freienbach Five Villages – One Municipality vibrant and attractive Freienbach A warm welcome Dear Sir or Madam The municipality of Freienbach comprises the five villages of Freienbach, Pfäffikon, Hurden, Bäch und Wilen. Situa- ted in a picturesque location at the upper end of Lake Zu- rich, the municipality offers unique residential areas and a flourishing economy with attractive employment oppor- tunities. Furthermore, in addition to its superb infrastruc- tural facilities such as public transport and education, Freienbach also offers the finest recreational areas right on the doorstep – features that help to guarantee a high quality of life. Over the last few years we have been setting our course for the future by continuously developing our facilities and adapting them to meet the needs of our residents. Frei- enbach intends to live up to its «vibrant and attractive» motto by being a place where people of all ages choo- se to live and work. With our family-friendly policies, we are continuously developing our facilities for families and, through moderate growth and forward-thinking mobility and community development, we are making sustainable development possible. Five villages – one municipality. The rural nature of our vil- lages, surrounded as they are by natural beauty, is at the heart of our community and should be protected. The mu- nicipality of Freienbach captivates due to its unique qua- lities, and it is these qualities which we intend to cherish and enhance with care. We warmly invite you to see for yourselves what our mu- nicipality of Freienbach has to offer. With very best wishes Freienbach Municipal Council Freienbach Urban bustle or rural idyll – it‘s your choice As a place to live, the municipa- The municipality of Freienbach nest- means that a great many high-quality lity of Freienbach is unique. The les in an attractive environment on leisure, cultural and educational faci- the banks of Upper Lake Zurich, in lities are available. The municipality municipality‘s five villages are the rolling hills at the foot of the Etzel of Freienbach is itself an important situated in picturesque surroun- mountain. It has 15 km of lakeside centre for education in the region. dings, nestled between Lake Zu- shoreline, two islands and conserva- tion areas. Residents value the high The well-designed infrastructure has rich and the foothills of the Alps. quality of life here. As well as being much to offer families. These include an attractive location, the area’s numerous leisure opportunities such The municipality offers a superb superb transport connections, local as sports grounds and swimming recreation areas and low tax bur- pools, childcare facilities, advice cen- quality of life. den contribute to the wellbeing of the tres for parents of babies and todd- local population. lers and the full range of educa- The convenience of having tional provision from nursery school The municipality of Freienbach meets through to cantonal and vocational everything within easy reach is the widest range of residential needs. school or youth centre. valued by residents. Schools, Whether you are looking for an idyl- The elderly have a wide range of shops and extensive leisure fa- lic little place by the lake, a district age-appropriate residential, advice, with views of the lake, older or newer care and entertainment facilities cilities – everything right on areas at the heart of the action, or available to them. your doorstep. away from the town centre – there is a wide choice of places to live. Its location, in direct proximity to the Metropolitan Region of Zurich, and also in the Lake Zurich Region, A workplace with cosmopolitan flair The commercial centre of the With Pfäffikon as its centre, the nuing rapid growth. The Hotel See- municipality is the village of municipality of Freienbach has deve- damm Plaza is a prestigious choice loped into a dynamic location for tra- for conferences and events. As one Pfäffikon. ding and finance with global con- of Europe’s top venues, it emphasizes nections. Prestigious international the international focus of the Freien- In addition to its location and companies have become establis- bach/Pfäffikon area. hed here and offer many varied and quality of life, the favourable tax attractive job opportunities with pro- The municipality of Freienbach, conditions are a draw for com- spects for the future. The municipa- together with the neighbouring muni- panies. lity is also home to various small and cipalities of Wollerau and Feusis- medium-sized companies. These help berg and the district of Höfe, has an to create a sound economic base for institution, in the form of the Höfe The municipality has a wider- the municipality. Business Development Department, than-average range of attractive which is devoted to promoting and The tax conditions represent a major developing the Höfe location. It acts employment opportunities. advantage of the location for com- as the contact point and service pro- panies and individuals. Freienbach is vider for companies interested in currently at the head of the cantonal settling there. and national tax-ranking list. Craft industries, local shops, the Seedamm Center, and restaurants are also benefiting from the conti- Flughafen Zürich Zug Luzern Schwyz Attractive mobility culture for the future The municipality of Freienbach The railway station in Pfäffikon is the picturesque hiking trails in the region. is ideally situated in terms of transport hub of the municipality. It is The attractive wooden footbridge where the Zurich-Chur and Romans- entices walkers to nearby Rappers- transport. Its central location horn-Lucerne railway lines intersect. wil-Jona. National and regional cycle offers unique transport con- Its integration into the Swiss Intercity routes run through the municipality. nections for public and private network as well as the Zurich linked transport system guarantees an opti- The completion of the A3 in 1968 transport. mum range of options. Commuters immediately opened up a superb value the excellent connections to road link to the wider conurbation The municipality promotes the Zurich, less than 30 minutes away. A of Zurich. The improved infrastruc- direct link to the international airport ture triggered a unique development benefits of public transport. at Kloten in 40 minutes is guaran- boost – which has brought an enor- teed. Local buses supplement the mous quantity of traffic to the villa- excellent public transport facilities ges over the years. The road network within the municipality. within the Höfe region is approaching its limits. The three Höfe municipa- The municipality of Freienbach is lities and the canton of Schwyz are St.Gallen located on the A3 motorway from working closely together to find solu- Zurich to Chur. Pfäffikon is connec- tions. ted to the town of Rapperswil-Jona via the dam on the lake. Pedestrians and walkers can access a wide network of footpaths within Gemeinde Freienbach the municipality as well as the most Chur Tradition and culture set the pace The municipality of Freienbach Freienbach’s event calendar offers a Summertime marks the start of the offers a wide variety of cultural great deal to see, hear and be ama- market and fair season in Freienbach. zed by. Exhibitions, concerts, the These small local fairs attract visi- facilities. lakeside cinema and other highlights tors from near and far to the villages: provide top-quality entertainment. for example the lakeside Chilbi am Traditional markets and fairs The Freienbach Culture Commission See in Pfäffikon, the Freienbacher promotes this cultural programme by Herbstmärt in the autumn and the also attract visitors from far and organizing events itself and awarding Wiler Chilbi. wide to the villages. subsidies and culture prizes. Many Freienbach residents spend The municipality has various historic the entire year looking forward to the The Schwyz Fasnacht carni- buildings available for cultural events. next Fasnacht carnival. The Fasnacht val, known locally as the «fifth The most striking of these is the carnival starts on 6 January with season», packs in visitors of all castle tower in Pfäffikon. The former the Höfner Narrenfahrt, followed by station building in Bäch has been masked balls and costume awards. ages, year after year. attractively converted as a venue for A jester museum is devoted to the clubs and cultural activities. There various masks of the region. are also churches, chapels and other public rooms available for a wide ran- ge of cultural events. Arts enthusiasts are well catered for by the Vögele Culture Centre in Pfäf- fikon, which is well known throughout the region for its groundbreaking exhibitions. Leading the field in sport and leisure The superb infrastructure, with The municipality of Freienbach pri- on the doorstep. The close proximity its various sports and bathing des itself on its wide range of sport of ski resorts is another plus for the and leisure facilities. This superb inf- region. facilities and natural beauty as rastructure is enjoyed not only by far as the eye can see, provi- Freienbach’s own residents, but also For those who prefer to take it easy, de the perfect setting for sports by its many visitors. The municipali- the media library and games library ty operates three lakeside resorts in offer a broad choice of leisurely pas- enthusiasts. Bäch, Freienbach and Pfäffikon. Tho- times. se in search of excitement will find The Alpamare water park at- lots to do at the Chrummen sports Over 100 clubs and associations pro- complex in Freienbach, with a range vide opportunities to become actively tracts visitors from all over the of facilities for beach volleyball, foot- involved in Freienbach life – cate- region and beyond. ball and floor hockey surrounded by ring for all interests whether musical, countryside. The local residents and sporting, political, social, church, cha- sports associations benefit from two ritable or cultural. Clubs and associations are very school swimming pools and various important in all villages.