Melchtal
Melchtal is the name for the valley of the Great Melchaa in the canton of Obwalden in Switzerland and a village of the same name.
The village of Melchtal is 890 m above sea level and belongs almost entirely to the political municipality of Kerns . The Melchaa forms the border with Sachseln , and thus the few houses west of the Melchaa belong to Flüeli-Ranft . The name is also known as the alleged place of origin of Arnold von Melchtal , who appears in the founding myth of Switzerland as one of three founding fathers .
The MELCHTAL extends in south-north direction and the north before it in the Sarneraatal branches terminated by a canyon, at the height of the location Flüeli-Ranft also Ranft gorge is called and a little further from the High Bridge is spanned. Numerous tourists drive through the valley from Kerns to Stöckalp , from where a cable car and, in summer, a mountain road lead to the summer and winter sports resort of Melchsee-Frutt .
economy
In the Melchtal, livestock and alpine farming as well as tourism are dominant. From the 15th century , ore was smelted here by Melchsee-Frutt, until the forests were cut down and smelting stopped in 1689. From the 17th century , black marble was quarried above the Stöckalp for various church buildings in the region, including the church of Sachseln.
Melchtal Monastery
Melchtal is home to the former Melchtal Monastery of the Benedictine nuns , which was founded in 1866. The monastery complex was built between 1892 and 1896 in the neo-Romanesque style according to the plans of the Schwyz architect Clemens Steiner.
In March 2019, the last eleven Melchtal Benedictine nuns moved out of the monastery and moved into the newly designed "Benedictine Center" in the St. Andreas convent in Sarnen . The monastery buildings belong to the protected cultural assets of Kerns and were sold at the end of 2019. The 9800 square meter monastery complex is to be given a new use, whereby the monument protection sets tight limits to the plans.
The girls' institute Institut Melchtal , which was formerly run by the sisters, was part of the monastery . This was sold in June 2014 to the Juvenate Foundation of the Franciscans , who moved in with their school and therapy home in August 2017.
Sport camp Melchtal
The former Melchtal military camp on the main road , which consists of a main building and more than 35 barracks with around 1,000 beds, was built as a military hospital between 1941 and 1942 during the Second World War . After the war it was also used by civilians, after the earthquake of 1964 it was also used as a makeshift solution for the Obwalden Cantonal School , whose buildings had been damaged by the earthquake. From 1975 it was also used as a holiday camp for the disabled. In 2002, war disabled children from the Balkans were temporarily quartered there. In 2004 it was sold by the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport (VBS) to the corporation municipality of Kerns and has been operated as a sports camp ever since.
The sports camp offers various sports activities such as orienteering courses, gym and weight room, archery and blowpipe shooting, indoor and outdoor climbing wall. It has various accommodation options with a total of 600 guest beds. Comfort houses and the main house are available for families, couples and single travelers. The 8 pavilions with 42 to 50 beds each are suitable for groups. The Sportcamp offers overnight stays with meals for groups of 20 people or more.
traffic
Until well into the 19th century , the Melchtal could only be reached via a mule track , which was replaced by a road in 1864. From 1930 to 1932 this was then expanded to a street. Regular traffic connections to Kerns have existed since 1893, a Postbus since 1924. During the severe storm in August 2005 , the Melchaa overflowed its banks in numerous places, tore up embankments and parts of the cantonal road and caused severe devastation. The valley and numerous tourists in the Melchsee-Frutt area were cut off from the outside world for days until an emergency road could be built. The canton road could only be opened to traffic again in November 2005.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Niklaus von Flüe : Melchtal, Arnold von. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
- ^ Moritz Jäger: Melchtal Benedictine Monastery 1866–1966. Verlag des Klosters, Melchtal o. J. [1966?], P. 29
- ^ Farewell tears and tears of joy for the Melchtal sisters. In: Obwaldner Zeitung, March 9, 2019
- ↑ Monument protection places tight limits on plans for Melchtal Abbey. In: Obwaldner Zeitung, January 10, 2020
Coordinates: 46 ° 50 ′ 4 " N , 8 ° 17 ′ 21" E ; CH1903: 664887 / 187384