canton of Aargau
Aargau, more formally the Canton of Aargau (german: Kanton Aargau; rm, Chantun Argovia; french: Canton d'Argovie; it, Canton Argovia), is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eleven districts and its capit ...
, but also in canton of Lucerne, Switzerland and runs through the ''Wynetal'' (the Wyne Valley). It is a tributary of the
Suhre
The river Suhre is a 34 kilometer long tributary of the river Aare in the Swiss cantons of Lucerne and Aargau. The river rises in Sempachersee (or Lake Sempach) at an elevation of 504 meters above sea level, and joins the Aare east of the town Aar ...
. The Wyna is 32 km long (main outflow in Reinach (AG): 0.9 m3/s). Larger towns in Wynetal are
Beromünster
Beromünster is a municipality in the district of Sursee in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland. On 1 January 2004 the former municipality of Schwarzenbach merged into the municipality of Beromünster.Menziken
Menziken is a municipality in the district of Kulm in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. On 1 January 2023 the former municipality of Burg merged to form the municipality of Menziken.
History
Menziken is first mentioned in 1045 as ''Manzincho ...
Gränichen
Gränichen is a municipality in the district of Aarau of the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.
Geography
The river Wyna flows north at first and heads northwest thereafter. The valley has an average width of about .
On both sides of the valley ...
.
River
The ''Wyna'' is started by several headwaters south-west of Neudorf (LU) in the Lindewald (forest), 17 km north-east from Lucerne. Near Underdorf, the ''Lochbach'', or Hole Creek, which starts in the Chegelwald, west of Neudorf, joins the Wyna. Then, it runs north through Beromünster (still canton of Lucerne), through Menziken and Reinach (now in canton of Aargau), west of
Zetzwil
Zetzwil is a municipality in the district of Kulm in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.
Geography
Zetzwil has an area, , of . Of this area, or 51.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 37.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, ...
, through
Oberkulm
Oberkulm is a municipality in the district of Kulm, in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.
History
Oberkulm is first mentioned in 1045 as ''Chulenbare'', though this is for both Oberkulm and Unterkulm. In 1295 Oberkulm, individually, was menti ...
and
Unterkulm
Unterkulm is a municipality in the district of Kulm in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.
History
Both Roman ruins near the church and late-Roman coins at Sonnenhof indicate that the area near Unterkulm was settled during the Roman era. Howe ...
, through Teufenthal (AG), and through Gränichen before joining the Suhre at 385m in Suhr, which joins the
Aare
The Aare () or Aar () is a tributary of the High Rhine and the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland.
Its total length from its source to its junction with the Rhine comprises about , during which distance it descen ...
further north, just three kilometres later.
Tributaries that feed the Wyna include the Lochbach (left, in Underdorf), Moosbach (left, north of Beromünster), Schwarzenbach (right, south of Menziken), Rickenbach (left, south of Menziken), Vorderdorfbach Zetzwil/Totenbächli (right, in Zetzwil), and Dorfbach Gontenschwil/Sagenbach (left, after Zetzwil]), Dorfbach Teufenthal (right, in Teufenthal (AG)), Pfendelbach (left, west of the hamlet Bleien), Refentalbach (right, just after Bleien), Lochbach (left, in Gränichen).
Valley
The valley, the ''Wynetal'' (or Germanized also known as ''Wynental''), is fairly narrow, with an average width of about 500 meters, and drops very smoothly from 670m a.s.l. in Neudorf to 406m a.s.l. in Gränichen. Quite steep hills rise on both sides, carved by tributary valleys. In the east, a mountain range (about 810m to 600m a.s.l.) separate the Wynetal from the
Seetal
The Seetal is a valley in the cantons of Canton of Lucerne, Lucerne and Aargau in Switzerland. The valley descends from south to north from near Eschenbach, Lucerne, Eschenbach (in the canton of Lucerne) to Lenzburg (in the canton of Aargau), a ...
with the
Hallwilersee
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Lake Hallwil (German: ''Hallwilersee'') is a lake largely in the Canton of Aargau, Switzerland, located at . It is the largest lake in Aargau and lies mostly in the districts of Lenzburg and Kulm on the southern edge of the canton. The ...
and the Baldeggersee. The mountain range in the west (about 870m to 570m a.s.l.) separate the Wyne Valley from the Suhretal with the Sempachersee, from which the Suhre rises.
Municipalities found in the Wynental from beginning to end of the Wyna are: Neudorf, Beromünster, Burg (AG) and Menziken,
Pfeffikon
Pfeffikon is a former municipality in the district of Sursee in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland. On 1 January 2013 the former municipality of Pfeffikon merged into the municipality of Rickenbach.Leimbach (AG),
Gontenschwil
Gontenschwil is a municipality in the district of Kulm in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.
History
Gontenschwil is first mentioned in 1173 as ''Gundoltswilre'' in a grant to the monastery at Beromünster. In 1236, ownership of part of vil ...
, Zetzwil,
Oberkulm
Oberkulm is a municipality in the district of Kulm, in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.
History
Oberkulm is first mentioned in 1045 as ''Chulenbare'', though this is for both Oberkulm and Unterkulm. In 1295 Oberkulm, individually, was menti ...
and then
Unterkulm
Unterkulm is a municipality in the district of Kulm in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.
History
Both Roman ruins near the church and late-Roman coins at Sonnenhof indicate that the area near Unterkulm was settled during the Roman era. Howe ...
, Teufenthal (AG), Gränichen, and finally Suhr. The general region is also known as the ''Stumpenland'' due to the cigar industry that once centered in Menziken.
Glacial genesis
The upper portions of the valley was carved by the Reuss Glacier. Large moraine deposits remain at Zetzwil and Gontenschwil. The surrounding hills are largely
molasse
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The term "molasse" () refers to sandstones, shales and conglomerates that form as terrestrial or shallow marine deposits in front of rising mountain chains. The molasse deposits accumulate in a foreland basin, especially on top of flysc ...
.
Transportation
Connecting road 23 runs along the Wyna for the majority of the valley's length from Beromünster to Suhr. This road is referred to variously as Aargauerstrasse, Hauptstrasse, Aarauerstrasse, Wynentalstrasse, and numerous names north of Teufenthal and is a popular cycling route. The Wynental branch of the narrow-gauge Menziken–Aarau–Schöftland railway line serves the Wynental, running from Aarau to Menziken.
Points & Events of Interest
''Naturschutzgebiet Vogelmoos'' (Bird Moss Nature Preserve), one source of the Wyna
in Beromünster (Ascension Day procession)
''Stiftskirche'' (collegiate church) St. Michael, Beromünster – dating to 1034
Schloss Liebegg (castle) north of Teufenthal
Schloss Trostburg (castle) east of Teufenthal (private estate)
* Hiking trails along and near the Wyna, connecting Beromünster, Menziken, and Gunzwil.