Ortsmuseum Altes Rathaus

About the museum

The tall, solidly built Old Town Hall in Balgach was a tithe house in the Middle Ages. In 1594, the St. Gallen cloth merchant David Zollikofer bought it, and two years later he had the top floor converted into a magnificent hall with a wide view. The grotesque illusionistic paintings on the plank walls are almost completely preserved and are regarded as cultural property of national importance, unique throughout Switzerland.

The building was restored in 1969, placed under heritage protection and opened to the public; since then it has housed the local museum. The local history collection includes furniture, weapons, tools from crafts and viticulture, everyday objects and documents of municipal history. In addition, there are oil paintings and sketches by the painter Jacob Nüesch (1845–1895) and the Mädi Zünd collection (1916–1998).

A furnished apartment with a council room (Ratsstube), bedroom and kitchen, and a room with 18th-century grisaille painting convey the feeling of past ways of living. A few steps away, the barn displays agricultural equipment, tools for peat cutting and viticulture, distillery accessories and old fire-fighting equipment. In the annex, a hand embroidery machine is in operation in the hand embroidery workshop.

Highlights

• Banquet hall from 1596 with plank-wall paintings of national significance
• Furnished apartment with council room, bedroom, kitchen and grisaille room
• Oil paintings and sketches by Jacob Nüesch and the Mädi Zünd collection
• Barn with equipment for agriculture, viticulture and peat cutting, and old fire-fighting equipment
• Hand embroidery workshop with a machine in operation

Permanent exhibitions

• Festsaal mit Bohlenwandmalereien – The banquet hall designed in 1596 on the top floor shows almost completely preserved grotesque illusionistic paintings on the plank walls.
• Ortsgeschichtliche Sammlung mit Wohnung und Stadel – Furniture, weapons, tools for crafts and viticulture, and a furnished apartment with a council room; in the barn, agricultural equipment and old fire-fighting equipment; plus works by Jacob Nüesch and the Mädi Zünd collection.
• Handsticklokal – In the annex of the Old Town Hall, a hand embroidery machine is in operation; viewing and guided tours are possible by arrangement.

Founded

1969

Operated by

Gemeinde Balgach

Admission & discounts

Admission by arrangement. A guided tour of the hand embroidery workshop also costs CHF 50 (school classes free); larger groups can arrange a special program, such as a village walk, a visit to the local museum and an apéro.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The Old Town Hall is in the old part of the village at Steigstrasse 17.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

The banquet hall on the top floor (CHF 100) and the council room on the second floor (CHF 50) can be rented for smaller private or business events; additional effort is charged at CHF 30 per hour.

Plan your visit