Embrach is a municipality in the lower Töss Valley, in the Bülach District of the Canton of Zurich. There are different ways to shape your stay: the Blauen circular trail, the Haumüli with its guided tours, and the history of the former collegiate foundation. You can tailor your travel plans to whether hiking, a visit with a reserved guided tour, or historical connections to the area are your priority.
Hiking and history on the Blauen circular trail
The Blauen circular trail is 17.5 kilometres long and starts at the historic Embrach collegiate site by the Reformed church. For the most part, it follows the hiking trail network. Each village along the route has a history and trail information board, which describes events from the past and the route ahead. There is additional information about Lufingen and Embrach. This gives you both historical context and directions for the rest of the route as you go.
The Haumüli on a guided tour
The Haumüli has been in existence for over 800 years. Guided tours are available by reservation; confirm the current arrangements in advance. They include the exhibition, the accessible rooms in the residential building, the sawmill, the mill and the farm building. The sawmill and mill are in operation on open-door days; check the dates before your visit. From Embrach-Rorbas railway station, it takes about five minutes to walk to the Haumüli along a hiking trail. If you are travelling by train, check the timetable in advance.
Collegiate history, church and trades
The earliest known documentary mention of Embrach dates from 1044; the first historical traces go back to the Bronze Age. The former collegiate foundation of St. Peter, probably a house of Augustinian canons, carried out administrative functions for the Habsburg administrative district of Embrach. It was dissolved during the Reformation in 1524.
The former Gothic collegiate church collapsed in 1778. The present early Neoclassical transverse oval church was consecrated in 1780; Zurich master builder David Vogel was commissioned to construct it. Embrach's history of trades also has several facets: local stove-making and pottery developed into a major industry. Its industrial history also includes a silk-twisting mill, as well as numerous weaving mills and spinning mills. Spirella is considered a successor to this tradition that continues to this day.
Another historical connection is the Winterthur–Embrach–Bülach–Koblenz railway line, which opened in 1876. Its infrastructure included a tunnel through the Dättenberg and a railway bridge over the Wildbach near the Haumüli.
Natural environment and access restrictions
The former Au hunting and shooting range in Embrach is in a nationally protected floodplain. Most of the site is protected, reserved for nature and not open to free access. The floodplain provides a habitat for particularly endangered species such as orchids, dragonflies and amphibians. Take the access restriction into account when planning your visit.
A path runs close to the Töss and offers views of the Töss floodplain. The Chlostergumpen is a nature reserve of supra-municipal importance and was the water reservoir for the former Zinggeler silk-twisting mill.
Discover more travel destinations: Lufingen, Bassersdorf, Kloten, Opfikon, Rafz, Bülach, Eglisau, Zweidlen
Back to the overview of the wider travel area: Bülach.
