Discover Perlen: Hotels between industrial history and the Reuss landscape

Perlen brings together the history of an industrial village unique in Switzerland with the landscape of the Reuss plain. One of the two villages in the municipality of Buchrain, it is particularly shaped by the paper mill and its associated workers’ village. Two themes therefore take centre stage during your stay: the development of a village around industry and the transformation of the Reuss landscape.

Perlen as an industrial village

In Perlen, production and administrative buildings, houses and public buildings were brought together to form a village. This combination makes the place an industrial village unique in Switzerland. The paper mill’s factory site lies at the southern edge of the Reuss plain; the workers’ village of Perlen is part of it. Most of its residential areas and community buildings have been preserved. The factory site and settlement belong together when you explore the local industrial history: alongside production, the residential and community buildings also shape the character of the industrial village.

Industrial development began with a wood-pulp factory founded in Perlen in 1872 and expanded into a paper mill in 1873. In 1883, the paper mill received its own railway connection to Gisikon station, about three kilometres away, on the Zug–Lucerne railway line, which opened in 1864. The chronology shows different stages in the history of the works: the connection to the railway line followed the founding and expansion.

St. Joseph’s Church and the townscape

The Catholic Church of St. Joseph is another notable aspect of Perlen’s history. The St. Joseph Centre is one of the three Catholic churches in the municipality of Buchrain and is protected as a historic monument by the canton. The church includes an attached rectory and a parish hall. In the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of National Importance, it is listed as a protected individual building in Category A. The church complex thus adds another protected area of the town’s built heritage to its industrial history.

The Reuss plain and natural history

A sketch map of the Perlen area from the 18th century shows floodplain meadows and islands in the course of the river Reuss. The former floodplains provided a habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals. Later, drainage, straightening and dam construction transformed the flat valley floor: it was protected from flooding and could be used more intensively. The landscape can thus also be understood as the result of a shift from former floodplains to more intensive use.

North of Perlen, the nearby Förndlibach is fed by groundwater and is unique in the canton of Lucerne. The stream flows slowly and has very good water quality and a diverse flora. Hedgerows rich in natural features and reed beds provide a habitat for Eurasian coots, sedge warblers, mallards and many other bird species. In contrast to the industrial and settlement history, this stream offers a natural-history perspective on the surroundings of Perlen.

Boating at the Perlen weir

Reconnaissance is required before passing through the Perlen weir by boat; in principle, boats can pass through the weir. There is no boat-transport facility there. Below the weir, it is recommended that you scout out a launching point. This information is particularly relevant when planning a trip on the water: it specifies both the need to reconnoitre before passing through and the recommended area for a launching point.

For the broader travel overview: Root.