Seeking information on the Beringen Schaffhausen, area

I've never had cause to visit Beringen but I've been to Schaffhausen several times over the years, most recently 3 or 4 years ago.

I like that part of the world (by the way I think Google maps has it wrong - there is a "c" in the name), but be aware that it is not as impressive as, say Niagara Falls. But you can ride a boat, or walk up to the falls and it is rather fun.

The German/Swiss border is very convoluted in that area, and going on some roads you go in and out several times. Beringen is actually north of Germany.

My first experience there was in 1972 when I stayed in a really nice (comfy, scenic, good kitchen, clean facilities) hostel.

In recent years I found that parking wasn't too bad, later in the day. A short walk down to the river, or across the river.

The boats weren't fabulous but were fun. I very much enjoy walking in and around the river and the falls, there are parks adjacent to the falls, at least on one side. I haven't explored the other side very much.

If coming by train to the falls you are better getting off at Neuhausen rather than at Schaffhausen. From Neuhausen it is just a short walk, and you are closer to Beringen.

It is a nice enough area but since that stay in the '70s I haven't stayed there. Either on my in to Switzerland from the Ällgau or day trips from various northern Swiss towns or cities.

Nearby Stein am Rhein is very nice, but again quite small...

I've only passed through Schaffhausen on the train. I remember thinking the architecture looked nice. Just east of Schaffhausen is the huge Bodensee (Lake Constance). That's a popular holiday area with Europeans. My mother and I really enjoyed the large botanical garden on Mainau Island, but there are many other points of interest around the lake. They should be accessible from a base in Schaffhausen/Beringen.

I've been researching Schaffhausen quite a lot. My grandfather came from there and we have a tour sked for Switzerland in Sep (delayed from 2020) and plan to spend a couple of nights in Schaffhausen. Here is some of the results of my research and planning.

We plan to stay at the Best Western hotel across the street from the train station. Not particularly scenic but good value. They provide a free breakfast and supposedly have laundry facilities which we will need as we'll have been in country for 2 weeks by then and have 2 weeks more in France after.

Schaffhausen tourism. https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/destinations/schaffhausen/

Also, there is a really nice color pdf book at the link below. Don't try to print as it's very long and has lots of color but the info is great.
Go to the link and select the words "Image brochure E 2020" under "Image Brochure Schaffhauserland (English)
"HTTPS://SCHAFFHAUSERLAND.CH/DE/KONTAKT-INFORMATIONEN/KONTAKT-UNTERLAGEN/PROSPEKTE.HTML

There are lots of youtube videos. Here's an excellent recent one I just watched.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq3uTiQTohc

If you don't want to climb up to the Munot (fort) on the hill there is a bus from the train station.

For the falls, I also found this website useful especially since there are 2 sides to the falls so getting there you need to know which one is which. https://holidaystoswitzerland.com/a-guide-to-visiting-the-rhine-falls-switzerland/

I'll be interested to see what other responses you get.

Thank you all for your responses. I did not realize this area was so far north and surrounded by Germany. The Rhine Falls will be a side-trip for us just because we will be in the area. I am not so crazy about going on a boat to get close to the falls. I am perfectly happy to see it at a distance! I did not know about the flower island, and that could be a possible side-trip on our way to another destination. I have done a lot of Switzerland and I don't mind going back to the same area to show a friend who has never been but thinking about the expense of Switzerland, I may decide to finish the vacation in Austria or Northern Italy. We should have about a 2-3 week time frame to work with.

Like yourself, I was in Schaffhausen many years ago (never paid any attention to Beringen). My wife and me did the falls boat and a bit of the old town. Stein, a bit further east, is a small, attractive village. Insel Mainau, mentioned by acraven, was a special place for me and well worth a visit (from Mainau you can catch a ferry to Meersburg, another place worth the effort). I very much liked Insel Reichenau, a World Heritage site, and spent most of a day there. The scenery is not dramatic, but it is very pretty on a nice day and easy to walk around: the kind of place, for me, to stay for a while and relax.

If you are heading east and then south, as you suggest, then St Gallen, the colourful town of Feldkirch, and Stams Abbey are all good stops. On our honeymoon we stayed a few nights in Vipiteno, which had a nice small centre with arcaded streets. Merano, and the drive to it from Vipiteno, was fabulous: an area I'd like to visit again, always a little out of the way. From Vipiteno we drove through parts of the Dolomites, all good by my lights.