Glarus Süd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Glarus Süd
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 Glarus Süd
Location in Switzerland
Glarus Süd
Location in Canton of Glarus
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Glarus | |
| District | n.a. | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 430.03 km2 (166.04 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 521 m (1,709 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 9,480 | |
| • Density | 22.045/km2 (57.096/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
8762
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| Localities | Betschwanden, Braunwald, Diesbach, Elm, Engi, Haslen, Hätzingen, Leuggelbach, Linthal, Luchsingen, Matt, Mitlödi, Nidfurn, Rüti, Schwanden, Schwändi, Sool. | |
| Surrounded by | Glarus, Glarus Nord, Quarten (SG), Flums (SG), Mels (SG), Pfäfers (SG), Flims (GR), Laax (GR), Ilanz/Glion (GR), Andiast (GR), Waltensburg/Vuorz (GR), Breil/Brigels (GR), Trun (GR), Sumvitg (GR), Disentis/Mustér (GR), Silenen (UR), Spiringen (UR), Muotathal (SZ) | |
Glarus Süd is a municipality in Switzerland. It is located in the canton of Glarus. This area includes the upper Linth valley and the whole Sernf valley.
Many villages are part of Glarus Süd. These include Betschwanden, Braunwald, Diesbach, Elm, Engi, Haslen, Hätzingen, Leuggelbach, Linthal, Luchsingen, Matt, Mitlödi, Nidfurn, Rüti, Schwanden, Schwändi, and Sool. Glarus Süd is one of three municipalities in the Glarus canton. The other two are Glarus and Glarus Nord.
Contents
History of Glarus Süd
The municipality of Glarus Süd was formed on January 1, 2011. It brought together 13 smaller municipalities. These were Betschwanden, Braunwald, Elm, Engi, Haslen, Linthal, Luchsingen, Matt, Mitlödi, Rüti, Schwanden, Schwändi, and Sool.
When it was created, Glarus Süd was the largest Swiss municipality by land area. However, it was later surpassed by the municipality of Scuol in 2015.
Geography and Landscape
Glarus Süd covers the entire valley of the Linth river. This stretches from Mitlödi, near the town of Glarus, all the way to the river's source. It also includes the whole valley of the Sernf river, which joins the Linth in Schwanden. The municipality also has the mountain ranges on both sides of these valleys.
Most of the villages are located in one of these two valleys. The only exception is Braunwald, which is a resort village in the mountains.
Villages in the Linth Valley
Moving upstream from Mitlödi along the Linth river, you will find these villages:
- Sool
- Schwändi
- Schwanden
- Nidfurn
- Haslen
- Leuggelbach
- Luchsingen
- Hätzingen
- Diesbach
- Betschwanden
- Rüti
- Linthal
Villages in the Sernf Valley
Heading upstream from Schwanden along the Sernf river, you will find:
Land Use and Mountains
Glarus Süd has a total area of about 425.88 square kilometers. A large part of this land is covered by forests (27%). About 28.8% is used for farming. Only a small part (1.6%) has buildings or roads. The rest (42.6%) is unproductive land, like high mountains.
The municipality has a wide range of altitudes. The lowest point is 504 meters (1,654 feet) at Mitlödi. The highest point is the summit of Tödi at 3,614 meters (11,857 feet). Other important peaks include Bifertenstock (3,419 m), Clariden (3,267 m), and Hausstock (3,158 m). There are also notable lakes like Limmernsee and Garichtisee.
Population and People
Glarus Süd has a population of about 9,880 people. As of 2013, about 18.3% of the people living here were foreign nationals.
In 2013, children and teenagers (0–19 years old) made up 17.3% of the population. Adults (20–64 years old) were 61.2%. Seniors (over 64 years old) made up 21.6% of the population.
Cultural Heritage Sites
Glarus Süd is home to thirteen important Swiss heritage sites. These are places of national significance.
Sites in Braunwald
Braunwald has two such sites:
- Bergeten: These are the ruins of an old mountain camp from the Middle Ages.
- Ortstockhaus: A historic building.
Sites in Elm
Elm has three important houses:
- Gross house
- Suworow house
- Zentner house
Other Villages with Heritage Sites
- Engi: The Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Des Kantons Glarus, Engi (Natural Science Collections of the Canton Glarus).
- Haslen: The Spinnerei Daniel Jenny & Co (a spinning mill).
- Linthal: The Pantenbrücke (a bridge).
- Luchsingen: The Sunnezyt House.
- Matt: The Brummbach house and the Steggut house.
- Mitlödi: The Schiffmeister / Schönenberger house.
- Schwanden: The Industrial Archives of Glarus.
In 1981, the village of Elm received the Wakker Prize. This award is given for protecting and developing its unique architectural heritage.
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Gross House
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Suworow House
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Zentner House
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Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Des Kantons Glarus, Engi
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Brummbach House
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Steggut House
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Schiffmeister House / Schönenberger House
Economy and Jobs
Historically, farming was the main job in this area. This included raising sheep since the year 1000. In the 1700s, making wool products at home became important. In the 1600s and early 1700s, cattle were raised in the Alps during summer and sold to Italy.
The baths at Wichlen, near Elm, were used since the Middle Ages. They were very popular until an avalanche covered them in 1762. Many old wooden buildings from that time still exist. A new spa opened in 1898 and was popular until World War I. Today, it is a retirement center.
Starting in 1861, slate was mined from the Tschingelberg mountain. This slate was used to make school tablets and styluses (pens). The Mineralquellen Elm AG company, which makes mineral water, opened in Elm in 1929 and is still running today.
In 2012, there were over 5,000 jobs in Glarus Süd. About 455 people worked in farming. Around 2,197 people worked in manufacturing and industry. The largest number, 2,394 people, worked in services like shops, hotels, and offices.
Getting Around: Transport
A railway line runs through Glarus Süd along the Linth river valley. It stops at several stations. These include Mitlödi, Schwanden, Nidfurn-Haslen, Leuggelbach, Luchsingen-Hätzingen, Diesbach-Betschwanden, Rüti GL, Linthal Braunwaldbahn, and Linthal.
The Zürich S-Bahn service S25 connects these stations to Zurich every hour. The St. Gallen S-Bahn service S6 also runs hourly from Rapperswil to Schwanden.
Sernftalbus operates bus services from Schwanden station. These buses go to villages in the Sernf river valley, like Engi, Matt, and Elm. This bus route follows an old tramway line that ran from 1904 to 1969. Buses also go to Schwändi and Sool.
PostAuto Schweiz runs a bus service from Linthal station to Flüelen station. This route crosses the Klausen Pass between June and September, offering scenic views.
The Braunwald funicular is a special mountain railway. It connects Linthal Braunwaldbahn station to the car-free resort of Braunwald, which is located higher up on the mountain.
Climate and Weather
Glarus Süd experiences a good amount of rain and snow. Between 1961 and 1990, the Braunwald area had about 161 rainy days each year. It received an average of 2,025 millimeters (79.7 inches) of rain. August was the wettest month.
The Elm area, during the same period, had about 156 rainy days per year. It received an average of 1,524 millimeters (60 inches) of rain. August was also the wettest month for Elm.
The weather in Elm village (1991–2020) shows:
- Warmest month: July, with an average high of 21.0°C (69.8°F).
- Coldest month: January, with an average low of -5.6°C (21.9°F).
- Wettest month: August, with 194 mm (7.6 inches) of rain.
- Snowiest month: January, with 85 cm (33 inches) of snow.
Famous People from Glarus Süd
- Rico Elmer (born 1969): A ski mountaineer who was born in Elm.
- Thomas Johannessen Heftye (1767–1827): He moved from Hätzingen to Norway in 1791. There, he started a bank and a family of important Norwegian business people and politicians.
- Jakob Klaesi (1883–1980): A psychiatrist known for his work in sleep therapy. He was born in Luchsingen.
- Vreni Schneider (born 1964): An Olympic gold medalist and world champion in slalom and giant slalom. She was born in Elm.
See also
In Spanish: Glaris Sur para niños
