Schlössli Wörth was first mentioned in documents in the 13th century and owes its name to the location on a small water-washed island that was earlier known as «Werd». Until the middle of the 19th century Wörth was an important transhipping, reloading area for the east-west trading route, which led from Lake Constance to Basel and which was interrupted by the Rhine Falls.
This transportation link lost its significance in the middle of the 19th century when the railway was built. In 1835/36 the Canton of Schaffhausen rebuilt the Schlössli into a restaurant. Today you can find an excellent Gourmet-Restaurant, souvenir shop and snack bar there. On the first floor there are some banquet rooms, boasting a terrace and a magnificent view of the Rhine Falls, for both party groups and seminars.
In 1797 Goethe wrote in his diary about Schlösschen Wörth:
I went in to drink a glass of wine, and saw Trippel’s picture on the wall, an old impression of a man, and asked whether he was a relative. The head of the household, whose name was Geltzer, was related through the mother, a Trippel. Thanks to his forefathers, called Schupf-Lehn, he owned the castle with its salmon fishing, duties, vineyard, wood, etc. He had to calculate the toll duty, income for the monastery or for its current successors, deliver 2/3 of the salmon catch, check the woods and was allowed to cut down what he needed; he had the right to use the vineyard and fields, and he paid 30 Thalers (former Swiss silver coin) annually. And so he was a kind of tenant and at the same time an administrator. The ‘Lehn’ is called Schupf-Lehn, because if he didn’t fulfil his obligations he could be thrown out of his tenant status. He showed me such a tenant letter from the year 62 with simple and clear conditions. Such rights are transferred to the sons and so the present owner keeps the old letters in safe custody. In the letters nothing is said, but there is mention of a regress to the heirs. At 10 o’clock I went in the beautiful sunshine again. The Rhine Falls were still lit by lovely masses of light and shadow from the side and from the back and displayed themselves from the Laufen rock as well as from the rock in the middle.
I stepped back onto the stage with the cascading waters, and I felt the previous impression already gone, the thundering waters seemed more violent than before. The rainbow appeared in all its beauty; and stood sure-footedly in the incredible spray and foam, that violently threatened to destroy it, thereby bringing it forth more radiantly each time.
Source/Extract:
«Das ist Schaffhausens Zierde und Pracht» by Daniel Grütter from the book «Der Rheinfall», Verlag Hier+Jetzt.