Oberuzwil’s local history is reflected in its churches and museum; the Märliweg offers a different focus on the walking path between Oberuzwil and Bettenauer Weiher. The area also has gently rolling countryside with forests, fields and settlements. This gives you a choice of different ways to shape your stay: a walk with fairy-tale stops, nature topics at the pond, or architecture and local history.

The political municipality is in the canton of St. Gallen and comprises the localities of Oberuzwil, Bichwil and Niederglatt. It belongs to the Wil electoral district. This distinction helps you tell the place names apart when exploring the municipality and its history.

Countryside, pond and walking paths

The surroundings are well suited to walks and cycling tours and also appeal to nature lovers. The gently rolling terrain connects forests, fields and settlements. This offers a different perspective on the area than focusing on the buildings in the village: outdoors, the countryside and the route take centre stage, while the churches and museum offer specific insights into architecture and local history.

The 10-Dörfer-Weg passes through landscapes along the Thur and Glatt rivers and offers panoramic views from Eppenberg. Its route circles around and partly passes through ten villages; it is laid out as a main trail with three shorter spur paths. This structure gives you different types of routes to choose from, although the trail’s name alone does not indicate a specific section or walking time.

At Bettenauer Weiher, information panels share facts about the history of the pond and the surrounding flora and fauna. The pond is in a nationally protected area. A handrail on the Jonschwil side improves safety when walking around the pond. The panels and handrail offer two different aspects of a visit by the water: information about nature and history, and a practical safety feature along the path.

The Oberuzwil Märliweg has four fairy-tale stations on the edge of the forest in Schoren and along the walking path between Oberuzwil and Bettenauer Weiher. Seating and weatherproof-bound fairy-tale books are available for visitors at the stations. The stories are changed every six months. If you include the path in your plans, you can visit individual stations along the walking route; the six-monthly change means the stories told vary over the course of the year.

Churches and local history

The Protestant church in Oberuzwil was built in 1765/66 by master builder Johann Ulrich Grubenmann and dedicated on 1 November 1766. By contrast, the Catholic parish church of St. Gallus stands out for the clear design language of New Building: its simple reinforced-concrete forms make it an outstanding work of this architectural movement and an important record of modern architecture. Inside, coloured glass blocks create a distinctive atmosphere of light. The two churches therefore offer different starting points for an architectural walk: one with specific construction and dedication dates, the other with its form and interior effects.

The Oberuzwil Local History Museum is housed in the old Statthalterhaus. Its local history collection includes furniture, household equipment and tools, as well as weapons, embroidery and weaving samples, old toys, historical photographs and traditional costumes. This wide-ranging collection spans everyday objects, images and clothing, offering different ways to explore local history. The museum also offers special guided tours by appointment.

The earliest documentary references also date back a long way: Oberuzwil is mentioned in 819 and 824; Bichwil and Wila appear in a document from 865. Today, the municipality comprises Oberuzwil, Bichwil and Niederglatt. If you want to put the local history in chronological context, you can connect these early references with the specific dates for the Protestant church’s construction; the museum, meanwhile, focuses on objects and images from the local heritage.

Discover more destinations: Degersheim, Zuzwil, Niederbüren, Flawil, Wil, Rossrüti, Uzwil

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