When exploring Hinwil on foot, you can also encounter its railway heritage on a hiking trail: the 3-Wachten circular trail crosses the Hinwil–Bauma museum railway line, which is served by DVZO heritage trains. The crossing brings the trail and railway line together at close quarters. Hinwil is set in the countryside of the Zurich Oberland, yet is also close to the city of Zurich. On the western slope of the 1,115-metre-high Bachtel, there are different ways to experience the landscape, trails and local history.
Circular trails with different estimated times
The approximate walking times make it easy to compare three circular trails: about two and a half hours for the 7-Riede circular trail, about three and a half hours for the 3-Wachten circular trail, and a little over three hours for the 4-Quellen circular trail. These are estimates for guidance. The 3-Wachten circular trail starts at an information board just above the Hinwil post office. From open sections of woodland, you can look out over Hinwil and, in good weather, as far as the Alps. After Höi, at an elevation of 729 metres, the view opens up to the Ringwiler Weiher pond and the Bachtel.
The 7-Riede circular trail passes through Freecht-, Schweipel-, Chuder-, Oberhöfler-, Schwändi-, Späcken- and Turpenried. VVH signposts and a cloverleaf symbol mark the trail; check the signs before setting off. The 4-Quellen circular trail starts at the TCS car park in Girenbad. At least four springs lie along the route and give hikers the opportunity to quench their thirst. Their availability may vary by season. There are also several barbecue areas, where local fire restrictions may apply.
The Bachtel Geopath starts either at Wernetshausen school or at the TCS car park in Girenbad. Nine information boards lead to Bachtel Kulm. If you are interested in geology, you can use the boards as a thematic thread running through the hike; check the trail signs before setting off.
Protected areas and landscape
The landscape around Bachtel and Allmen, in the municipalities of Hinwil, Wald, DĂĽrnten and Fischenthal, is a nature and landscape conservation area of cantonal importance. It is home to threatened Alpine foothill species of animals and plants, including the whinchat, the marsh fritillary, the short-winged bush-cricket and various orchids. These examples offer a glimpse of the area's ecological diversity, but do not guarantee a particular sighting. Check the applicable conservation rules before taking part in activities. Another distinctive landscape feature is the protected drumlin landscape, which extends from Wetzikon through Hinwil to DĂĽrnten, Gossau and Bubikon.
Local history in the museum and church
The Hinwil Local History Museum brings the period around 1800 to life in a largely original Flarz timber-frame house. Its exhibitions explore various aspects of everyday life: the weaving cellar presents former home-based work, while the barn covers farming activities throughout the year as well as traditional crafts such as wooden water-pipe drilling, wheelwrighting and carpentry. In the Turpen shed beside the barn, visitors can learn about peat cutting and the subsequent drying of the fuel before it was used in the living room.
The local history museum is open from March to December on the first Sunday of each month, from 2 to 5 p.m.; admission is free. Check the date before your visit. Guided tours of the local history museum and/or the exhibition storehouse are available at any time by prior arrangement. The fire brigade museum also tells the story of local technological history: it is housed in the fire station, which was equipped with the first suction pump in 1864, and displays firefighting equipment from both earlier and more recent times.
Hinwil Reformed Church has been documented since around 750 and was built on the masonry foundations of a Roman villa. Its Mathis organ combines craftsmanship and musical history: it has a mechanical action, three manuals and a pedal, 32 stops and more than 2,000 pipes. It was inaugurated on 17 June 1973. An earlier documentary record takes us further back still: the village of Hinwil was first mentioned in writing in 745 under the name Hunichinwilari, in a donation to the Abbey of St. Gall.
A museum railway with a history of its own
The Bauma–Hinwil line used by DVZO heritage trains was built as a section of the former Uerikon–Bauma railway. The carriages and locomotives date from the first century of Swiss railways, from 1847 to 1947, mostly from around 1900. A journey may be marked by the clatter of the wheels, the scent of warm cylinder oil, occasional clouds of steam and the locomotive's hoarse whistle. Operating days and the availability of individual vehicles may vary.
Discover more destinations: Wetzikon, Dürnten, Fischenthal, Hinwil, Bubikon, Wald, Gossau, Bäretswil, Grüningen.
Back to the regional travel overview: Zurich.
