Oberuzwil

Oberuzwil is a political municipality in the canton of St. Gallen and comprises the localities of Oberuzwil, Bichwil and Niederglatt. It is located in the Wil electoral district. Two different themes can guide your travel planning: the gently rolling landscape and local history, which can be explored through historic buildings and the local museum. You can plan your stay around walks and cycling tours, or focus on architecture and the local history collection.

Nature and trails

The area around Oberuzwil is gently rolling, with a landscape shaped by forests, fields and settlements. It is ideal for walks and cycling tours and also appeals to nature lovers. Bettenauer Weiher is located in a nationally protected area. Information boards by the pond share interesting facts about its history and the surrounding flora and fauna. A handrail on the Jonschwil side makes it safer to walk around the pond.

The 10-Dörfer-Weg offers a different focus. It runs through landscapes along the Thur and Glatt rivers and consists of a main trail and three shorter spur trails. Altogether, it loops around and partly passes through ten villages. The route offers views near and far from Eppenberg. Different points of reference can help you choose: at Bettenauer Weiher, the focus is on a single natural site, its information boards and the walk around the pond; on the 10-Dörfer-Weg, the main trail and spur trails, the ten villages and the views from Eppenberg provide a sense of direction.

Fairy-tale trail and local museum

The Märliweg Oberuzwil combines fairy-tale stations with a walking trail. The four stations are located at the edge of the forest in Schoren and along the walking trail between Oberuzwil and Bettenauer Weiher. The stations have seating and weatherproof-bound fairy-tale books. The stories are changed every six months. If fairy tales appeal to you as an excursion theme, the trail offers a distinct storytelling focus alongside its landscape.

The Oberuzwil local museum is housed in the old Statthalterhaus. Its local history collection includes furniture, household items, tools, weapons, embroidery and weaving samples, old toys, historical photographs and traditional costumes. The collection thus ranges from objects used in the home and at work to textile samples, images and clothing. The museum also offers special guided tours by appointment.

Churches and local history

The churches also represent distinct architectural styles. The Protestant church in Oberuzwil was built in 1765/66 by master builder Johann Ulrich Grubenmann and inaugurated on 1 November 1766. With its simple, clear reinforced-concrete forms, the Catholic parish church of St. Gallus is an outstanding example of New Building and an important witness to modern architecture. Coloured glass blocks inside create a distinctive atmosphere of light. Thus, an 18th-century church and modern architecture offer contrasting ways to explore local history.

Early documentary mentions of Oberuzwil date from 819 and 824; Bichwil and Wila are mentioned in a document from 865. This early local history complements the story told by the later church buildings and the collection at the local museum.

Discover more destinations: Niederbüren, Rossrüti, Wil, Zuzwil, Flawil, Degersheim, Uzwil.

Return to the main travel overview: Wil.