Pfäfers facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids

Pfäfers

Coat of arms

Pfäfers

Location in Switzerland

Pfäfers

Location in Canton of St. Gallen

Switzerland

Wahlkreis Sarganserland

Area

• Total

128.46 km² (49.60 sq mi)

Elevation

840 m (2,760 ft)

Population

(Dec 2020 )

• Total

1,528

• Density

11.895/km² (30.807/sq mi)

Postal code

7312

Localities

Pfäfers, St. Margrethenberg, Vadura, Valens, Vasön, Vättis

Surrounded by

Bad Ragaz, Felsberg (GR), Flims (GR), Glarus Süd (GL), Chur (GR), Landquart (GR), Mels, Tamins (GR), Trin (GR), Untervaz (GR)

Pfäfers is a small town, also called a municipality, located in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It's part of the Sarganserland area. The municipality includes several villages like Pfäfers, St. Margrethenberg, Vadura, Valens, Vasön, and Vättis.

History of Pfäfers

Ancient Times and Early Settlements

The Taminatal valley, where Pfäfers is located, has a very long history. In a cave called Drachenloch (Dragon's Hole) above the village of Vättis, scientists found stone tools and bear bones that are about 50,000 years old! This means people lived here a very long time ago. You can see some of these ancient finds at the local museum in Vättis.

The Famous Monastery

Pfäfers became important because of a Benedictine monastery called Pfäfers Abbey. It was built in the early 700s and existed for over 1,000 years! The monastery closed in 1838. Since 1847, the old monastery buildings have been used as a hospital for mental health.

The town was first mentioned in records in 762 as abbas de Fabarias. Later, it was called Pheuers in 1247 and Pfaevaers in 1288. In the Romansh language, it's known as Faveras.

Walser Settlers and Thermal Springs

In the 1300s, a group of people called the Walser settled in the Calfeisental valley. You can still visit the old Walser colony of St. Martin and a Walser house on the Alp Ebni today.

Around 1240, a special hot spring was found in the Taminaschlucht (Tamina Gorge). People believed the water had healing powers. Sick people were carefully lowered into the narrow gorge on ropes to bathe in the warm water. In 1630, a bath-house was built right at the entrance of the gorge.

Later, in 1840, a road was built to the nearby town of Ragaz. This made it easier for people to visit the spa, and the main spa business moved there. Today, the "Old Bath Pfäfers" is the oldest Baroque bath-house in Switzerland. It now has a restaurant and a museum.

Modern Developments

Two big changes in the 1900s helped Pfäfers grow. In 1970, the Valens clinic opened. It specializes in treating problems with joints, nerves, and bones. Then, in 1975, the Sarganserland power plants started working. These are hydroelectric power plants that use water to make electricity. They have a large storage lake called Gigerwald and a smaller reservoir called Mapragg. Both the clinic and the power plants are very important because they provide many jobs for the people living in Pfäfers.

People and Population (Demographics)

Pfäfers has a population of 1,528 (as of 31 December 2020). About 10.7% of the people living here are from other countries. Most people (93.3%) speak German. Other languages spoken include Serbo-Croatian and Portuguese.

The population has changed over time:

year	population
1831	1,634
1850	1,315
1900	1,510
1950	1,900
2000	1,754

Education in Pfäfers

Pfäfers has three kindergartens and three primary schools, one in Pfäfers, one in Vättis, and one in Valens. There is also a high school in Pfäfers that students from all over the municipality attend.

Many adults in Pfäfers have finished their high school education or gone on to college or a special technical school.

Economy and Jobs

In Pfäfers, many people work in different areas:

Primary sector: This includes jobs like farming and forestry (working with trees).
Secondary sector: These are jobs in manufacturing or construction.
Tertiary sector: This includes jobs in services, like working at the clinic, in restaurants, or in shops.

The clinic Valens and the Sarganserland power plants are major employers in the area. Many people who live in Pfäfers also travel to other towns for work, and people from other towns come to Pfäfers to work.

Religion

Most people in Pfäfers are Roman Catholic (about 74.1%). About 12.4% belong to the Swiss Reformed Church. There are also people who belong to other Christian churches, the Islamic faith, or no church at all.

Coat of Arms

The blazon (description) of Pfäfers's coat of arms shows a white dove flying with a twig in its mouth on a red background.

There's a cool legend about how this coat of arms came to be. It says that a saint named Pirmin wanted to build a monastery somewhere else. But then, a white dove appeared and flew away with a bloody splinter from a worker's injury. The monks followed the dove, and it landed on a tree in the Taminatal valley. Saint Pirmin took this as a sign from God and decided to build the monastery right there. This story is even painted on the ceiling of the church in Pfäfers!

Things to Do (Leisure)

Summer Activities

The beautiful Baroque minster (a type of church) at the village entrance is a landmark.
You can visit Vättis, the southernmost village in the canton of St. Gallen.
Hiking is very popular in the Calfeisental valley and around Vättis.

Winter Activities

In winter, you can go cross-country skiing in St. Margrethenberg and Vättis.

Transportation (Traffic)

Pfäfers and Valens are both connected to the town of Bad Ragaz by good roads. A bus system helps people travel between all the villages and Bad Ragaz, where they can connect to the railway system. The Taminabridge, built in 2017, crosses the Taminaschlucht (Tamina Gorge) and connects Pfäfers and Valens.

There used to be a funicular (a type of cable car) called the Wartensteinbahn that ran between Bad Ragaz and Wartenstein from 1892 to 1964.

Geography of Pfäfers

Pfäfers covers an area of about 128.4 square kilometers (about 49.6 square miles). A large part of the land is covered by forests (30.6%) or used for farming (29.4%). A big part (38.9%) is non-productive land, meaning it's made up of rivers, lakes, or mountains.

The municipality stretches from the Taminatal valley south to the Kunkelspass and west into the high Calfeisen valley. It has some of the biggest differences in elevation for any town, from the Tamina canyon at 693 meters (2,274 ft) to the Ringelspitz mountain at 3,247 meters (10,653 ft)!

Villages and Hamlets (Localities)

Pfäfers Village

The main village of Pfäfers is about 800 meters (2,600 ft) above sea level at the start of the Taminatal valley. It has about 600 people.

The most important employer here is the clinic St. Pirminsberg, which helps people with mental health issues.
Other jobs come from farming, forestry, and small businesses.
The control center and a reservoir for the Sarganserland power plants are located in Vadura, a hamlet near Pfäfers. These power plants produce a lot of electricity every year.

Places of interest in Pfäfers:

Ruin Wartenstein (old castle ruins)
Old Bath Pfäfers with its museum
Hot spring Bath Pfäfers
Taminaschlucht (canyon)
Natural Bridge
Former fort Furggels

Vättis Village

Vättis is about 940 meters (3,080 ft) above sea level and has around 460 people. Farming, forestry, and some industries are important here.

A cool place to visit is the Drachenloch museum, which shows the ancient finds from the Drachenloch cave.
From Gaspus, you can take a cable car up to Vättnerberg, where many hiking trails start.
Behind Vättis is the Calfeisental valley, another popular hiking area.

Places of interest in Vättis:

Drachenloch - a very high-up place where prehistoric discoveries were made
Drachenloch museum
Walser colony St. Martin
Walser house on the Alp Ebni
Calfeisental nature protection area
Glarner Hauptüberschiebung (a special geological site)
Silver mine Gnapperkopf

Valens Village

Valens is about 920 meters (3,020 ft) above sea level and has about 400 people. It's known as a sunny place and has kept its natural beauty.

The clinic Valens is the main employer here. It specializes in treating problems with joints, nerves, and bones, using water from the hot spring in its therapies. The bath is also open to the public.

Vasön Village

Vasön is a small village with about 100 people, located 920 meters (3,020 ft) above sea level. Farming and forestry are very important here. Many hiking tours start from Vasön.