Rikon im Tösstal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rikon im Tösstal
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Village
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Rikon and the Töss river (November 2009)
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| Country |  Switzerland |
| Canton |  Zürich |
| District | Winterthur |
| Municipality | Zell, Zurich |
| Elevation | 512 m (1,680 ft) |
| Population
(12/2008)
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| • Total | 1,364 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code |
8486
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| Website | www.zell.ch |
Rikon im Tösstal is a small village in Switzerland. It is part of the Zell municipality. Rikon is located in the Zurich area.
Where is Rikon?
Rikon is found in the Winterthur district. It sits in the beautiful Töss Valley. This village is close to the bigger city of Winterthur.
A special place called the Tibet Institute Rikon is located here. It is a Tibetan monastery. Nearby towns include Kyburg and Kollbrunn.
Learning in Rikon
Kids in Rikon go to school for kindergarten and primary grades. They also have secondary school. For higher education, students usually go to Winterthur.
Getting Around Rikon
A main road called the Tösstalstrasse was built in 1837. The Tösstalbahn railway line opened in 1872. Rikon railway station is a stop for the S-Bahn Zürich trains. You can catch lines S11 and S26 here.
Rikon's Past
Near the church in Zell, people found old remains of a Roman estate. Rikon was first mentioned in the years 741 and 744. It was called «Cella» back then.
The areas of Zell and Turbenthal were given to a nunnery. This happened thanks to a noblewoman named Beata. Later, the area went to the St. Gallen Abbey. It was then given as a gift to the House of Habsburg. This included a watermill in Rikon.
Around 1450, the area was sold to the city of Zürich. This was part of the Grafschaft Kyburg region. In 1817, a textile factory started in Rikon. In 1925, a famous metalware company, Metallwarenfabrik AG Heinrich Kuhn, began. Today, it is known as Kuhn Rikon AG. Since 1934, Hinter-Rikon has been part of the Zell municipality.
The Tibet Institute
In 1961, Switzerland was one of the first Western countries to welcome many Tibetan refugees. Henri and Jacques Kuhn, who owned the Metallwarenfabrik AG Heinrich Kuhn, helped. They offered jobs and homes to a group of refugees.
The Tibet Institute Rikon was then founded. This monastic institute was created with advice from the 14th Dalai Lama. On November 9, 1968, the institute was officially opened. The Dalai Lama's two main teachers, Trijang Rinpoche and Ling Rinpoche, led the ceremony. Their story was even in National Geographic magazine in November 1968. It was in an article called "Little Tibet in Switzerland."
