Frauenfeld – One weekend in the cantonal capital

Both of them are high up: the Plättli Zoo and the Stählibuck Tower. Both destinations are a delight for families. The small, family-friendly Plättli Zoo is located above the city with a view of the Thur Valley. Here you can get really close to the animals and feed them with popcorn. There is a large playground, petting zoo, family restaurant and picnic areas. A little further up is an idyllic hike to the Stählibuck Tower, ne of the oldest steel lattice towers in Switzerland. Those who climb its 27 metres are rewarded with a panoramic view from the Vorarlberg to the Bernese Alps. At the foot of the tower there are cosy barbecue areas or the Stählibuck Restaurant.

Frauenfeld Castle is not only the landmark of the Thurgau capital, it also houses the Thurgau HIstory Museum. Whether on your own, by guided tour, digital scavenger hunt or in the Escape Room - this is where Thurgau's history is discovered. Two hundred metres further on in the old town are two more museums: The Thurgau Museum of Nature and the Thurgau Museum of Archaeology. Small but nice and always award-winning, they delight with exciting temporary exhibitions, song tours, museum podcasts or diverse events. The best thing about it: all three museums are free of charge.

Just outside Frauenfeld, in Warth-Weiningen, lies one of the greatest pearls of the Thurgau: Ittingen Charterhouse. The former Carthusian monastery is now a cultural centre. Its history is told in the Ittingermuseum and on various guided tours or audio-guided tours. The historic premises also house the Thurgau Art Museum, a hotel, a monastery shop and concert series. You can dine here in the monastic spirit of self-sufficiency: With the zero-kilometre menu, no ingredient has travelled more than one kilometre to reach the plate. Historic rose and herb gardens, vineyards, a fish farm and the estate belong to the Charterhouse and can be discovered.

Secluded green spots can be found all over Frauenfeld. The botanical garden just behind the old town describes the local flora and delights with small paths under shady giant trees. Tip: Take the best soft ice in town from the Restaurant Promenade and enjoy it here. Along the Murg, which flows through the middle of the town, you can stroll idyllically over numerous bridges, discover the bar of the US-Mex with a view of the water and finally end up in the renaturalised award-winning Murg-Auen-Park with a small bathing beach. If you follow the Murg further, it leads to the Allmend Frauenfeld, a wonderful walking and nature reserve just outside the city.

The Frauenfeld region is particularly good for unusual overnight stays. For example, in the famous Thurgau Bubbel Hotel, the transparent bubble tent where you can be very close to the starry sky. There is one at the Hagschnurer Hof in Hüttwilen and one in the vineyard of the Kartause Ittingen. Or should it be an open-air overnight stay? Preferably under a Thurgau apple tree? That's possible too: just park the double bed on a converted trailer under the tree and enjoy a delicious raclette in the open air. With a roof and a lot of history, an overnight stay in the former monk's cell in Kloster Fischingen or in Kartause Ittingen is also possible.

If you immerse yourself in the Seebach Valley in Thurgau, you will forget everyday life and the hectic pace of life. Three lakes surrounded by wetlands and mighty trees create a mystical ambience and make visitors forget time. The best way to discover this island of biodiversity with all its rare inhabitants is on a hike or on a guided tour long trails and footbridges. The Seebach Valley is also a highlight by bike. In summer you can swim from the Strandbad Hüttwilen or one of the numerous bathing spots, free of worries, out onto the quiet, green-edged water. Tip: Would you like a good drop of wine? The Seebach Valley also has excellent wine to offer.

Until 30 September 2023, the city of Frauenfeld is a huge open-air art exhibition for young and old. The artworks of national greats such as Bane, One Truth and LPDA as well as other artists are waiting to be marvelled at. If you want to discover them on a leisurely stroll through the city, pick up the street art map at the tourist information office. If you want to get a deeper insight into the artworks as a group, book the worthwhile Street Art Tour. On a one-and-a-half-hour round tour, the highlights of the colourful art city are then visited under expert guidance.

There are also good views outside Frauenfeld. On the panorama trail tor example, you can take the path from Frauenfeld to the Iselisberg. This is known for its wonderful view of the Thur valley and for its good wine. On the way, you pass two excellent winegrowers: the Bio Weingut Lenz and Kartause Ittingen. If you also want a bit of art, the "Art & Wine on the Iselisberg" trail is the right choice. From Uesslingen over the Iselisberg, it leads past sculptures, self-made wine presses, restaurants and farm shops and tells about viticulture in the region on panels.

The Thurgau cantonal capital has a lot to offer musically: Every year at the beginning of July, world-famous singers and rappers celebrate Europe's biggest hip-hop open air, the Openair Frauenfeld, together with their fans. Shortly before that, the Out in the Green thrills metallic fans and rock stars. The Out in the Green Garden in the Murg-Auen-Park is a little more contemplative. Small, fine and regional music and cultural highlights and a private bathing beach directly on the Murg will delight visitors. "Musig idä Stadt" also offers a musical programme for young and old in autumn in the middle of Frauenfeld's old town.

Whether on a puzzle hunt with Detective Badger, olving the Hexentaler murder on the Crime-Trail, during a detour into outer space or on a discovery tour in the forest near Mühletobel or in Loo, there is always something to track down. On the beaver trail in Pfyn, meanwhile, you hope to meet the industrious builder beaver. If you don't actually do so, you will still find numerous traces left behind. The boards on the adventure trail provide exciting background information.