Schelmengässli
The small, narrow alley connects Marktgasse with Rumpel. It takes its name from a legend from the Middle Ages.
Diagonally opposite the town hall, a narrow alley leads from Marktgasse to Rumpel.
It has a stone arch in the middle. This bears the oldest surviving coat of arms of the Counts of Rheinfelden from the 12th or 13th century. Below it is a small stone bench. If an inmate of the police prison, which was located on the first floor of the town hall, managed to escape and save himself in Schelmengässlein, he was not allowed to be taken back into custody as long as he sat on this bench.
However, this - supposedly guaranteed - asylum only gave the poor sinner a breather, not a permanent reprieve. After all, how was he supposed to survive on this stone bench for any length of time?
Further information
Good to know
Schelmengässli is one of the narrowest alleyways in Rheinfelden. It is a shortcut between the town hall on Marktgasse and Rumpel.
The Rheinfelden coat of arms
The Rheinfelden coat of arms is a five-part shield in the colors red and gold (yellow) and goes back to the Counts of Rheinfelden. The number of stars varies. Since 1533, the coat of arms has featured 9 stars.
Contact Rheinfelden
Tourism Rheinfelden
Town office, Marktgasse 16
4310 Rheinfelden
+41 61 835 52 00
tourismus@rheinfelden.ch
