In Dürnten, collections devoted to mechanical technology and music meet church history and a landscape shaped by ravines, forests and glacial hills. You can tailor your stay to two different interests: the village’s cultural highlights or a longer hike through the surrounding area.
Discover the districts and landscape
Dürnten lies in the Hinwil district of the Canton of Zurich, around 25 kilometres east of the city of Zurich. The municipality includes the districts of Tann, Dürnten, Oberdürnten and Breitenmatt. Its landscape encompasses the ravine-like Jonatal valley with Tannertobel, wooded hilltops and the Nagelfluh area of the Zurich Oberland. Drumlins are also typical here: glacially formed hills that, together with moors and forests, shape the landscape.
The natural surroundings are ideal for walks, hikes and cycle tours. Those interested in the village’s development can explore a different timeline: Dürnten was first mentioned in a document as early as the 8th century. Agriculture and livestock farming shaped the settlement for centuries; crafts and trades came later. This history can be a focus of your stay in its own right, alongside the landscape.
Hike to Hasenstrick
One specific longer route starts at Tann-Dürnten railway station and leads through Oberdürnten to the Hasenstrick hiking bench. The route description published in 2025 gives a distance of 15.1 kilometres, a walking time of around 4 hours and 10 minutes, and a moderate difficulty level. This makes it a longer activity, not a short walk.
The trail descends into Tannertobel and initially follows the left bank of the Jona. It crosses the ravine over a footbridge, then loops back towards Tann-Dürnten railway station. The route combines a valley section, a riverside stretch and a crossing over the footbridge, making for a varied walk. Check the route information before setting out.
Mechanical technology, music and local history
The Sewing Machine Museum at Pilgersteg presents the historical and technical development of the mechanical sewing machine, from the late 18th century to the modern era. Its collection includes several hundred antique sewing machines, as well as accessories and related objects, including items from shoemaking and fur processing. The subject therefore extends beyond sewing machines to encompass other trades. Group tours are available by appointment, except on Saturdays; arrange your preferred date in advance.
The KMM Cultural Centre is devoted to mechanical musical instruments. Its exhibits include cylinder music boxes, flute clocks, automata dolls, player pianos, orchestrions and phonographs, as well as fairground and concert organs. Instruments are played live during guided tours. If these demonstrations are important to you, check before travelling whether the guided format is available.
The KMM building itself also tells the story of Dürnten’s working life: from 1873, it first served as a silk-twisting mill and later as a silk-weaving mill. Operations ceased in 1978; conversion and renovation began in 2015, and the KMM was officially opened in 2017. The building’s former use and its current collection thus offer two different points of interest: the industrial history of the building and the mechanical instruments in the cultural centre.
Church, castle site and Chilbi festival
Today’s Reformed Church of Dürnten was built between 1517 and 1521. Before it stood on this site, there was an early medieval church dating to around 700 AD, a Romanesque church from the 11th or 12th century, and, from around 1385, a High Gothic church. The site’s building history therefore goes back much further than the present church. Its excellent acoustics also make it suitable for small concerts; check the relevant event dates if you are interested. Dürnten and Tann are also home to the Evangelical Reformed and Evangelical Methodist churches.
A small medieval hilltop castle stood between Oberdürnten and Hadlikon. The Meier family of Dürnten are believed to have built and lived in it. The Dürnten (Hadlikon) castle site lies in the forest north of Oberdürnten, on a hill between two stream ravines. A neck ditch protected the site on the uphill side; no wall remains are visible today. The route to the castle site starts at the northern edge of Oberdürnten and climbs along the Alte Kirchweg to the forest edge. From there, continue for about 400 metres along the Gfäderweg before an unmarked path branches off on the valley side. Check this access route before your visit.
The Dürnten Chilbi festival offers another glimpse of local club life. One of its annual highlights is “Bull-Shit”, a cow-pat bingo game. The clubs offer various food and drinks; the selection varies from year to year. If you would like to attend the Chilbi, check the current event dates and programme.
Discover more destinations: Wald, Fischenthal, Grüningen, Wetzikon, Bubikon, Hinwil, Gossau, Bäretswil.
Return to the main travel overview: Hinwil.
