Discover Oberkirch: Culture and Nature

Oberkirch lies right on Lake Sempach and close to Sursee. The town brings together cultural history, waterside paths, nature areas and activities for active days or days focused on enjoying the good things in life. You can tailor your stay to suit you, whether you want to visit a museum, spend time outdoors or combine an activity with a tasting.

Culture and Architecture in Oberkirch

The Oberkirch Culture and Local History Museum displays its collection in a mill built around 1260 on the Sure River. The museum was founded in 1988 and has around 5,000 exhibits. These include tools used by various tradespeople, such as shoemakers, carpenters, joiners and bakers, as well as fishing equipment. An old post office counter with extensive accessories from days gone by and a classroom round out the exhibition. Objects in the classroom commemorate Peter Bucher, who was a teacher, organist, choir director and journalist, and was named an honorary citizen of Oberkirch. Individual guided tours of the museum are available on request.

The parish church of St. Pankratius offers a different perspective on the town’s history. It was built between 1965 and 1967 and is described as an unconventional centralized structure and a striking, freestanding exposed-concrete building. Together, the museum and the church offer contrasting insights: everyday objects and local memories in one, a distinctive architectural form from the second half of the 20th century in the other.

The RAMSEIER Experience World is another of the town’s cultural and interactive attractions. It is located at Schellenrain 2a, 6210 Sursee (Oberkirch) and features the multimedia show “A Sip of Nature”. The Experience World is accessible and suitable for wheelchairs, strollers and walkers.

The Sure River, the Lake and the Trails

The Surenweg is a walking path along the Sure River. The waterway provides a place to relax, and the path combines the waterside landscape with a leisurely walk. Juchmoos offers a different kind of natural setting: it is one of the nature reserves on Lake Sempach. On the stretch of the Sempachersee-Moosweg that passes through Oberkirch, you’ll come across a large orchard.

For a cycling trip, the Lake Sempach cycling route has a section between Oberkirch and Sempach. It runs along paved paths close to the water and has no significant climbs. If you’d like to combine local public transport with cycling, Oberkirch has an automated Nextbike rental system connected to trains and buses. The Lake Sempach region also offers a diverse network of routes for hikers, cyclists and mountain bikers. These regional options complement the trails that pass specifically through Oberkirch.

The Vitaparcours Haselwartwald fitness trail is in Haselwartwald: the 2.26-kilometre jogging route winds through the forest and has fifteen exercise stations. The start and finish are at the northern entrance to the forest, above the scout hut. Above Oberkirch, individual white deer live in the Haselwart deer park; parking and public transport connections are available at the deer park.

Golf and Special Experiences

The Oberkirch Golf Park offers a scenic golf facility with two different course sizes: a 6-hole course with a par of 22 and an 18-hole course with a par of 71. There is a driving range and a pitching and putting green for practice. You can book training sessions with golf professionals from the on-site Golf Academy. The golf park also has a sculpture trail showcasing works by artists from the Oberkirch region.

For something different, visit Alpakazeit Haselrain at the Stocker family farm in Oberkirch, where visitors can meet three alpacas. Activities include children’s birthday parties, story time and exploring nature together. An alpaca walk can be combined with a tasting of regional wines or an aperitif in the alpaca pasture.

Oberkirch is also home to winegrowing: around 2,400 vines are tended across 50 ares at the Haselrain vineyard. Weinbau Haselrain offers vineyard tours and tastings for groups of ten or more. The minimum group size is a useful guideline when planning this kind of group activity.

Discover more destinations: Ruswil, Sursee, Winikon, Grosswangen, Triengen, Neuenkirch, Eich, Neudorf

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