Culture
Culture 1 «Railwaymen - Romans - Knights»
START
Buchs-Dällikon train station
Starting point for cult tour «Railwaymen - Romans - Knights».
Distance: 6.25 km
Duration: approximately 2 h 30 min
Requirement: high
Buchs-Dällikon train station is served by S6 and bus lines 449 and 455.
VIEWPOINT
Old train station Buchs
Sarting in 1877 Buchs was connected to two railroad lines. The National Railway built the Winterthur- Seebach - Baden line on the valley floor and the Northeast Rail the one from Wettingen over the Schwenkelberg to Bülach. In 1878, the Northeast Rail bought the insolvent National Railway. The SBB operated both lines starting in 1902. In 1937, passenger transport ended on the Schwenkelberg line and so did freight transport after the Second World war. In 1969, the tracks were removed from the territory of the municipality of Buchs. Parts of the track are today under nature protection.
[Source: HVF booklets no. 38, 45]
VIEWPOINT
VIEWPOINT
Roman estate Buchs
A Roman estate spanning over 5 ha, located on the sunny slope below the Laegern existed from the 1st to the 3rd century. It was built on the military road from Baden to Winterthur and was likely built by former members of the military who managed the needed financial resources. Today you can visit the secured wall paintings of the cryptoporticus. The excavations can be visited in groups. Register with Dr. Albert Müller (armueller(a)swissonline.ch or 044 845 39 50).
[Source: HVF booklets no. 35, 45]
VIEWPOINT
Castle Regensberg
The striking round tower and the Oberburg castle were built on the rocky outlook between 1200 and 1250 by the regionally powerful noble family, the Barons of Regensberg, whose ancestral seat was today's Altburg near Regensdorf. The only water source was a well in the upper town. In 1267 a war broke out between inhabitants of Regensberg and groups of people from Zurich, who intern were allied with the Habsburg Monarchy. In 1302 the town had to be sold to the Habsburg Monarchys, who then added the lower castle.
[Source: HVF booklet no. 45 and Swiss art guide "Regensberg"]
FINISH
Bus stop Regensberg, Dorf
It's finish at the bus stop Regensberg Dorf.
Regensberg is served by bus line 593. The town is car-free from the Unterburg castle.
Culture 2: Bike tour «churches in the Furttal»
Start and FINISH
Center Regensdorf
Start and finish point for culture tour with bike "Kirchen im Furttal".
The Regensdorf center was opened in 1973 and has repeatedly been adapted to new requirements. Comprised of three high-rise buildings, the hotel complex and the sparsely designed municipal square, it dominates the village image and with that emphasizes Regensdorf's claim to represent the Furttal metropolis.
Distance: 23.25 km
Duration: approximately 3 h
Requirement: medium
Regensdorf center is served by bus lines 451, 452, 485 and 491.
VIEWPOINT
Reformed Church Regensdorf
The tower of the protestant church dates back to 1559. In 1705 the present nave was built next to the tower. On the south side of the tower used to be a smaller nave from the 15th century. Particularly worth seeing are the pulpit from 1705 and the stained-glass windows from 1875.
[Source: HVF booklet no. 38 (2009)]
VIEWPOINT
Historical Ensemble Regensdorf
The only Romanesque church in the canton of Zurich that has been largely preserved in its original state was built around 1200. The original patron saint was St. Mary. It was the parish church of Oberregensdorf until the Reformation in 1529. Then it became the parish barn and goat stable. In 1953 it was restored and transferred to the Reformed Church for religious use.
The museum barn, dated back to 1722, was built as a storehouse for agricultural products serving the Fahr monastery. After the Reformation, the building had multiple owners over time. In 1960, the municipality of Regensdorf acquired the building, using it as a community museum since 1977.
Opening hours: April to December, on the 1st Sunday of each month from 2 - 5 pm.
The intervening vicarage will one day form the extension of the community museum.
[Source: HVF booklet no. 38]
Further information
VIEWPOINT
Parish Church Dällikon & Dänikon
The existence of a church in Dällikon was first mentioned in a document dated 1228. The older church building was renewed in 1602 and 1673. In 1708 the choir was added. The stained-glass windows in the middle choir date from 1603, 1673 and 1708.
[Source: HVF booklet no. 30, 38, 45]
VIEWPOINT
Reformed Church Würenlos
The old church, jointly used by the Catholic and Reformed parishes of Würenlos, increasingly failed to provide the needed space. The two parishes agreed in 1930 rebuild and extend, leading to the inauguration of the new Reformed church in 1937.
[Source: HVF booklet no. 30]
Further information
TURNINGPOINT
Ländli Mehrzweckhalle
In Ländli is the TURNINGPOINT of the Velo circuit.
It can also use as a START / FINISH POINT of the Velo circuit "Kirchen im Furttal".
VIEWPOINT
Catholic Church & old church Würenlos
Following the reformation in 1532, the old village church (built in 1519) had to be used alternately by both denominations.
The striking double onion covered towers of the Catholic church in Würenlos probably date back to the Romanesque times. According to popular myth, it was used as a Roman watchtower. The onion-shaped cover was added in 1770.
When the church became too small for the Catholics in 1930, they and the Reformed were each able to build a new church by 1937.
Today the old church serves as a community hall and for cultural events.
[Source: HVF booklet no. 30]
VIEWPOINT
Reformed Church Otelfingen, Boppelsen, Hüttikon
The choir tower church was built in 1607/08 while parts of a chapel dating back to 1515 including extensions were still used. It is assumed that a medieval church existed at that same place before.
According to legend, a rich farmer in the authoritative city of Zurich was so annoyed that he had the old tower roof replaced by a copy of the Grossmünster towers in 1843.
[Source: HVF booklet no. 30, 38]
VIEWPOINT
Buchs Reformed Church
The Reformed Church in Buchs was built in 1631. The tower dates back to the 15th century. In 1738 the tower roof was renewed and since 1907 it is crowned by stork's nest and wind vanes.
[Source: HVF booklet no. 1, 30, 38]
VIEWPOINT
Roman Catholic Parish Office St. Mauritius Furttal
From 1960 the present parish hall was used as a church hall and in 1974 the present church was consecrated. The parish office is responsible for the whole Furt Valley.
[Source: HVF booklet no. 30]
Culture 3 «Historical buildings Regensdorf-Watt»
Start and FINISH
Center Regensdorf
Start and finish point for Kultour "Historic Buildings Regensdorf-Watt".
Regensdorf center is served by bus lines 451, 452, 485 and 491.
The Regensdorf center opened in 1973 and has repeatedly been adapted to new requirements. Comprised of three high-rise buildings, the hotel complex and the sparsely designed municipal square, it dominates the village image and with that emphasizes Regensdorf's claim to represent the Furttal metropolis.
Distance: 9 km
Duration: approximately 2 h 30 min
Requirement: low
VIEWPOINT
Historical Ensemble Regensdorf
The only Romanesque church in the canton of Zurich that has been largely preserved in its original state was built around 1200. The original patron saint was St. Mary. It was the parish church of Oberregensdorf until the Reformation in 1529. Then it became the parish barn and goat stable. In 1953 it was restored and transferred to the Reformed Church for religious use.
The museum barn, dated back to 1722, was built as a storehouse for agricultural products serving the Fahr monastery. After the Reformation, the building had multiple owners over time. In 1960, the municipality of Regensdorf acquired the building, using it as a community museum since 1977.
Opening hours: April to December, on the 1st Sunday of each month from 2 - 5 pm.
The intervening vicarage will one day form the extension of the community museum.
[Source: HVF booklet no. 38]
Further information
VIEWPOINT
Castle ruins Alt Regensberg
The ancestral castle of the barons of Regensberg was built in the 11th century and inhabited by them until 1330. It is called Altburg since 1244 in Regensberg the new castle and the small town came into being. In 1458 the textile merchant Rudolf Mötteli from Ravensburg expanded the castle, but left it just 10 years later. The new owner, the city of Zurich, let the castle fall into disrepair. It became a quarry for surrounding buildings. Since 1819 the ruins have been under protection. the site was restored in 1955-57.
[Source: L. Wüthrich: Regensdorf, Kleiner Kunstführer
Aerial view: Jürg Frei]
VIEWPOINT
Katzensee
The two Katzen lakes formed at the end of the last ice age by an offshoot of the Linth glacier. They are dammed by a moraine hill and have no surface inflow, but one outflow each, to the east (Katzenbach) and to the west (Furtbach). The entire area is under nature protection since 1912, and declared a natural monument of national importance in 1977.
The surrounding marshlands give an impression of what the plain of the Furt valley might have looked like before intensive use as is the case today. In 1863, a Molkenkur inn was built on the moraine hill, which burned to the ground in 1901. In 1908 the present main building was erected. In the staircase one finds a large, three-part art nouveau window. Since 1929, the entire complex is owned by the Canton of Zurich. Adjacent to the building one finds employee houses and a two-story stable building (1880).
VIEWPOINT
Räbhüsli Watt
The vineyard house of the vine-growers of Watt is a wonderful vantage point to look over the Furt valley to the Altberg and, when conditions permit, enjoy a great surround view, across alpine peaks spanning from Bern to Grisons.
VIEWPOINT
Sander Spycher Regensdorf
The oldest spycher in Regensdorf was built in 1626, at that time built as high as the stair drawings one can see above the sundial. The addition of a second floor took place in 1638. Like all Zurich spychers, the first floor was only accessible by an outside staircase, which is missing today.
In the smallest ring of the sundial one can read the hours while the second ring shows half hours. The Roman numerals show the true local time while the squiggly numbers show the Central European Time (CET).
[Source: HVF booklet no. 38]