Pfyn: Nature Trails and History on the Thur

Natural Landscape and Trails

Pfyn lies on the Thur. To the south, the Thur floodplain borders the village. This nationally important protected area is crossed by hiking trails. The WWF Beaver Educational Trail offers a specific circular route through the Thurgau floodplains: The four-kilometre trail starts at the PostBus stop beside the Thur bridge in Pfyn. Ten information boards with interactive and playful elements accompany the route. This means the trail combines exercise with information along the floodplain landscape, without being limited to a simple description of a hike.

Another hike follows the Hirschensprung from Pfyn to Dettighofen and offers views of the Thur Valley. The two trails differ in how they are described: the Beaver Educational Trail is a four-kilometre circular route, while the destination of Dettighofen and the valley views are defining features of the Hirschensprung. Frankrichli, an idyllic swimming pond, also lies below the small town. Thus, both trails through the Thur floodplain and a local swimming pond are among the recreational spots mentioned in Pfyn.

Roman Traces and Local History

Ruins of a mighty fortress, built shortly before 300 AD, can be seen in the area of the small town. The north wall and parts of the west wall are quite well preserved. St Bartholomew’s Church, one of the oldest churches in Thurgau, stands inside the fort. It was first mentioned in a document in 1155, is legally protected and is classified as particularly valuable. The fortress remains and the church thus represent different aspects of the village’s history: the visible architectural remains of the fortress and the long-documented history of the church.

A small, newly designed exhibition near the Late Roman fort displays finds from Roman times and from the Neolithic settlement of Pfyn-Breitenloo. A walking tour of Pfyn also focuses on local history: background information can be discovered at ten locations. Another historical perspective is offered by the old Roman military road from Vitudurum, present-day Oberwinterthur, to Arbor Felix, present-day Arbon, which passed through Pfyn.

From Prehistory to the Industrial Era

The oldest known traces of settlement lie about 1.5 kilometres west of Pfyn, in the former Breitenloo peat bog. They are located in a shallow depression in a lateral moraine of the Thurgau Glacier and date from the Early Neolithic, given as 4300 BC. This is distinct from the period represented by finds from the Pfyn culture: finds dating from around 4000 to 3500 BC gave the culture its name. This chronological distinction places two different reference points in early settlement history without conflating them into a single find site or date.

Pfyn’s history does not end with Roman times and early settlement. The VSP site represents a part of Thurgau and eastern Switzerland’s industrial history. The former director’s house on the site is considered valuable in terms of heritage conservation. Cyclists can also discover Roman sites on a cycling tour from Oberwinterthur to Pfyn. Thus, both the historic route of the old military road and this cycling tour offer ways to explore Pfyn; they are distinct approaches to the region’s Roman history.

Discover more destinations: Wagenhausen, Hüttwilen, Müllheim Dorf, Steckborn, Berlingen, Mammern, Eschenz, Homburg

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