Fällanden brings together a range of attractions for a stay: hundreds of erratic boulders lie in Jörentobel, trails lead to Lake Greifensee, and the listed Glatt Weir connects local history with water engineering. Theatre, concerts and cabaret add a cultural dimension at the Zwicky Factory. You can therefore make nature, trails, history and culture different focal points of your trip.

Location and landscape

Fällanden is a political municipality in the Uster district of the Canton of Zurich. The municipality comprises the village of Fällanden and the former farm settlements of Benglen, Pfaffhausen and Neuhausen. The town centre lies at the foot of the hills at an altitude of 453 metres. From there, the settlement has spread into the flat Glatt Valley and up the slopes. The roads from Dübendorf to Maur and from Schwerzenbach to Zurich cross in the centre.

Jörentobel is listed as BLN site 1408 in the Federal Inventory of Landscapes and Natural Monuments of National Importance; the part within Fällanden covers 6.4 hectares. Erosion by the Jörenbach stream has exposed hundreds of erratic boulders there. These include the “Blitzstein”, a Verrucano boulder split into two halves. The wooded ravine forms an important wildlife corridor and provides suitable habitat for the endangered yellow-bellied toad.

The Stocklen area around the ponds also has a special connection with nature: newly created, diverse habitats there support endangered plants and animals. Together with Jörentobel, it shows that Fällanden is defined not only by individual viewpoints, but also by habitats and geological features.

Trails and viewpoints

Route J runs from Herrenweid to Stuelen in the Maur/Fällanden area. It follows roads and forest, field and meadow paths to the hamlet of Stuelen, then descends again to Lake Greifensee. The route thus connects different kinds of paths and leads from the built-up area into the lakeside landscape.

A description from April 2025 presents the Gschichtli Trail as a 2.5-kilometre circular route suitable for pushchairs. It starts on Schulhausstrasse behind Lätten School, passes the Fröschbach playground and the Stocklen observation tower, and continues to the shore of Lake Greifensee. The description mentions ten QR-code stops with audio files: activate them using a smartphone camera to hear stories.

The Stocklen Tower’s observation platform is accessible via a spiral staircase; from there, the view extends across the nature reserve and Lake Greifensee. Another trail passes through Jörentobel: the Loorenkopf Trail begins at the Fällanden parish hall. Its observation tower on Loorenkopf offers panoramic views of the city and the Alps.

If you visit the lake, it is important to observe the protection rule: swimming and bathing are not permitted in the Lake Greifensee nature reserve, in order to protect the valuable flora and fauna along the shore. The trails and viewpoints therefore offer different ways to experience the landscape, while the regulations protecting the lakeshore must be observed.

History and culture

Fällanden was first mentioned around 820 under the name Fenichlanda. In the 9th and 10th centuries, the Fraumünster owned extensive estates in Fällanden, while a large part of the tithe went to the Grossmünster. The heraldic tradition also connects the village with Zurich’s history: it is linked to the Zurich burgher family Aeppli and a red lion with a peacock’s tail.

The listed historic Glatt Weir lies at the outlet of Lake Greifensee, between Fällanden and Schwerzenbach. In 1891, power station operators built it to keep the Glatt’s water level as constant as possible. Today, the weir regulates the outflow from Lake Greifensee. During dry periods, it helps maintain higher lake levels and a more reliable water supply to the Glatt. The site thus combines a visible historic structure with its ongoing role in water management.

The Zwicky Factory hosts theatre, concerts and cabaret. Its exhibitions also follow different schedules: a major exhibition is organised every two years, while “Art at the Zwicky” takes place every four years. A sculpture trail has also been held a few times, and could be visited for six months. For planning your trip, this means a choice of nature trails, viewpoints, local history and a distinctive cultural programme.

Discover more destinations: Maur, Volketswil, Uster, Mönchaltorf, Egg, Schwerzenbach, Greifensee, Dübendorf

Back to the main travel overview: Uster.