Rapperswil-Jona, town of roses located on the upper end of Lake Zurich, combines sights, cultural life, hiking and sports possibilities with a Mediterranean holiday atmosphere. The old-world little town of Rapperswil is picturesquely situated on a peninsula on the north side of Lake Zurich, which is crossed at this point by a causeway 1,000 m/3,281ft long. The town appears to have been founded about 1200, and first appears in the records in 1229. Rapperswil died out at an early stage. In 1358 Duke Rudolf built a wooden bridge over the lake, which stood until 1878, when it was replaced by a masonry-walled causeway carrying the road and railroad. From 1415 to 1464 Rapperswil was a free Imperial city and in 1803 it was incorporated in the canton of St Gallen.
