SORELL
HOTEL RÜDEN - SCHAFFHAUSEN
Medieval Guild Hall to Style Hotel
The original
building of Sorrel Hotel Ruden in Schaffhausen was first constructed
in 1423 and connected to a house for the nuns of the St Katherine’s
Cloister.
It was later bought
by the merchants’ society to serve as their Guild Hall. As Schaffhausen’s
fortunes grew from the shipping trade on the Rhine River traversing
the nearby cataract of the Rhein waterfalls (see Rhine
Falls at Schaffhausen), competition
between the guilds for who would have the grandest hall to represent
their trade, elevated medieval Schaffhausen with much of the beautiful
Renaissance illustrated architecture now to be found around the main
squares of the old city. 
The 18th Century brought an ambitious building
project over four years from 1779 to 1783, transforming Schaffhausen,
with the Guild Hall
known as the "Black Dog" for its coat of arms, getting
a
facelift.
As the trade guilds lost their value in industrial age,
one
by
one their
great
buildings
were
sold off. The building of the Guildhall Rueden was bought as the site
of a bakery, later a clothing house and technical institute. The building
was renovated in 1997 to reveal its original half-wood construction
behind the formal 18th Century façade and in 2002 developed
into a hotel of the Sorrel group. The hotel at present combines 18th
century masonry and antique parquet flooring with surprising elements
of contemporary interior architecture to create a unique stay in Schaffhausen
which is popular for business as well as tourists.
The
Hotel Sorrel Ruden (Hotel & Zunfthaus Rüden) is conveniently
located a block from Schaffhausen’s
main rail station at the edge of the historic city’s pedestrian
zone. The hotel offers 30 tastefully furnished rooms, 21 singles and
9 doubles, some with views over the rooftops of the old city gables.
The rooms in the guild hall section, rather minimalist in design
with exposed wood beams are a bit smaller
than the adjoining building. The attractive lounge bar and restaurant
on
the
ground floor
offers
a gathering place
in
the evening for drinks in front of the fireplace or morning breakfast.
An internet café is located on the second
floor. The banks of the Rhine River with its cruise boats to Lake Constance
(see Lake
Constance Cruises), as well as shops, cinemas, restaurants
and bars are all within easy walking distance from the front door.
Hotel
guests
at the
Sorrel
Rüden
have free entry to the Eurofit Wellness Center a few doors away, which
offers pampering and relaxation from steam bath to bio-sauna and massage.
Classic Music concertos and other entertainment are sometimes presented
in the Rueden’s restored Guild Hall ballroom. © Bargain
Travel Europe
Book a deal at Hotel Rueden Schaffhausen
Reviews and best hotel deals for Schaffhausen at TripAdvisor
Web Info
Sorrel
Hotels
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may not be copied or reprinted without permission.
SEE
ALSO:
NAPOLEON III MUSEUM SCHLOSS ARENENBERG
THE EINSTEIN HOTEL – ST GALLEN
