Between its late Baroque parish church, Sagenbänkli benches and winter cross-country skiing options, Gommiswald reveals several clearly distinct sides. Its cultural heritage ranges from St. James’ Parish Church to the chapel in Uetliburg; outdoors, the highlights include listening stations featuring local legends and routes for cross-country skiing, winter hiking and sledging. This lets you choose between culture, landscape, water or winter sports without having to turn them into a single, unified day’s itinerary.
Landscape on the Ricken
Gommiswald lies about 4 km east of Uznach on the Ricken, in gently rolling countryside at the foot of the Ricken Pass and in the heart of a local recreation area. From its south-west-facing hillside, views extend across Lake Zurich, the Linth Plain and the Glarus Alps. A high terrace stretches from Giegen via Ottenhofen and Uetliburg to Berg Sion Monastery. Expansive views and a landscape dotted with named places and ridges are part of the same setting.
Churches and pilgrimage history
St. James’ Parish Church is considered the most significant cultural heritage site in the municipality of Gommiswald. The late Baroque church was built from 1789 as a complete replacement for a St. James chapel dating from 1497 and the old church, built in 1599. During the historicist redesign of the interior in 1888 by August Hardegger, the church received two new altarpieces and two new paintings for the upper parts of the altars by Franz Vettiger.
Uetliburg also has a tangible history of church construction: the Chapel of St. Felix and Regula was built in 1676. During its renovation in 1882, Franz Vettiger created an altarpiece depicting Saints Felix and Regula. Uetliburg/Berg Sion in Gommiswald is listed in the Swiss Inventory of Townscapes Worthy of Protection. Another historic connection follows the Rickenstrasse, which runs through Uetliburg and Gommiswald: it was an old pilgrimage route from southern Germany to Einsiedeln Abbey. The abbey church at Berg Sion Monastery is open for prayer during the day. Check that visiting is possible before your trip.
Sagenbänkli benches at several locations
The Sagenbänkli network brings local stories outdoors as audio experiences. Gommiswald has 15 benches with QR codes you can scan to listen to narrated legends. All the Sagenbänkli can be reached on foot or by bike. Locations include the church, Ramendingen/Port, the Englenweg and the Griessweg. The place names give you specific clues when choosing where to go; the benches are not limited to a single location.
Gommiswald outdoor pool
For a different kind of outing, Gommiswald outdoor pool offers several pools and facilities: these include a 25 m swimming pool, 1 m and 3 m diving platforms, a 3 m-wide, 12 m-long flat water slide and a non-swimmer pool. Other facilities include a beach volleyball court, table tennis and play areas for ball games. For children, there is a spacious playground, a shaded paddling pool and play equipment. The specific facilities on offer make it easy to distinguish between swimming and other activities at the pool.
Cross-country skiing, downhill skiing and winter trails
The Rickenloipe comprises 24 km of gently undulating trails, a 2 km night trail and a 14 km panoramic hiking trail. It also includes a mostly flat, 3.5 km beginner’s trail through the Durschlagen moorland, suitable for both skating and classic cross-country skiing. The routes offer different experiences: alongside the longer trails, there is a shorter beginner’s route; the night trail is specifically designated as such, while the panoramic hiking trail adds a walking option.
The ski area has easy, wide pistes that are suitable for families with young children. Its facilities include a 280 m long T-bar lift and a 220 m long pony lift. For sledging, a 3.8 km trail leads from the mountain restaurant to the Ricken. A winter hike rated easy to Alp Egg covers 3.5 km and includes a sledging descent. The two routes are similar in length but describe different activities: one is a sledging trail to the Ricken, while the other is a winter hike to Alp Egg with a sledging descent.
Discover more destinations: Uetliburg, Ernetschwil, Schänis, Rapperswil-Jona, Schmerikon, Eschenbach, Benken, Goldingen.
For the full travel overview: See-Gaster.
