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. Over sports halls. Private sports centres 100 associations offer a wide complete the range on offer. Alpamare, a water park with water slides with a range of leisure activities – from length of more than 2000 meters. music and sport, to politics, church affiliations and the arts. A fitness trail and cross-country running track draw athletes to the Schwerziwald forest between Pfäffi- kon and Freienbach. The hiking are- as of the Alpine foothills are virtually
Local recreational facilities right on the doorstep
The Frauenwinkel is the largest The municipality of Freienbach has a The region has a great deal to of- and most valuable nature reser- wide choice of recreational areas lite- fer nature enthusiasts and those in rally right on the doorstep: the lake- search of a relaxing break: excursi- ve on Lake Zurich. It comprises side area near Pfäffikon and the two ons to the islands of Ufnau and Lüt- the lakeside area near Pfäffikon islands Ufnau and Lützelau are at the zelau, the finest lakeside landscape and two islands. heart of the Frauenwinkel nature re- or a walk from Hurden to Rappers- serve – the largest and most valuab- wil-Jona across the longest woo- le nature reserve on Lake Zurich. The den bridge in Switzerland. Hiking in The Etzel area, in the foothills 350-hectare area features an excep- the Etzel region offers breathtaking of the Alps, is irresistible to hi- tionally well-maintained lakeside reed views of the area. and marsh habitat. kers and offers spectacular The footpath between Freienbach views of the area. The delights of the Frauenwinkel in- and Wilen takes visitors past vine clude huge expanses of an extreme- yards and along dry stone walls ly rare sedge – a special type of reed through a delightful landscape. As The delightful walk over the grass. Other special features are its well as the finest orchards, planta- wooden footbridge between beautiful marshes and low fenland tions of organic, standard fruit trees Hurden and Rapperswil-Jona is areas. Extensive wetland meadows lend a unique character to the lands- with a great variety of small sedge cape of the municipality. a popular excursion. reeds and moor grass meadows pro- vide a habitat for the population of rare wild birds. In addition, the heavily overgrown stone quarry between Freienbach and Bäch, with its pools and damp vegetation, provides an ideal habitat and spawning ground for various amphibian species.
Focus on schools and education
The municipality of Freienbach The municipality of Freienbach is The municipality of Freienbach offers is the educational centre for the the educational centre for the Outer a wide range of educational and trai- Schwyz Region. As well as numerous ning facilities: Outer Schwyz Region. nursery and primary schools in the villages of the municipality, the Outer Pfäffikon: From nursery school to college Schwyz Cantonal School is located in Schools with nursery facilities Pfäffikon. The municipality also offers Music school – the range of educational faci- an extensive range of training and Psychomotor therapy units lities within the municipality is further educational facilities. Senior school Weid wide. Outer Schwyz Cantonal School The community schools provide a mo- Vocational training centre in dern infrastructure and focus heavily Pfäffikon With its family-friendly policies, on offering a high quality of teaching the municipality’s support and and education. This extensive edu- Bäch: cational task is supported by family- School with nursery facilities educational facilities are being friendly policies. For example, there are Day school continuously developed. support structures in place for parents of pre-school and school-age child- Freienbach: ren – from crèches to school lunch School with nursery facilities provision. The educational facilities are Senior school Leutschen supplemented by Freienbach Music Therapeutic day school of Outer School, an institution that is known and Schwyz (HZA) loved beyond the municipality’s bor- Speech therapy school Freienbach ders, where students of all ages recei- ve expert music and dance tuition from Wilen: established professionals. School with nursery facilities
The internationalization of the munici- pality has played a role in the opening of various crèches, after-school clubs and private schools, many of them bi- lingual.
History
Boat trips and the wooden Circa 2750 BC – Lake-dweller sett- 1968 – Opening of the A3 Zurich- bridge across the lake have lements in Pfäffikon Chur motorway triggers rapid growth. The municipality has come a long 965 AD – Kaiser Otto I presents the been boosting business and way from its origins as a poor, pre- monastery in Einsiedeln with manori- tourism in the municipality for dominantly agricultural area to be- al rights to Freienbach. centuries. coming a thriving residential and in- 1250 – The monastery in Einsiedeln dustrial community, which - thanks to builds the present-day castle tower its low tax rates - attracts numerous The Pilgrims’ Way to Einsiedeln in Pfäffikon to defend against enemy wealthy newcomers and international helped the hospitality industry attacks and to protect the revenue companies. from the monastery lands. to flourish. The Freienbach emblem 1360 – The wooden bridge between The Freienbach emblem depicts Hurden and Rapperswil is built. The predominantly agricultural three left-facing golden lions on a red 1300-1800 – As a fortification, the background. It was adopted by the landscape of the municipality castle in Pfäffikon is involved in nu- Hofleute Korporation, a local citizens’ has been developing into a cen- merous armed conflicts in the region. organization, in 1948 following cen- turies of conflict. The symbolism has tre for services since 1968. 1826 – Stagecoaches start to run a close historical connection to the between Zurich and Chur. Dukedom of Swabia, which has de- 1848 – Foundation of the district of picted three lions one over the other Höfe and the municipalities of Frei- on its crest and flags since the 13th enbach, Feusisberg and Wollerau. century. The reference to the duke- dom comes from the Ufnau Island These replaced the previous district saint, Adelrich, his mother Reginlind, names of «Vorderer Hof» (Pfäffikon) and a later abbot of the monastery, and «Hinterer Hof» (Wollerau). who is also said to have belonged to 1875-91 – Opening of the railway the family of the Dukes of Swabia. lines Zurich-Ziegelbrücke, Pfäffi- kon-Rapperswil, and Pfäffikon-Arth- Goldau.
Public authorities and administration
The Freienbach Municipal The Freienbach Municipal Council is A lot of work goes into enabling the Council takes the concerns and composed of seven members elected municipality of Freienbach to live up by the citizens. It is the highest exe- to its motto of being «vibrant and needs of its citizens to heart. cutive body of the municipality. Each attractive». The maintenance mana- It plans and coordinates the member of the Municipal Council gers ensure that all streets and sys- municipality’s activities and im- represents a department. The Muni- tems are maintained and guarantee cipal Council is the municipality’s an efficient waste-disposal system. plements the resolutions of the most senior body. Important initiati- municipal assembly. ves in the political life of the munici- The municipality is a key employer. pality are also initiated by the local Together with teachers, care centre parties and committee members. workers, caretakers and maintenance This efficient, customer-focused staff, it employs over 500 people. In administration has its head- The Municipal Council has its head- addition, there are also around 30 quarters in Pfäffikon. Its broad quarters in Pfäffikon in the two muni- trainees benefiting from training in cipal buildings of Schloss and Dorf. the municipality. range of services is supplemen- With the introduction of «outcome- ted by the utilities maintenance oriented public management», the Rescue organizations are on call team and various rescue organi- municipality operates with up-to-date around the clock to protect the safety management structures and orga- of the population. The municipality of zations. nizations that are people-oriented, Freienbach is well provided for with transparent and progressive. Cus- its own fire service. As a lakeside tomer-friendly service is a priority community, the municipality of Frei- in Freienbach: as well as adapting enbach also has a lake rescue ser- counter opening times to suit custo- vice. Regional units such as health- mers‘ needs, our website enables our care, civil protection and command residents to access information and staff provide essential additional sup- services around the clock. port to the organizations.
www.freienbach.ch Bäch Freienbach With over 7,000 residents, Pfäffikon Bäch was famous in the late Middle The village gives its name to the poli- is one of the larger towns in the can- Ages for its quarries. The sandstone tical municipality of Freienbach. The ton of Schwyz. The Roswitha nursing was exported to Zurich and elsewhere Pfarrmatte nursing home is loca- home is located in the center. by boat. Bäch later became the place ted near the lake. Sports enthusiasts where several important yet transi- enjoy the plentiful sporting facilities Hurden ent industries grew up, such as salt in Chrummen. The splendid lakeside Hurden is located on a promontory trading, minting, paper milling, tex- resort is a popular holiday location that extends far out into Lake Zurich. tile manufacture and brewing. Today, and meeting point in the summer. The It was originally a fishing village. The Bäch is a residential village with little industrial area of Schwerzi accom- guesthouses and the chapel were industry, but several well-known full- modates numerous companies and used mainly by pilgrims travelling to service restaurants serving fish spe- workplaces. Einsiedeln. Hurden has been connec- cialities. A particularly attractive area ted to Rapperswil-Jona by the lon- is Bächau, with its picturesque marina Pfäffikon gest wooden bridge in Switzerland and impressive villas. Pfäffikon is the administrative centre since 2001. Today, Hurden, with its of the political municipality of Freien- exclusive residential area, is a well- Wilen bach. Pfäffikon alternates with Wol- known and popular village. Wilen borders directly on the neigh- lerau as the administrative centre of bouring municipality of Wollerau, the district of Höfe and serves as the The islands of Ufnau and Lützelau but is part of the political municipa- centre for the Outer Schwyz Region. belong to the municipality of Freien- lity of Freienbach. Wilen is a purely The former farming village is known bach. residential village and has just a few today as a centre for services, edu- shops and no industry. It is situated cation, culture, leisure and business. in a slightly elevated position in the hills and is made up of the residential areas of Eulen, Fällmis and Breiten.
Aerial view showing the local boundaries Orthophoto, 2010 Overview of five villages Bäch
Freienbach
Wilen freienbach Hurden Municipality facts and figures
Villages In terms of population, Freienbach is the largest municipality in the canton of Schwyz. It comprises the five villages of Pfäffikon, Freienbach, Hurden, Wilen and Bäch. District Höfe Canton Schwyz Population 16‘352 (as at 31.3.2020) 75 % Swiss, 25 % other nationalities Area 20,69 km² Topography 27 % agricultural 16 % forest and hedgerow 36 % water and shoreline Pfäffikon 21 % residential areas Religious affiliations 43 % Roman Catholic 17 % Reformed 40 % other/none Economic structure 2‘546 businesses (2017) 14‘670 jobs (2017) 1 % agriculture 23 % industry and trade 76 % services Lake height 406 m above sea level Highest elevation 1022 m above sea level (Schönboden) Shoreline 15 km
Source: Municipality of Freienbach, Office for Economy, canton of Schwyz
Credits Published by: Municipality of Freienbach © 2020, www.freienbach.ch Editorial: Communication Department, Municipality of Freienbach freienbachConcept and design: www.geiterkonzept.ch Gemeinde Freienbach Gemeindehaus Schloss Unterdorfstrasse 9 Postfach 140 CH-8808 Pfäffikon SZ www.freienbach.ch