Weingarten in Thurgau: Village Life on Immenberg

Weingarten is a part of the village of Weingarten-Kalthäusern in the municipality of Lommis, in the Münchwilen district of the canton of Thurgau, Switzerland. It lies in the Lauche Valley on the southern slope of Immenberg. Village events, the landscape and the area’s historical development offer different insights into Weingarten and its surroundings.

Landscape and Wine-Growing around Weingarten

Wine-growing has recently resumed in Weingarten. The wooded area on Immenberg is also a defining natural feature: many plants grow there, including rare species.

The slope of Immenberg comprises a mosaic of different habitats. These include dry, nutrient-poor ridges, nutrient-rich little valleys and spring marshes, as well as streams, open sandstone cliffs and tongues of meadow. The diversity is also reflected in the number of plant species: 26 different orchid species have been recorded in the Immenberg nature reserve, and there are more than 600 different plant species on Immenberg.

Visitor Rules on Immenberg

Clear rules apply when visiting the Immenberg nature reserve. Visitors may walk only on official paths; cycling is prohibited throughout the protected area. If you are planning a visit, make sure to follow these rules.

Village Events throughout the Year

The Weingarten village association holds several events throughout the year, including a New Year’s aperitif, a village festival, a garage sale, an Advent event and a New Year’s Eve bell-ringing. The 1 August celebration is also part of the programme; it is specifically the celebration of the municipality of Lommis. The events take place in different seasons and offer an overview of recurring dates in village life.

A regular meeting place is the village association’s get-together. It takes place on the last Friday of each month from 6 p.m. at Edith and Herbert Roth’s Wygärtler Weine, at Rebenstrasse 1. No registration is required. If you plan to attend a specific event, check the date before your trip so your plans match the event day.

Meeting Place and Church History

The Viva Kirche Weingarten playground and meeting place is open to the public. It was inaugurated in August 2025.

The church’s history goes back further: the Chrischona congregation of Weingarten was founded in 1896 and is the historical predecessor of today’s Viva Kirche Weingarten. If you are interested in the development of local institutions, you can take this connection into account when learning about the area.

Local History and Former Industries

Weingarten was first mentioned in official records in 1270. In the Middle Ages, the village belonged to the Spiegelberg lordship. Until 1639, this was a fief of the cathedral chapter of Constance, and from 1629 to 1798 it was owned by Fischingen Abbey.

Former agricultural activities included arable farming, fruit-growing and wine-growing, as well as the wine and fruit trade. Peat was also extracted until the land improvement project in 1918. In the second half of the 19th century, agriculture shifted to livestock and dairy farming. Because of phylloxera, viticulture had disappeared completely by 1920; the recent resumption of wine-growing marks a later chapter in the village’s history. Weingarten also had a Schiffli embroidery factory from 1910 to 1929. Together, these developments show how agriculture and other industries changed over time.

For the wider travel overview: Bussnang.