Quarten Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Quarten

Unterterzen, Quarten

Coat of arms

Quarten

Location in Switzerland

Quarten

Location in Canton of St. Gallen

Switzerland

Area

• Total

61.77 km² (23.85 sq mi)

Elevation

548 m (1,798 ft)

Population

(Dec 2020 )

• Total

2,988

• Density

48.373/km² (125.285/sq mi)

Postal code

8883

Localities

Quarten, Oberterzen, Unterterzen, Quinten, Mols SG, Murg SG, Tannenbodenalp, Flums-Grossberg

Surrounded by

Alt Sankt Johann, Amden, Engi (GL), Flums, Mühlehorn (GL), Obstalden (GL), Sool (GL), Walenstadt

Quarten is a small town, also called a municipality, located in the Sarganserland area of St. Gallen canton in Switzerland. It sits high above Walensee, a beautiful lake.

The municipality of Quarten includes several smaller places. These are Oberterzen, Unterterzen, Quinten, Mols, Murg, and parts of Tannenbodenalp.

A Glimpse into Quarten's Past
Exploring Quarten's Geography
- Villages and Hamlets
- Land Use
Understanding Quarten's Coat of Arms
The People of Quarten
Getting Around Quarten
- Public Transport
Quarten's Economy
Religion in Quarten
Images for kids
See also

A Glimpse into Quarten's Past

Quarten has a long history. It was first mentioned around the year 840. Back then, it was known as in Quarto.

Exploring Quarten's Geography

Quarten stretches for about 8 kilometers (5 miles) along the southern shore of the Walensee. It also reaches about 10 kilometers (6 miles) inland from the lake. This area goes all the way to the Murgseen lakes and the base of the Gufelstock mountain.

On the other side of the lake, there's a separate part of Quarten. This section covers 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) of the lake shore. It also goes up the slopes of the Leistchamm mountain for about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles).

Villages and Hamlets

Murg, Unterterzen, and Mols are villages right along the southern shore of Walensee.
Quarten and Oberterzen are a bit higher up, looking down on these villages.
Quinten is a special hamlet on the north shore of Walensee. You can only get there by boat or by walking.
Tannenbodenalp is about 1100 meters (3,600 feet) above Unterterzen. It's part of the Flumserberg ski resort. This area is shared between Quarten and the nearby town of Flums.

Land Use

Quarten covers an area of about 61.7 square kilometers (23.8 square miles). A large part of this land, about 33.5%, is used for farming. Forests cover an even bigger part, about 45.7% of the area. About 3.5% of the land has buildings or roads. The rest, about 17.2%, is made up of rivers or lakes and other natural areas.

Understanding Quarten's Coat of Arms

The coat of arms for Quarten has a special design. It is split down the middle. On one side, there's a red background with a silver crosier. A crosier is a staff shaped like a shepherd's crook, often carried by bishops.

On the other side, there's a silver background with a red Roman numeral IV. This "IV" stands for four. Quarten was historically the fourth "courtyard" or property belonging to the bishop of Chur. This is why it has the number four in its name and on its coat of arms.

The People of Quarten

Quarten has a population of about 3,295 people. About 17.3% of the people living here are from other countries.

Languages Spoken

Most people in Quarten speak German, about 87.7% of the population. Other languages spoken include Serbo-Croatian and Albanian. A few people also speak French, Italian, or Romansh.

Age Groups

In Quarten, about 12.6% of the population are children aged 0 to 9 years old. Teenagers, aged 10 to 19, make up about 14.6%. The adult population is spread across different age groups, with many people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s. There are also many senior citizens living in Quarten.

How People Live

About 10.9% of the people in Quarten live alone. Many people, about 18.2%, are couples without children. The largest group, about 57%, are couples living with their children. There are also single-parent homes and other types of living situations.

Political Choices

In recent federal elections, the most popular political party in Quarten has been the SVP. Other popular parties include the CVP and the FDP.

Education in Quarten

Many adults in Quarten, about 61.9%, have completed higher education. This means they have either finished advanced secondary schooling or gone to a university or a specialized college.

The historical population of Quarten has changed over time:

year	population
1831	1,627
1850	1,995
1900	2,205
1950	2,727
2000	2,749

Getting Around Quarten

Quarten is easy to reach by car because it's located right on the A3 motorway.

Public Transport

There are train stations in Murg and Unterterzen. The S4 train line stops at both. The S2 train also stops at Unterterzen on weekends.
From Unterterzen, you can take a bus to Walenstadt. This connects you to express trains that go to Zurich and Chur.
The train station in Mols closed in December 2021.
There's also a cable car that goes from Unterterzen, through Oberterzen, all the way up to Tannenbodenalp.
A ferry service runs across the lake between Murg and Quinten.

Quarten's Economy

Quarten has a varied economy. In 2005, many people worked in the primary economic sector, which includes farming. Others worked in the secondary sector, like manufacturing. The largest number of people worked in the tertiary sector, which includes services like tourism and shops.

In 2000, many residents of Quarten worked within the municipality. However, even more people traveled outside Quarten for their jobs. Some people also commuted into Quarten for work.

There used to be a limestone quarry at a place called Loechezen in Unterterzen. A special funicular railway, called Standseilbahn Lochezen, which was used at the quarry, still exists today.

Religion in Quarten

According to a census from 2000, most people in Quarten are Roman Catholic, about 66.7%. About 13.1% belong to the Swiss Reformed Church. There are also people who belong to the Orthodox Church or other Christian churches. About 8.66% of the population are Islamic. Some people do not belong to any church, or are agnostic or atheist.