Gossau: Rolling Hills, Paths and Local History
Accommodation in Gossau
Gossau is in the Hinwil district in the upper Glatt Valley, between Wetzikon and Forch. The municipality includes the localities of Gossau-Dorf, Bertschikon, GrĂĽt, Herschmettlen and Ottikon. For travellers looking for a hotel in Gossau, the area can be understood through two themes: a drumlin-rich, agricultural landscape and a history reflected in its churches, historic paths and local museum.
Rolling Hills and Paths
Around 66 percent of the municipal area is used for agriculture, and 14 percent is woodland. Gossau lies in a drumlin-rich hilly landscape; the cantonal protection ordinance for the drumlin landscape of the Zurich Oberland includes Gossau. These land-use figures give a concrete sense of how strongly agriculture and woodland shape the landscape.
In the natural surroundings of Gossau, hiking and cycling routes wind through the hilly Zurich Oberland, past forests, ponds and farms. Six audio walks take visitors along historic paths through the municipality. This lets you distinguish between routes through the landscape and a historical perspective along historic paths, without treating them as a single route.
One specific hiking destination is Aaspitz: you can hike there from Gossau, and it is where the Aa flows into Lake Greifen. This brings together different ways of exploring the area: historic paths within the municipality, hiking and cycling routes through the hilly Zurich Oberland, and a named destination by the lake.
Churches and Historical Dates
The Church of Maria Krönung was built to plans by Zurich architect Fritz Metzger and consecrated in 1959. Its freestanding bell tower is visible from afar. The church is also open during the day outside service times and is wheelchair accessible. Check opening hours and accessibility locally before your trip.
The Reformed Church of Gossau also offers a clear historical point of reference: the completed church was consecrated on August 19, 1821. A prayer chapel on the hill near Gossau is first mentioned in the year 777. These dates refer to different milestones: the first mention of a chapel and the consecration of two churches.
Discover the DĂĽrstelerhaus
The Gossau local museum is housed in the Dürstelerhaus. The house is a timber-frame building from the 16th century and features façade paintings. The building itself thus provides its own historical setting for a museum visit.
The museum displays a furnished kitchen and a tiled stove. There are also objects from agriculture, school and public services, as well as a collection of photographs and slides from the village. The collection offers insights into household life alongside objects from various areas of community life; the images add views of the village to these objects. Together with the audio walks, this offers a way to explore local history both in the museum and along historic paths.
Public Transport and Travel Planning
The railway station offers direct connections to Zurich, Uster and Rapperswil. Regional bus routes make neighbouring municipalities easier to reach. These connections are another factor to consider when planning a stay in Gossau, alongside the paths through the hilly landscape and the area’s cultural attractions.
If you are looking for a hotel in Gossau, you can first consider what will shape your trip: hiking and cycling routes, historic paths and churches, or rail and bus connections. The information about the landscape, history and transport describes different aspects of the destination and can help you assess Gossau in light of your own plans.
Discover more destinations: Bäretswil, Wetzikon, Wald, Hinwil, Bubikon, Grüningen, Dürnten, Fischenthal
Back to the main travel guide: Hinwil.
