Hombrechtikon: Hiking Trails, Lützelsee and Architectural Heritage

For a trip to Hombrechtikon, you can plan hikes, the landscape around Lützelsee and historic buildings as different areas of focus. When looking for a hotel, consider whether you would like to spend more time on longer trails, in the lakeside landscape or exploring the village and its architectural history. Local routes have specific distances and approximate walking times; other themes range from nature watching to the history of individual buildings.

Hiking: Compare Times and Themes

The eastern route is 7.5 kilometres long and takes about two hours to walk. The western route covers 10.7 kilometres and takes about three hours. The eastern route is therefore the shorter of the two in both distance and walking time: about 3.2 kilometres and one hour less. These are approximate times and can help you plan your day.

The routes also differ in what they offer. The eastern route leads to the origins of industrialisation and the heights of Hochwacht. The western route passes geological features, a poet’s memorial site and deep, peat-rich marshland. The northern route leads to Bochslen, at 530 metres, the local mountain of the people of Hombrechtikon, with a fire pit and panoramic views of the lake, Etzel and the Alpine range. So, alongside routes of different lengths, you can choose between a variety of landscapes and historical themes.

Nature and Trails at Lützelsee

Lützelsee lies between Lake Zurich and the Zurich Oberland and includes marshland and small lakes. The Lützelsee marshland is one of six marshland landscapes of national importance in the Canton of Zurich. For a shorter walk, you can plan the three-kilometre circular trail: it runs mostly along a flat gravel path and is considerably shorter than the eastern and western routes.

In the nature reserve at Lützelsee, you can watch storks at their many nests around the lake in spring and summer. The lido at Lützelsee has a raft with a diving board. From Badi Feldbach, you can enjoy views of the mountains and Rapperswil Castle. The Eichberg indoor swimming pool has step-free access and an accessible toilet, available by prior arrangement with the school administration. Please make the necessary arrangements with the administration before your visit.

Church and Architectural History

Hombrechtikon’s Reformed Church is a prominent Baroque building with a slender tower and an important local landmark. Its doors are open during the day, inviting visitors to look around and linger. The construction of the present building can also be dated precisely: in 1757, master builder Jakob Grubenmann was commissioned to extend and remodel the church. The foundation stone was laid on 12 May 1758, and the church was consecrated on 23 September 1759.

The Menzi House, with its small adjacent house and vaulted cellar, was built in 1793. It is considered a particularly valuable and characteristic farmhouse of the Zurich Oberland. The building was carefully renovated in 2014, and the restoration received the Swiss Heritage Award in 2015. The Stricklerhuus village museum is housed in a 17th-century farmhouse that has undergone only gentle renovation. Its temporary exhibitions cover social, natural history and historical topics.

Feldbach: Sculptures and Early Settlements

The late-classical Lion Pavilion in Feldbach features a reclining lion and four eagle sculptures. The pavilion and its sculptures have been protected objects of cantonal importance since 1995. Feldbach is also home to Neolithic and Early Bronze Age lakeshore settlements. The CH-SG-01 site includes the large, shallow bay between Feldbach in the Canton of Zurich and Kempraten in the Canton of St. Gallen. Its favourable location has been inhabited since the early 4th millennium BC.

Discover more destinations: Obermeilen, Meilen, Männedorf, Herrliberg, Zollikon, Stäfa, Zumikon, Küsnacht

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