Sarnen
Encyclopedia
Sarnen is the capital of the canton
of Obwalden
situated on the shores of Lake Sarnen (Sarner See), Switzerland
. It has a population of just under 10,000 and is surrounded by countryside and mountains. Sarnen is located 20 km south of Lucerne
.
and Bronze Age
finds show that the Sarnen valley was inhabited from the earliest times. Over the years Sarnen developed into an important trading center.
can be found nearby. The most well-known mountain close to Sarnen is Mount Pilatus with an elevation of 2132 m (6,994.8 ft).
Sarnen has an area, , of 73.1 square kilometres (28.2 sq mi). Of this area, 40% is used for agricultural purposes, while 50.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 5.2% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (4%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).
The municipality is made up of 5 sections; Sarnen (population 5,984), Stalden (pop. 1,072), Wilen (pop. 1,234), Kägiswil (pop. 1,214) and Ramersberg (pop. 294).
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 34.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP
(30%), the Other (22.7%) and the SPS
(12.6%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Sarnen about 68.6% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Sarnen has an unemployment rate of 1.16%. , there were 465 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 182 businesses involved in this sector. 1,854 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 119 businesses in this sector. 3,649 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 451 businesses in this sector.
, the religious membership of the municipality was; 7,403 or 74.7% are Roman Catholic, while 779 or 7.9% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church
. Of the rest of the population, there are 39 individuals (or about 0.39% of the population) who belong to the Christian Catholic
faith. There are 1,687 individuals (or about 17.03% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census) or no church.
The historical population is given in the following table:
The town of Sarnen has been experiencing steady growth over the past years. It has become more attractive due to its proximity to Lucerne. Many commuters work in Lucerne and use the motorway or railway service to get to work.
Among companies active in Sarnen include Sarna Polymer Holding (waterproofing systems for the construction industry), Leister Technologies
(heated-air tools) and Nahrin AG (healthy nutrition).
line, 23 minutes from Lucerne and 90 minutes from Interlaken. The rail station is situated in the center of the town and serves all major Swiss cities and several international destinations. Trains are operated by Swiss Federal Railways
.
By road it takes approximately 1 hour 20 minutes from both airports. The distance in kilometres from Basel and Zurich airport are approximately 125 and 90 respectively.
Geneva and Zurich airports have built-in railway station. The journey from Zurich takes either 1 h 30 min or 1 h 55 min depending on train connections.
. The wettest month is August during which time Sarnen receives an average of 162 mm (6.4 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 13.6 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is June, with an average of 14.6, but with only 147 mm (5.8 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is January with an average of 66 mm (2.6 in) of precipitation over 13.6 days.
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Obwalden
Obwalden
Obwalden is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the centre of Switzerland. The population is 33,997 of which 4,043 are foreigners. Its capital is Sarnen. The canton contains the geographical centre of Switzerland.-History:...
situated on the shores of Lake Sarnen (Sarner See), Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It has a population of just under 10,000 and is surrounded by countryside and mountains. Sarnen is located 20 km south of Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
.
History
Stone AgeStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
and Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
finds show that the Sarnen valley was inhabited from the earliest times. Over the years Sarnen developed into an important trading center.
Geography
Sarnen is situated at an altitude of 473 m (1,551.8 ft) on the shore of the Lake Sarner (Sarner See). Lake Sarner covers approximately an area of 7.5 km² (2.9 sq mi). The town is surrounded by mountain chains and a protected bogBog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
can be found nearby. The most well-known mountain close to Sarnen is Mount Pilatus with an elevation of 2132 m (6,994.8 ft).
Sarnen has an area, , of 73.1 square kilometres (28.2 sq mi). Of this area, 40% is used for agricultural purposes, while 50.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 5.2% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (4%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).
The municipality is made up of 5 sections; Sarnen (population 5,984), Stalden (pop. 1,072), Wilen (pop. 1,234), Kägiswil (pop. 1,214) and Ramersberg (pop. 294).
Demographics
Sarnen has a population (as of ) of . , 12.8% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 6.7%. Most of the population speaks German (91.0%), with Italian being second most common ( 1.6%) and Albanian being third ( 1.6%). the gender distribution of the population was 49.9% male and 50.1% female. there are 3,452 households in Sarnen.In the 2007 federal election
Swiss federal election, 2007
Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007...
the most popular party was the CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
which received 34.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
(30%), the Other (22.7%) and the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(12.6%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Sarnen about 68.6% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
).
Sarnen has an unemployment rate of 1.16%. , there were 465 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 182 businesses involved in this sector. 1,854 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 119 businesses in this sector. 3,649 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 451 businesses in this sector.
, the religious membership of the municipality was; 7,403 or 74.7% are Roman Catholic, while 779 or 7.9% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church
Swiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
. Of the rest of the population, there are 39 individuals (or about 0.39% of the population) who belong to the Christian Catholic
Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland
The Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland is the Swiss member church of the Union of Utrecht, also known as Old Catholic Church, originally founded by the jansenists, with a later influx of discontented Catholics following their disappointment with the First Vatican Council. It has 14,000...
faith. There are 1,687 individuals (or about 17.03% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census) or no church.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1945 | 5,723 |
| 1955 | 6,336 |
| 1965 | 6,686 |
| 1975 | 7,015 |
| 1985 | 7,956 |
| 1995 | 8,858 |
| 2000 | 9,218 |
| 2005 | 9,472 |
| 2006 | 9,512 |
| 2007 | 9,617 |
| 2008 | 9,798 |
Sarnen today
Among companies active in Sarnen include Sarna Polymer Holding (waterproofing systems for the construction industry), Leister Technologies
Leister Technologies
Leister Process Technologies is a manufacturer of Hot Air Plastic Welding equipment, Laser Cutting and Welding Systems and Sensor Equipment. The company is currently based in Kaegiswil, near Sarnen in Switzerland. Leister was founded in 1949 by German Karl Leister....
(heated-air tools) and Nahrin AG (healthy nutrition).
Railway
Sarnen lies on the Lucerne—InterlakenInterlaken
Interlaken is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the Canton of Bern in Switzerland, a well-known tourist destination in the Bernese Oberland.-History:...
line, 23 minutes from Lucerne and 90 minutes from Interlaken. The rail station is situated in the center of the town and serves all major Swiss cities and several international destinations. Trains are operated by Swiss Federal Railways
SBB-CFF-FFS
Swiss Federal Railways and SFR are not in official use) is the national railway company of Switzerland headquartered in Bern. Formerly a government institution, it is since 1999 a special stock corporation with all shares held by the Swiss Confederation or the Swiss cantons...
.
Airplane
Switzerland has three major international airports Geneva airport, Zurich airport and Basel airport. Both Basel and Zurich airports lie nearer to Sarnen than Geneva.By road it takes approximately 1 hour 20 minutes from both airports. The distance in kilometres from Basel and Zurich airport are approximately 125 and 90 respectively.
Geneva and Zurich airports have built-in railway station. The journey from Zurich takes either 1 h 30 min or 1 h 55 min depending on train connections.
Weather
Sarnen has an average of 139.3 days of rain per year and on average receives 1200 mm (47.2 in) of precipitationPrecipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
. The wettest month is August during which time Sarnen receives an average of 162 mm (6.4 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 13.6 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is June, with an average of 14.6, but with only 147 mm (5.8 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is January with an average of 66 mm (2.6 in) of precipitation over 13.6 days.
External links
- Sarnen Official site
- Sarnen Tourism
- Local companies: