7300 from Rapperswil). This makes it the second largest town in the canton after the capital St. Gallen itself.

The old city is dominated by the castle. The town is considered one of the most significant traffic junctions in the region. The Seedamm, a dam across Lake Zurich, links Rapperswil with Pfäffikon on the other side of the lake. This connection has been part of old pilgrimage routes.
The town's main sights are concentrated in the centre and can be seen while strolling through the medieval alleys. The main sights of Rapperswil are its roses, the castle, the reconstructed wooden bridge to Hurden with its bridge chapel, a Capuchin monastery. There are also a number of churches, chapels, as well as the nearby Wurmsbach Abbey.

Rapperswil is often referred to as the town of roses (Rosenstadt), because of its extensive display of roses in three designated parks. No less than 15,000 plants of 600 different kinds are on display between June and October every year. There is also a park of roses accessible to blind and disabled people in the centre of the town.

The castle of Rapperswil probably dates back to the 13th century. It dominates the old town and is placed on a hill. On the lands surrounding the castle deer are kept. Since 1870 the castle has been home to the National Polish Museum, created by emigrants (including owner of the castle - Władysław earl Broel-Plater).

A wooden footbridge led across the lake of Zurich since early centuries. At a later stage the bridge was replaced a by a dam built out of stone. In 2001 a newly-built wooden footbridge was opened alongside the dam for the first 840 metres of the crossing. It was built in the same place as the original bridge and links Rapperswil with the nearby bridge chapel (Heilighüsli) which was built in 1551.

The Capuchin monastery was established in 1606 and is situated at the lakeside. The monastery itself belongs to the citizens of Rapperswil rather than to the monks who inhabit it. This small monastery is still in use.

The main churches in town include the catholic church, the cemetery chapel (Liebfrauenkapelle) and the protestant church. In the surroundings of the town there are a number of churches. The Chapel St. Ursula in the nearby village of Kempraten was built around 885. The St. Dionysius Chapel, dedicated to Denis, the first bishop of Paris, was reconstructed in 1493 and attracts pilgrims. The nunnery at Wurmsbach (Wurmsbach Abbey) was established in 1259 and today houses an institute for girls.

There is a zoo (Kinderzoo) located in Rapperswil which particularly aims at children. Rapperswil hosts also a university (University of Applied Sciences...