one municipality

freienbach
Five Villages – One Municipality
vibrant and attractive
A warm welcome
Dear Sir or Madam
The municipality of Freienbach comprises the five villages
of Freienbach, Pfäffikon, Hurden, Bäch und Wilen. Situated in a picturesque location at the upper end of Lake Zurich, the municipality offers unique residential areas and
a flourishing economy with attractive employment opportunities. Furthermore, in addition to its superb infrastructural facilities such as public transport and education,
Freienbach also offers the finest recreational areas right
on the doorstep – features that help to guarantee a high
quality of life.
Over the last few years we have been setting our course
for the future by continuously developing our facilities and
adapting them to meet the needs of our residents. Freienbach intends to live up to its «vibrant and attractive»
motto by being a place where people of all ages choose to live and work. With our family-friendly policies, we
are continuously developing our facilities for families and,
through moderate growth and forward-thinking mobility
and community development, we are making sustainable
development possible.
Five villages – one municipality. The rural nature of our villages, surrounded as they are by natural beauty, is at the
heart of our community and should be protected. The municipality of Freienbach captivates due to its unique qualities, and it is these qualities which we intend to cherish
and enhance with care.
We warmly invite you to see for yourselves what our municipality of Freienbach has to offer.
With very best wishes
Freienbach Municipal Council
Urban bust le or rural idyll – it ‘s your choice
As a place to live, the municipality of Freienbach is unique. The
municipality‘s five villages are
situated in picturesque surroundings, nestled between Lake Zurich and the foothills of the Alps.
The municipality offers a superb
quality of life.
The convenience of having
everything within easy reach is
valued by residents. Schools,
shops and extensive leisure facilities – everything right on
your doorstep.
The municipality of Freienbach nestles in an attractive environment on
the banks of Upper Lake Zurich, in
the rolling hills at the foot of the Etzel
mountain. It has 15 km of lakeside
shoreline, two islands and conservation areas. Residents value the high
quality of life here. As well as being
an attractive location, the area’s
superb transport connections, local
recreation areas and low tax burden contribute to the wellbeing of the
local population.
The municipality of Freienbach meets
the widest range of residential needs.
Whether you are looking for an idyllic little place by the lake, a district
with views of the lake, older or newer
areas at the heart of the action, or
away from the town centre – there is
a wide choice of places to live.
Its location, in direct proximity to
the Metropolitan Region of Zurich,
and also in the Lake Zurich Region,
means that a great many high-quality
leisure, cultural and educational facilities are available. The municipality
of Freienbach is itself an important
centre for education in the region.
The well-designed infrastructure has
much to offer families. These include
numerous leisure opportunities such
as sports grounds and swimming
pools, childcare facilities, advice centres for parents of babies and toddlers and the full range of educa­
tional provision from nursery school
through to cantonal and vocational
school or youth centre.
The elderly have a wide range of
age-appropriate residential, advice,
care and entertainment facilities
available to them.
A workplace with cosmopolitan flair
The commercial centre of the
municipality is the village of
Pfäffikon.
In addition to its location and
quality of life, the favourable tax
conditions are a draw for companies.
The municipality has a widerthan-average range of attractive
employment opportunities.
With Pfäffikon as its centre, the
municipality of Freienbach has developed into a dynamic location for trading and finance with global connections. Prestigious international
companies have become established here and offer many varied and
attractive job opportunities with prospects for the future. The municipality is also home to various small and
medium-sized companies. These help
to create a sound economic base for
the municipality.
The tax conditions represent a major
advantage of the location for companies and individuals. Freienbach is
currently at the head of the cantonal
and national tax-ranking list.
Craft industries, local shops, the
Seedamm Center, and restaurants
are also benefiting from the conti-
nuing rapid growth. The Hotel Seedamm Plaza is a prestigious choice
for conferences and events. As one
of Europe’s top venues, it emphasizes
the international focus of the Freienbach/Pfäffikon area.
The municipality of Freienbach,
together with the neighbouring municipalities of Wollerau and Feusisberg and the district of Höfe, has an
institution, in the form of the Höfe
Business Development Department,
which is devoted to promoting and
developing the Höfe location. It acts
as the contact point and service provider for companies interested in
settling there.
Flughafen
Zürich
Zug
Luzern
Schwyz
Attractive mobility culture for the future
The municipality of Freienbach
is ideally situated in terms of
transport. Its central location
offers unique transport connections for public and private
transport.
The municipality promotes the
benefits of public transport.
St.Gallen
Gemeinde Freienbach
The railway station in Pfäffikon is the
transport hub of the municipality. It is
where the Zurich-Chur and Romanshorn-Lucerne railway lines intersect.
Its integration into the Swiss Intercity
network as well as the Zurich linked
transport system guarantees an optimum range of options. Commuters
value the excellent connections to
Zurich, less than 30 minutes away. A
direct link to the international airport
at Kloten in 40 minutes is guaranteed. Local buses supplement the
excellent public transport facilities
within the municipality.
The municipality of Freienbach is
located on the A3 motorway from
Zurich to Chur. Pfäffikon is connected to the town of Rapperswil-Jona
via the dam on the lake.
Pedestrians and walkers can access
a wide network of footpaths within
the municipality as well as the most
Chur
picturesque hiking trails in the region.
The attractive wooden footbridge
entices walkers to nearby Rapperswil-Jona. National and regional cycle
routes run through the municipality.
The completion of the A3 in 1968
immediately opened up a superb
road link to the wider conurbation
of Zurich. The improved infrastructure triggered a unique development
boost – which has brought an enormous quantity of traffic to the villages over the years. The road network
within the Höfe region is approaching
its limits. The three Höfe municipalities and the canton of Schwyz are
working closely together to find solutions.
Tradition and culture set the pace
The municipality of Freienbach
offers a wide variety of cultural
facilities.
Traditional markets and fairs
also attract visitors from far and
wide to the villages.
The Schwyz Fasnacht carnival, known locally as the «fifth
season», packs in visitors of all
ages, year after year.
Freienbach’s event calendar offers a
great deal to see, hear and be amazed by. Exhibitions, concerts, the
lakeside cinema and other highlights
provide top-quality entertainment.
The Freienbach Culture Commission
promotes this cultural programme by
organizing events itself and awarding
subsidies and culture prizes.
Summertime marks the start of the
market and fair season in Freienbach.
These small local fairs attract visitors from near and far to the villages:
for example the lakeside Chilbi am
See in Pfäffikon, the Freienbacher
Herbstmärt in the autumn, the Wiler
Chilbi and the Pfäffikon Christmas
market.
The municipality has various historic
buildings available for cultural events.
The most striking of these is the
castle tower in Pfäffikon. The former
station building in Bäch has been
attractively converted as a venue for
clubs and cultural activities. There
are also churches, chapels and other
public rooms available for a wide range of cultural events.
Many Freienbach residents spend
the entire year looking forward to the
next Fasnacht carnival. The Fasnacht
carnival starts on 6 January with
the Höfner Narrenfahrt, followed by
masked balls and costume awards.
The Leutschenhaus houses a jester museum devoted to the various
masks of the region.
Arts enthusiasts are well catered for
by the Vögele Culture Centre in Pfäffikon, which is well known throughout
the region for its groundbreaking
exhibitions.
Leading the field in sport and leisure
The superb infrastructure, with
its various sports and bathing
facilities and natural beauty as
far as the eye can see, provide the perfect setting for sports
enthusiasts.
The Alpamare water park attracts visitors from all over the
region and beyond.
Clubs and associations are very
important in all villages. Over
100 associations offer a wide
range of leisure activities – from
music and sport, to politics,
church affiliations and the arts.
The municipality of Freienbach prides itself on its wide range of sport
and leisure facilities. This superb infrastructure is enjoyed not only by
Freienbach’s own residents, but also
by its many visitors. The municipality operates three lakeside resorts in
Bäch, Freienbach and Pfäffikon. Those in search of excitement will find
lots to do at the Chrummen sports
complex in Freienbach, with a range
of facilities for beach volleyball, football and floor hockey surrounded by
countryside. The local residents and
sports associations benefit from two
school swimming pools and various
sports halls. Private sports centres
complete the range on offer. Alpamare, a water park with the longest
water slide in Europe, is a magnet for
visitors from near and far.
A fitness trail and cross-country
running track draw athletes to the
Schwerziwald forest between Pfäffikon and Freienbach. The hiking are-
as of the Alpine foothills are virtually
on the doorstep. The close proximity
of ski resorts is another plus for the
region.
For those who prefer to take it easy,
the media library and games library
offer a broad choice of leisurely pastimes.
Over 100 clubs and associations provide opportunities to become actively
involved in Freienbach life – catering for all interests whether musical,
sporting, political, social, church, charitable or cultural.
Local recreational facilities right on the doorstep
The Frauenwinkel is the largest
and most valuable nature reserve on Lake Zurich. It comprises
the lakeside area near Pfäffikon
and two islands.
The Etzel area, in the foothills
of the Alps, is irresistible to hikers and offers spectacular
views of the area.
The delightful walk over the
wooden footbridge between
Hurden and Rapperswil-Jona is
a popular excursion.
The municipality of Freienbach has a
wide choice of recreational areas literally right on the doorstep: the lakeside area near Pfäffikon and the two
islands Ufnau and Lützelau are at the
heart of the Frauenwinkel nature reserve – the largest and most valuable nature reserve on Lake Zurich. The
350-hectare area features an exceptionally well-maintained lakeside reed
and marsh habitat.
The delights of the Frauenwinkel include huge expanses of an extremely rare sedge – a special type of reed
grass. Other special features are its
beautiful marshes and low fenland
areas. Extensive wetland meadows
with a great variety of small sedge
reeds and moor grass meadows provide a habitat for the population of
rare wild birds. In addition, the heavily
overgrown Frohmatt stone quarry in
Freienbach, with its pools and damp
vegetation, provides an ideal habitat
and spawning ground for various amphibian species.
The region has a great deal to offer nature enthusiasts and those in
search of a relaxing break: excursions to the islands of Ufnau and Lützelau, the finest lakeside landscape
or a walk from Hurden to Rapperswil-Jona across the longest wooden bridge in Switzerland. Hiking in
the Etzel region offers breathtaking
views of the area.
The footpath between Freienbach
and Wilen takes visitors past vine­
yards and along dry stone walls
through a delightful landscape. As
well as the finest orchards, plantations of organic, standard fruit trees
lend a unique character to the landscape of the municipality.
Focus on schools and education
The municipality of Freienbach
is the educational centre for the
Outer Schwyz Region.
From nursery school to college
– the range of educational facilities within the municipality is
wide.
With its family-friendly policies,
the municipality’s support and
educational facilities are being
continuously developed.
The municipality of Freienbach is
the educational centre for the Outer
Schwyz Region. As well as numerous
nursery and primary schools in the
villages of the municipality, the Outer
Schwyz Cantonal School is located in
Pfäffikon. The municipality also offers
an extensive range of training and
further educational facilities.
The community schools provide a modern infrastructure and focus heavily
on offering a high quality of teaching
and education. This extensive educational task is supported by familyfriendly policies. For example, there are
support structures in place for parents
of pre-school and school-age children – from crèches to school lunch
provision. The educational facilities are
supplemented by Freienbach Music
School, an institution that is known and
loved beyond the municipality’s borders, where students of all ages receive expert music and dance tuition from
established professionals.
The internationalization of the municipality has played a role in the opening
of various crèches, after-school clubs
and private schools, many of them bilingual.
The municipality of Freienbach offers
a wide range of educational and training facilities:
Pfäffikon:
Schools with nursery facilities
Music school
Speech therapy kindergarten
Psychomotor therapy units
Senior school Weid
Outer Schwyz Cantonal School
Vocational training centre in
Pfäffikon
Bäch:
School with nursery facilities
Freienbach:
School with nursery facilities
Senior school Leutschen
Therapeutic day school of Outer Schwyz (HTA)
Speech therapy school of Outer Schwyz
Wilen:
School with nursery facilities
History
Boat trips and the wooden
bridge across the lake have
been boosting business and
tourism in the municipality for
centuries.
The Pilgrims’ Way to Einsiedeln
helped the hospitality industry
to flourish.
The predominantly agricultural
landscape of the municipality
has been developing into a centre for services since 1968.
Circa 2750 BC – Lake-dweller settlements in Pfäffikon
965 AD – Kaiser Otto I presents the
monastery in Einsiedeln with manorial rights to Freienbach.
1250 – The monastery in Einsiedeln
builds the present-day castle tower
in Pfäffikon to defend against enemy
attacks and to protect the revenue
from the monastery lands.
1360 – The wooden bridge between
Hurden and Rapperswil is built.
1300-1800 – As a fortification, the
castle in Pfäffikon is involved in numerous armed conflicts in the region.
1826 – Stagecoaches start to run
between Zurich and Chur.
1848 – Foundation of the district of
Höfe and the municipalities of Freienbach, Feusisberg and Wollerau.
These replaced the previous district
names of «Vorderer Hof» (Pfäffikon)
and «Hinterer Hof» (Wollerau).
1875-91 – Opening of the railway
lines Zurich-Ziegelbrücke, Pfäffikon-Rapperswil, and Pfäffikon-ArthGoldau.
1968 – Opening of the A3 ZurichChur motorway triggers rapid growth.
The municipality has come a long
way from its origins as a poor, predominantly agricultural area to becoming a thriving residential and industrial community, which - thanks to
its low tax rates - attracts numerous
wealthy newcomers and international
companies.
The Freienbach emblem
The Freienbach emblem depicts
three left-facing golden lions on a red
background. It was adopted by the
Hofleute Korporation, a local citizens’
organization, in 1948 following centuries of conflict. The symbolism has
a close historical connection to the
Dukedom of Swabia, which has depicted three lions one over the other
on its crest and flags since the 13th
century. The reference to the dukedom comes from the Ufnau Island
saint, Adelrich, his mother Reginlind,
and a later abbot of the monastery,
who is also said to have belonged to
the family of the Dukes of Swabia.
Public authorities and administration
The Freienbach Municipal
Council takes the concerns and
needs of its citizens to heart.
It plans and coordinates the
municipality’s activities and implements the resolutions of the
municipal assembly.
This efficient, customer-focused
administration has its headquarters in Pfäffikon. Its broad
range of services is supplemented by the utilities maintenance
team and various rescue organizations.
The Freienbach Municipal Council is
composed of nine members elected
by the citizens. It is the highest executive body of the municipality. Each
member of the Municipal Council
represents a department. The Municipal Council is the municipality’s
most senior body. Important initiatives in the political life of the municipality are also initiated by the local
parties and committee members.
The Municipal Council has its headquarters in Pfäffikon. Around 60
staff work between the three municipal buildings of Schloss, Dorf and
Brüel. With the introduction of «outcome-oriented public management»,
the municipality operates with upto-date management structures and
organizations that are people-oriented, transparent and progressive.
Customer-friendly service is a priority
in Freienbach: as well as adapting
counter opening times to suit customers‘ needs, our website enables our
residents to access information and
services around the clock.
A lot of work goes into enabling the
municipality of Freienbach to live up
to its motto of being «vibrant and
attractive». More than a dozen maintenance managers ensure that all
streets and systems are maintained
and guarantee an efficient waste-disposal system.
The municipality is a key employer.
Together with teachers, care centre
workers, caretakers and maintenance
staff, it employs over 400 people. In
addition, there are also around 25
trainees benefiting from training in
the municipality.
Rescue organizations are on call
around the clock to protect the safety
of the population. The municipality of
Freienbach is well provided for with
its own fire service. As a lakeside
community, the municipality of Freienbach also has a lake rescue service. Regional units such as healthcare, civil protection and command
staff provide essential additional support to the organizations.
w w w.f r e i e n bach .ch
Bäch
Bäch was famous in the late Middle
Ages for its quarries. The sandstone
was exported to Zurich and elsewhere
by boat. Bäch later became the place
where several important yet transient industries grew up, such as salt
trading, minting, paper milling, textile manufacture and brewing. Today,
Bäch is a residential village with little
industry, but several well-known fullservice restaurants serving fish specialities. A particularly attractive area
is Bächau, with its picturesque marina
and impressive villas.
Wilen
Wilen borders directly on the neighbouring municipality of Wollerau,
but is part of the political municipality of Freienbach. Wilen is a purely
residential village and has just a few
shops and no industry. It is situated
in a slightly elevated position in the
hills and is made up of the residential
areas of Eulen, Fällmis and Breiten.
Aerial view showing the local boundaries
Orthophoto, 2010
Freienbach
The village gives its name to the political municipality of Freienbach. The
Pfarrmatte nursing home is located near the lake. Sports enthusiasts
enjoy the plentiful sporting facilities
in Chrummen. The splendid lakeside
resort is a popular holiday location
and meeting point in the summer. The
industrial area of Schwerzi accommodates numerous companies and
workplaces.
Pfäffikon
Pfäffikon is the administrative centre
of the political municipality of Freienbach. Pfäffikon alternates with Wollerau as the administrative centre of
the district of Höfe and serves as the
centre for the Outer Schwyz Region.
The former farming village is known
today as a centre for services, edu-
cation, culture, leisure and business.
With over 7,000 residents, Pfäffikon
is one of the larger towns in the canton of Schwyz.
Hurden
Hurden is located on a promontory
that extends far out into Lake Zurich.
It was originally a fishing village. The
guesthouses and the chapel were
used mainly by pilgrims travelling to
Einsiedeln. Hurden has been connected to Rapperswil-Jona by the longest wooden bridge in Switzerland
since 2001. Today, Hurden, with its
exclusive residential area, is a wellknown and popular village.
The islands of Ufnau and Lützelau
belong to the municipality of Freienbach.
Overview of five villages
Bäch
Freienbach
Wilen
Municipality facts and figures
Hurden
Villages
In terms of population, Freienbach is the
largest municipality in the canton of Schwyz.
It comprises the five villages of Pfäffikon,
Freienbach, Hurden, Wilen and Bäch.
District
Höfe
Canton
Schwyz
Population
15‘626 (as at 31.5.2011)
75 % Swiss, 25 % other nationalities
Area
20,69 km²
Topography
27 % agricultural
16 % forest and hedgerow
36 % water and shoreline
21 % residential areas
Religious affiliations
49 % Roman Catholic
20 % Reformed
31 % other/none
Economic structure
1‘478 businesses (2008)
11‘482 jobs (2008)
1 % agriculture
23 % industry and trade
76 % services
Lake height
406 m above sea level
Highest elevation
1022 m above sea level (Schönboden)
Shoreline
15 km
P fäf fikon
Source: Municipality of Freienbach, Office for Economy, canton of Schwyz
Credits
Published by: Municipality of Freienbach © 2011, www.freienbach.ch
Editorial: Communication Department, Municipality of Freienbach
Concept and design: geiterkonzept, Wilen bei Wollerau
Printed by: Steiner Druck, Pfäffikon SZ
2011 edition: 1,000 copies
Gemeinde Freienbach
Gemeindehaus Schloss
Unterdorfstrasse 9
Postfach 140
CH-8808 Pfäffikon SZ
www.freienbach.ch