Lake Werdenberg lies at 447 metres on the edge of the St. Gallen Rhine Valley near Buchs and, at roughly 250 by 170 metres, is barely larger than a pond. Its effect comes from what stands above it: Werdenberg Castle rises on the northern shore, with the dark timber houses of the Werdenberg township crowding the slope below it.

Werdenberg is considered one of Europe's oldest surviving timber-built settlements and Switzerland's smallest town – some 800 years of building history in the tightest of spaces. The castle houses an exhibition on counts, bailiffs and later residents, while a second museum in the Schlangenhaus tells of everyday life in the township. A flat, pram-friendly path circles the lake; swimming and fishing are not permitted.

Lake Werdenberg is around ten minutes on foot from Buchs SG station. Buchs is reachable by train from Zurich in around 1.5 hours and from St. Gallen in around 50 minutes. By car, take the A13 motorway to the Buchs exit; parking is available at the market square. Museum opening times: schloss-werdenberg.ch