Marthalen
Intro
Located at the heart of Zurich's wine country, the pretty village of Marthalen is known for its intact townscape and most attractive red and white half-timbered houses. Particularly impressive houses are the "Untere" and "Obere Hirschen", the "Alte Wirtshaus” tavern and "Schutzenhaus".
The region around Marthalen is known as the green lung of the canton of Zurich; owing of course to the rivers Rhine and Thur, vast forests and vineyards through to some very charming and well-developed recreation areas. The Zürcher Weinland is, as the name suggests, the largest wine-producing region in the canton of Zurich - and the many beautiful farming villages, with their splendid and well-preserved half-timbered houses, provides wonderful insight into the art of building.
Martella, as the village was once called, was first mentioned in documents dating back to 858. Today it comprises the villages Marthalen and Ellikon am Rhein. The red and white 17th and 18th century timber-framed houses shape the townscape and are today listed buildings. Wine production, Pinot Noir and Riesling-Sylvaner in particular, takes place on over 2 hectares of land here - and the municipality is home to one of Switzerland’s most important, and largest, interrelated oak forests.
