The Irchel observation tower sits on a hill above the Buchemer Irchel in the municipality of Buch am Irchel in the canton of Zurich. Jakob Zimiker built the first tower at this location in 1930 with the support of the SAC Winterthur section. The current structure was built in 1983 and has been amaze visitors ever since.
In the area of the municipality of Buch am Irchel, on the lower Stammberg, there is an impressive copper beech that is one of the most unusual tree shapes in Europe. Its special characteristics are evident in spring: around Ascension Day, the fresh green of its leaves turns into a bright red, giving the tree an almost magical aura. But the spectacle is fleeting - at Pentecost, the green returns, and the beech stands out from the surrounding forest only with a subtly darker tone.
The Legend of the Copper Beech
There is a dark legend about this tree from a time of great famine. At that time, only three brothers survived, living on roots. One day they caught a mouse, a precious catch in this time of hardship. But who should eat it? After a heated debate, it was decided: the youngest could drink the blood, while the two older ones shared the flesh. But the youngest devoured the mouse so quickly that it slipped down his throat - he suffocated. Driven by hunger, the remaining brothers finally attacked his body.
When they later realized what they had done, they despaired and decided to die on the spot. A hunter found them in their final moments and heard their story. The brothers were buried around a young beech tree whose leaves had been wet with their blood. The following spring, two more beech trees sprouted in exactly the same spot - and also bore red leaves.
Historical traditions
The oldest mention of this special beech tree dates back to 1680, when the town doctor Wagner reported three beech trees with red leaves. These three trees are said to have still been standing in the middle of the 18th century, but two of them later disappeared. The naturalist Johann Jakob Scheuchzer also mentioned them in 1706 in his "Natural History of Switzerland" and viewed the legend with a critical eye. Nevertheless, the tradition has been passed down through the generations - and even the coat of arms of Buch am Irchel has long borne the symbol of the red beech.
Access
The tower is freely accessible.
