An "outcast" church - Kirchhofen
Overview
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Intro
The mother church of the Canton of Obwalden, St. Peter und Paul, is not located in the cantonal capital of Sarnen but on a hillside in Kirchhofen commanding sweeping views. The church quarter with its monumental religious edifice offers a counterpoint to other parts of the village dominated by farms and small businesses.
Once reliant on agriculture, small trades and textile homeworking as a source of livelihood, Kirchhofen lies to the west of Sarnen, at the foot of the Ramersberg mountain and close to the Sarnersee lake. Visible from afar, the church occupies a dominant position overlooking the valley of the Sarner Aa – as befits Canton Obwalden's mother church and the main church of Sarnen, the cantonal capital. In the eighteenth century, the construction of a sumptuous new church in nearby Sachseln prompted calls in Sarnen for a worthy place of worship for the capital. Although the village population and priesthood would have preferred to locate the new church closer to Sarnen, the parish prevailed and it was built on the site of its predecessor, on a rocky ledge overlooking the alluvial plain.
With its prominent location at the top of a sloping site and its imposing double-tower front overlooking the Sarnersee, the monumental edifice is choreographed in typical Baroque style. The eighteenth century saw the addition to the church environs of grand burgher-houses, the magnificent presbytery and an inn. The prestigious design of the church quarter is in stark contrast to the agricultural/commercial buildings that stand in tiers on the neighbouring slopes and line the road to Sarnen. As a counterpoint to the church square, a small village square near the Hotel Mühle in this secular part of the village is surrounded by plain residential blocks, farmhouses and small tradesmen’s buildings.
Trip tip
Kirchhofen is a 15-minute walk from Sarnen railway station. The ornate Baroque church and its surrounds with sweeping views are well worth a visit, as are a number of other churches and museums in Sarnen and nearby districts.
ISOS
ISOS is the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of national importance. The inventory is maintained by the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) and lists the most significant settlements in Switzerland. Today, some 1,200 places are included in the inventory, from hamlets right through to cities. The inventory provides information on the development and identity of the settlements listed in it, thereby contributing to the preservation of architectural diversity in Switzerland and promoting both sustainable planning and a high-quality Baukultur.
