Sarnen Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Sarnen

Coat of arms

Sarnen

Location in Switzerland

Sarnen

Location in Canton of Obwalden

Switzerland

n.a.

Area

• Total

73.12 km² (28.23 sq mi)

Elevation

(Dorfkapelle)

471 m (1,545 ft)

Population

(Dec 2020 )

• Total

10,514

• Density

143.791/km² (372.42/sq mi)

Demonym(s)

German: Sarner(in)

Postal code

6056 Kägiswil, 6060 Sarnen, 6060 Ramersberg, 6062 Wilen, 6063 Stalden

Localities

Sarnen-Dorfschaft, Kägiswil, Schwendi/Wilen, and Ramersberg

Surrounded by

Alpnach, Entlebuch (LU), Flühli (LU), Giswil, Hasle (LU), Kerns, Sachseln

Sarnen is a cool historic town in Switzerland. It's the capital of the canton of Obwalden. Sarnen is located right on the northern shore of Lake Sarnen (also called Sarnersee).

This town is surrounded by beautiful countryside and mountains. It's about 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Lucerne. Sarnen has a population of just over 10,000 people. Most people in Sarnen speak a special kind of German called Swiss German.

Sarnen's Past: A Look at Its History
Exploring Sarnen's Geography
- How Sarnen's Land Is Used
- Parts of Sarnen: Its Five Sections
People of Sarnen: Demographics
- Age Groups in Sarnen
- Homes and Buildings in Sarnen
Important Historic Buildings in Sarnen
Sarnen Today: A Growing Town
Sarnen's Economy: How People Work
Learning in Sarnen: Education
Getting Around: Transportation in Sarnen
- Roads
- Trains
- Air Travel
Sarnen's Weather
Famous People from Sarnen
Images for kids
See also

Sarnen's Past: A Look at Its History

Evidence from the Stone Age and Bronze Age shows that people have lived in the Sarnen valley for a very long time. Over many years, Sarnen grew into an important place for trading goods.

Exploring Sarnen's Geography

View of Sarnen and Lake Sarnen from Brienzer Rothorn.

Sarnen sits about 471 meters (1,545 feet) above sea level. It's on the northern side of Lake Sarnen. The Sarner Aa river flows out of the lake here. Lake Sarnen is quite big, covering about 7.5 square kilometers (2.9 square miles).

The town is surrounded by mountain ranges. You can also find a protected bog (a type of wetland) nearby. One of the most famous mountains close to Sarnen is Mount Pilatus. It stands tall at 2,132 meters (6,995 feet).

How Sarnen's Land Is Used

Sarnen covers an area of about 76.88 square kilometers (29.68 square miles). A large part of this land, about 39%, is used for farming. Even more, about 50.7%, is covered by forests. The remaining land is used for buildings and roads (6%) or is unproductive (4.3%).

Since the 1980s, the amount of land used for farming has decreased a bit. However, the amount of forested land has actually grown. Rivers and lakes cover about 111 hectares (274 acres) in the area.

Parts of Sarnen: Its Five Sections

The municipality of Sarnen is divided into five main parts:

Sarnen (the main town, with about 5,984 people)
Stalden (about 1,072 people)
Wilen (about 1,234 people)
Kägiswil (about 1,214 people)
Ramersberg (about 294 people)

People of Sarnen: Demographics

Houses around the Landenberg hill.

Sarnen has a population of about 10,000 people. A small part of the population, about 14.5%, are people from other countries. The population has been growing steadily in recent years.

Most people in Sarnen speak German (91%). Italian and Albanian are the next most common languages, each spoken by about 1.6% of the population.

Age Groups in Sarnen

In Sarnen, children and teenagers (ages 0–19) make up about 19.2% of the population. Adults (ages 20–64) are the largest group, at 62.1%. Seniors (over 64 years old) make up about 18.7% of the population.

Homes and Buildings in Sarnen

In 2014, there were about 4,338 homes in Sarnen. On average, each home had about 2.32 people living in it. Many of the buildings in Sarnen are single-family homes. Some buildings are quite old, built before 1919. New homes are also being built regularly.

Important Historic Buildings in Sarnen

Sarnen is home to 10 sites that are considered very important Swiss heritage sites. These include:

Three religious buildings: the Ossuary of St. Michael, the parish church of St. Peter and Paul, and the Church of St. Martin.
Two historic houses: the double house am Grund and Grundacher.
The Hexenturm, which is an old tower.
The Cantonal Rathaus (town hall).
A special musical collection at the Frauenkloster (a convent).
The Landenberg armory (a place where weapons were stored).
The State Archives of Obwalden (where important historical documents are kept).

The entire small city of Sarnen, along with the hamlet of Ramersberg and the Kirchhofen area, are recognized as important Swiss heritage sites.

Sarnen Today: A Growing Town

Dorfplatz (town square) in Sarnen.

Sarnen has been growing steadily. Many people find it a great place to live because it's close to Lucerne. Lots of people travel from Sarnen to work in Lucerne, using the highway or the train.

Several companies have their businesses in Sarnen. These include SIKA AG, which makes special chemicals, and Leister Technologies, which makes heated-air tools. Nahrin AG, a company focused on healthy nutrition, is also located here.

Sarnen's Economy: How People Work

Sarnen is an important regional center for jobs. In 2014, over 8,000 people worked in the municipality.

A small number of people worked in farming (the primary sector).
Many people worked in manufacturing and construction (the secondary sector).
The largest number of jobs were in services, like shops, hotels, and offices (the tertiary sector).

Sarnen also attracts tourists. In 2015, hotels in Sarnen had over 57,000 overnight stays. About a third of these visitors were from other countries.

Learning in Sarnen: Education

Many adults in Sarnen have completed higher education. About 68.6% of people between 25 and 64 years old have finished either high school or gone on to university or a specialized college.

Getting Around: Transportation in Sarnen

Kägiswil landing strip near Sarnen.

Roads

The A8 highway passes right by Sarnen, making it easy to travel by car.

Trains

Sarnen has its own train station, called Sarnen station. It's on the Brünig line, which is a train route that connects Interlaken to Lucerne. You can catch trains here that go to Lucerne or Giswil.

Air Travel

While Sarnen doesn't have a major airport, it's relatively close to two international airports: Zurich (about 90 km or 56 miles away) and Basel (about 125 km or 78 miles away). You can reach Sarnen from these airports by car in about an hour to an hour and 20 minutes. Both Zurich and Geneva airports also have train stations, making it easy to travel by train.

Sarnen's Weather

Sarnen gets a good amount of rain each year, with an average of 139.3 rainy days. The wettest month is usually August, when it receives the most rain. June has the most days with rain, but not as much total rainfall as August. January is typically the driest month.

Famous People from Sarnen

Nicholas of Flüe (1598 – 1649), a religious leader and scholar.
Herman Fanger (1895 – 1971), an inventor who helped create the coaxial speaker.
Franz Bucher (born 1940), a Swiss artist known for his paintings and sculptures.
Daniel Vacek (born 1971), a former professional tennis player who lives in Sarnen.
Jonas Omlin (born 1994), a Swiss football (soccer) goalkeeper.
Viola Calligaris (born 1996), a Swiss female football (soccer) player.