Get to know Rüderswil through its trails and striking church complex: the Farmers’ Educational Trail focuses on nature and agriculture, the Emme Leisure Trail offers digital background information, and a commemorative hiking trail explores the history of Niklaus Leuenberger. The church defines not only the village centre but the entire community.
Trails with Different Themes
The Farmers’ Educational Trail covers nature, animals, plants, biodiversity and Swiss agriculture. Interactive quiz stations make these topics part of the trail and offer a chance to engage with agriculture. The route is about 7.3 kilometres long and runs between Ramsei and Zollbrück; railway stations in both places are listed as starting and ending points. You can use these stations to orient yourself along the route.
The web-based, multimedia Emme Leisure Trail combines outdoor activities with history, culture and nature. Its interactive stations do not require an app download. At 18 virtual stations, you can find background information on topics such as the gold rush, medieval routes, castles and churches. The trail starts right at Zollbrück railway station. No reservation or advance booking is required; it can be walked at any time, and participation is free. Weather conditions can affect whether it is possible to walk the trail. Check transport connections before setting out.
The trails focus on different things: nature and agriculture are at the heart of the Farmers’ Educational Trail, while the Emme Leisure Trail offers digital information about history, culture and nature. You can choose which trail to take depending on whether you are more interested in agriculture and biodiversity or in historical and cultural topics.
The Church and Local History
Rüderswil Church consists of a simple nave, a polygonal Late Gothic choir and a church tower built of unplastered tuff stone. The tower is considered the oldest part of the complex. The church complex also includes the Pfrundschür, located to the east of the church, and the adjoining rectory, built in 1720. The Pfrundschür is documented from 1507; in 1993, it was renovated with a steel, glass and timber structure within its existing wooden walls and brought to its present condition.
The church stands in a churchyard enclosed by a historic wall, which also served as a cemetery until 1931. The choir contains three windows dating from 1883: they depict Christ on the cross, Christ as a teacher and the risen Christ. There are also four heraldic panels. In the front garden stands the Gallus Bell, cast in 1423 and bearing the inscription «Sancte Galle Ora Pro Nobis». A memorial plaque on the exterior wall commemorates Gottlieb Jakob Kuhn, who was the pastor in Rüderswil from 1812 to 1824 and was active as a folk-song poet and historian. Rüderswil is first mentioned as a parish in 1275.
Hiking Trails and Getting Around the Village
An 8-kilometre commemorative hiking trail marks the 350th anniversary of the Peasants’ War. It passes the Leuenberger monument and the house where Niklaus Leuenberger lived. Leuenberger was born in 1615 in Schönholz in the Nesselgraben and was appointed leader of the peasant movement. The trail offers another historical highlight alongside the church complex.
Hikes are possible along the Emme, while mountain bike tours cross various «Höger» and «Chrächen». Two large lime trees, each at a road junction in Rüderswil, are designated natural monuments. The municipality comprises four localities: Rüderswil, Schwanden, Zollbrück and Ranflüh. Various restaurants and meeting places invite you to relax and enjoy yourself. When planning your trip, you can choose between trails focused on nature and agriculture, digital cultural information and historical sites.
Discover more destinations: Oberfrittenbach, Zollbrück, Schangnau, Röthenbach Im Emmental, Signau, Lauperswil, Trubschachen, Gohl.
Back to the main travel overview: Signau.
