Weingarten combines its location in the Lauche Valley on the southern slope of the Immenberg with a year-round programme of village events and a rich local history. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Weingarten, these different themes offer a way to get to know the village: its landscape, community life and historical development.
Location and Nature on the Immenberg
Weingarten is part of the village of Weingarten-Kalthäusern in the municipality of Lommis, in the Münchwilen district of the canton of Thurgau, Switzerland. The village lies in the Lauche Valley on the southern slope of the Immenberg. The Immenberg nature reserve is located in the municipal areas of Stettfurt and Lommis.
More than 600 different plant species have been recorded on the Immenberg. The nature reserve is home to 26 different orchid species, and the woodland on the Immenberg shelters many plants, some of them rare. The two figures refer to different areas: the record of more than 600 species applies to the Immenberg, while the orchid count applies to the nature reserve. On the Immenberg’s slopes, dry, nutrient-poor ridges meet nutrient-rich ravines and spring marshes. The landscape mosaic described also includes small streams, exposed sandstone cliffs and tongues of meadow.
Clear rules apply when visiting the nature reserve: you may walk only on official paths; cycling is prohibited throughout the protected area. Keep these requirements in mind if you plan to combine nature watching with a stay in the region.
Village Events and Meeting Places
The Weingarten Village Association holds a New Year’s aperitif, a village festival, a garage sale, an Advent event and a New Year’s Eve bell-ringing event throughout the year. These are joined by the municipality of Lommis’s 1 August celebration. The programme thus ranges from events at the start of the year and in summer to the Advent season and the turn of the year. If you would like to plan your stay around a particular event, check its date before making your travel plans.
The village association also holds a regular gathering: its Höck takes place on the last Friday of each month from 6 p.m. at Edith and Herbert Roth’s Wygärtler Weine, at Rebenstrasse 1. No registration is required. The Viva Kirche Weingarten’s play and meeting area is open to the public; it was inaugurated in August 2025.
Local History and Viticulture
Weingarten was first mentioned in a document in 1270. In the Middle Ages, the village belonged to the lordship of Spiegelberg, a fief of the cathedral chapter of Constance until 1639 and in the possession of Fischingen Abbey from 1629 to 1798. The history of today’s Viva Kirche also reaches back: the Chrischona congregation of Weingarten was founded in 1896 and is its historical predecessor.
The history of local livelihoods reflects several changes. Historically, agriculture in Weingarten included arable farming, fruit growing and viticulture, as well as the wine and fruit trade. In the second half of the 19th century, the village shifted to livestock and dairy farming; peat was also extracted until land improvement works in 1918. A Schiffli embroidery workshop operated in Weingarten from 1910 to 1929.
Viticulture, too, can only be understood by taking its interruption into account: because of phylloxera, vineyards had disappeared completely by 1920. Viticulture has resumed in Weingarten in more recent times. This means today’s development follows a long pause rather than an uninterrupted tradition of grape growing.
For the broader travel overview: Bussnang.
