Walenstadt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Walenstadt
Reformed Church of Walenstadt
Coat of arms
Walenstadt Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Walenstadt Location in Canton of St. Gallen Show map of Canton of St. Gallen
Country	Switzerland
Canton	St. Gallen
District	Wahlkreis Sarganserland
Area
• Total	45.72 km2 (17.65 sq mi)
Elevation	425 m (1,394 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	5,728
• Density	125.284/km2 (324.48/sq mi)
Postal code	8880
Localities	Walenstadt, Walenstadtberg, Knoblisbühl, Berschis, Tscherlach
Surrounded by	Alt Sankt Johann, Flums, Grabs, Quarten, Sevelen, Wartau

Walenstadt is a lovely town in Switzerland. It is located in the canton of St. Gallen. You can find it right by Lake Walen, which is sometimes called "Lake Walenstadt."

Exploring Walenstadt's Geography

Walenstadt from above

Walenstadt covers an area of about 45.7 square kilometers. A big part of this land, about 35%, is used for farming. Forests cover another 40% of the area. About 5% of the land has buildings and roads. The rest, nearly 20%, is made up of rivers or lakes. Before 1952, the town was known as Wallenstadt.

How Glaciers Shaped the Land

Long ago, during the last ice age, the Seez valley was covered in ice. This ice was super thick, about 1000 meters high! As the ice melted, it created many wild streams. The south side of the Churfirsten mountains drops almost straight down.

Towns and Transport in Walenstadt

The Walenstadt community includes five smaller towns. These are Walenstadt, Walenstadtberg, Knoblisbühl, Berschis, and Tscherlach. In Walenstadtberg, you can find a famous building called the Paxmal. It was built by Karl Bickel. All these towns are connected by a public bus system. Walenstadt also has its own train station.

Understanding Walenstadt's Coat of Arms

The coat of arms for Walenstadt is quite simple. It shows a silver fortified gate on a blue background. This design represents the town's strong civic gates.

Who Lives in Walenstadt? (Demographics)

Walenstadt has a population of about 5,700 people. Around 18% of the people living here are from other countries. Most people in Walenstadt speak German. This is about 88.5% of the population. Other languages spoken include Albanian and Italian.

Age Groups in Walenstadt

The town has a good mix of age groups. About 12.8% of the population are children aged 0-9 years. Teenagers, aged 10-19, make up about 14.1%. Adults between 20 and 59 years old form the largest group. Older adults, aged 60 and above, make up about 19% of the population.

Education Levels in Walenstadt

Many people in Walenstadt have completed a good level of education. About 70% of adults aged 25–64 have finished high school or gone on to higher education. This includes university or specialized colleges.

Getting Around: Transportation in Walenstadt

Walenstadt is easy to reach by car. It is located right on the A3 motorway. This is a major highway in Switzerland.

Walenstadt's Economy

Walenstadt has a healthy economy. Many people work in different areas.

Jobs in Walenstadt

• Farming: About 142 people work in agriculture. There are around 52 farming businesses.
• Manufacturing: About 454 people work in factories and production. There are 57 businesses in this area.
• Services: The largest number of people, about 1,278, work in service jobs. This includes shops, hotels, and other services. There are 161 businesses in this sector.

Most people who live in Walenstadt also work there. However, some residents travel outside the town for work. Also, many people come into Walenstadt for their jobs.

Religion in Walenstadt

Most people in Walenstadt are Roman Catholic. About 67.5% of the population belongs to this faith. Another 14.8% are part of the Swiss Reformed Church. There are also smaller groups of people who follow the Orthodox Church or other Christian faiths. About 5.9% of the population is Islamic. Some people do not belong to any church.

Walenstadt's Population Over Time

Walenstadt in 1800

The population of Walenstadt has grown quite a bit over the years.

Important Historical Sites

Walenstadt has some very old and important historical places. The Berschis is a prehistoric hill settlement. It is located on the St. Georgenberg. Also on this hill is the early medieval chapel of St. Georg. Both of these sites are considered very important Swiss heritage sites.

Famous People from Walenstadt

Marco Büchel, 2006

Sabrina Windmueller, 2012

Many notable people have connections to Walenstadt:

• Eduard Thurneysen (1888 – 1974), a Swiss religious leader and writer.
• Luzius Wildhaber (born 1937), a former judge in an important European court.
• Josef Ackermann (born 1948), a well-known former CEO of a major bank.
• Daniel Anrig (born 1972), who used to lead the Papal Swiss Guard.

Sports Stars from Walenstadt

• Marco Büchel (born 1971), a retired alpine ski racer. He competed in six Winter Olympics!
• Alexander Hug (born 1975), a ski mountaineer.
• Martin Kohler (born 1985), a Swiss road racing cyclist.
• Martin Jäger (born 1987), a Swiss biathlete.
• Sabrina Windmüller (born 1987), a Swiss ski jumper.
• Julie Zogg (born 1992), a Swiss alpine snowboarder. She competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics.
• Marco Pfiffner (born 1994), an alpine skier who competed for Liechtenstein.
• Boris Babic (born 1997), a Swiss football (soccer) player.

Images for kids

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  Aerial view from 400 meters (1934)

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  Village church of Walenstadt-Berschis, with St. Georg Chapel in the background

See also

In Spanish: Walenstadt para niños