Anyone has experience with living in Einsiedeln?

Accomodation, House and Garden
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Hi, my family and I are moving to south of Zurich soon. We saw a nice place in Einsiedeln but we have doubts about being a bit remote and not so much going on there. Is anyone here living there or lived there in the past? Any info would be very appreciated. Thanks!

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Welcome. Not lived there but it is a lovely place.

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There's a brewery there .

Any town with a brewery has got to be worth living in.

4
You could walk to your local ski resort from your house (only one lift though). Better ones are about ten minutes drive away or a bit more for more choice.

When the weather is foggy and cold down by Zurich Lake, you can have blue skies and warm sun in Einsiedeln.

But, on the other hand, when it's warm and sunny down by the lake, it can be cold, damp and foggy up in Einsiedeln.

There's a good train connection to Waedenswil via Biberbrugge and from there there's the mainline to Zurich or Chur.

I wouldn't live there. The winters can be quite long and cold there and it can feel a bit bleak as it's relatively high up.

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I love Einsiedeln - and have been trying to find a house there or in the Sihlsee region for years. I'd move in a heartbeat if I could. (I currently live 13 minutes down the road in Ausserschwyz.)

Now I should state the caveat that I'm a middle-aged frump whose idea of a rip-roaring good time is hiking with my dogs. So filter my comments through that lens.

Einsiedeln is very Swiss, capital S. And that's a good thing.

(Christmas season in Einsiedeln is not to be missed - St Nikolaus emerging from the Kloster door on 6 December, the Trychlerverein ringing away the winter spirits...)

The monastery is a pilgrimage spot so expect lots of tourists (meaning the bakery is open on Sunday!).

There is a delightful classical concert series at the church in the summer, lots of local celebrations - and a Verein for everything you could possibly think of.

If sports are your thing there are endless hiking possibilities, including snow shoeing in the winter, there is a good cross country ski trail, downhill skiing further down the valley (but I'm not a skier, so can't say much about Hoch Ybrig or Brunni), lots of good cycling, a family-oriented Badi at the Sihlsee.

The only downside to Einsiedeln that I can see is you can't grow tomatoes. Einsiedeln weather is described as 'Immer eine Jacke kalter' - always one jacket colder than Zürich.

If you are looking for 'bright lights, big city', Einsiedeln won't deliver that. But if you are looking to experience warm-hearted Swissness at it's best, Einsiedeln is a delight.

----

A good report on the Einsiedeln scene, from the venerable Mr Breakfast:

Where's the party this winter?

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'Anyone has experiernce with living in Einsiedeln " YES just off hand "Saint Meinrad"

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Blackburn has a brewery...

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Meloncollie is spot on. Whereabouts in Einsiedeln is the house located? In the town itself?

Houses go quickly in the area so if you're interested, make your intention known now.

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It all depends on what you are looking for. If you like nature and quiet village life its a great place. Easy commute to Zurich and Zug. Be aware though that Brunnau is horrible in the morning.

Taxes are low. Not as low as in Wollerau but still lower than any place in kanton Zurich. The village has everything. Schools, incl Gymnasium, hospital, Migros, Coop, three pharmacies, clothes and shoe shops, a great sports shop, restaurants...

Skiing, both down hill and cross country, in the winter and a great badi in the summer and amazing fresh air.

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That post makes me want to move there, Melloncollie.

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Thank you very much for your useful insights. It is indeed a lovely place. We are also considering other locations now in south of Zurich where the winter can be a bit shorter or not so intense and then we still have to see if we can get what we want. From what I read here it seems rather difficult

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The entire Ausserschwyz/Einsiedeln area is very sought-after; if you are focusing on this area you need to move fast when you find a property that ticks most of your 'must have' list.

This applies to both purchasing and renting - but purchasing is even more competitive.

Good luck - hope you find a place you love.

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It's not exactly next door to Zurich, but we get relatively mild winters in Glarnerland due to the foehn (hot winds off the mountains - they can raise the temperature by 20 degrees in a couple of hours. No, that isn't a typo). It's also quite cheap to buy and rent around here, it's very close to hiking and ski resorts (Elm, Braunwald, Flumserberg, Amden), and the people are a lot nicer than the scowling miserygutses of Zurich and its environs.

If you can handle a longer journey to Zurich (45 mins to more than an hour, depending where you settle), then the canton of Glarus might be worth looking into.