My husband Mark, my 2-year-old daughter Cora, and I moved from the USA to Schaffhausen in February 2022 when I was 33 weeks pregnant with our second child. Six weeks later, Graham was born at the Kantonsspital Schaffhausen. We couldn’t have gotten settled into a new country and had a baby within that small window of time without the outpouring of support we received from the expat community in Schaffhausen.
Right away, I started bringing Cora and Graham to the Family Hub at ISSH for playgroup. I have become good friends with many of the “regulars” there and also really enjoy seeing new faces. Ninety-nine percent of what I know about Schaffhausen, the surrounding area, and about local events comes from the other parents at playgroup. They are such a wealth of knowledge! Now that we’re a little more “seasoned” Schaffhausen expats, I hope I can pay it forward and help other new families settle in and get to know the area too.
On weekends, we often find ourselves at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings, chasing the pigeons in Fronwagplatz, having lunch at Café Vordergasse, and then visiting one of the great local playgrounds. The Munot is a favorite, and so is the Spielplatz in Diessenhofen. Cora
loves the sandpits at Swiss playgrounds. The addition of a water fountain at many of them is a huge hit with her and was a nice surprise to us when we first moved here. Over the summer, we spent almost every weekend visiting different Badis and picnicking. In winter, we enjoy checking out various Christmas Markets to shop for unique gifts for family back home.
We also love going on out-of-town weekend adventures. We love how easy everything is to get to by public transit in Switzerland, compared to the USA. With a toddler and an infant in tow, traveling by rail is often way more relaxing for us as parents, and we have been spoiled by the incredible vistas outside the windows of the trains. I always love catching a glimpse of the Rheinfalls just before pulling into the Schaffhausen train station. While we have started to become desensitized to all the natural beauty of Switzerland, every now and then I stop, take it all in, and wonder in awe, “How is this my life?” We couldn’t be happier with our decision to set down roots in Schaffhausen during our time in Switzerland. Since Graham was born here, it will always hold a very special place in our family’s hearts and history, even though we may only live here for a few years. When Cora and Graham are grown, I hope we will return as a family, so Mark and I can give them a tour of Schaffhausen and point out, “This is the hospital where Graham was born. These were your favorite swings. And this is the square where you’d chase pigeons…”
