In the gently breathing heart of the Zurich Oberland lies Wildert – a quiet wonder south of Illnau that whispers more than it speaks. This enchanting mosaic of raised bog, transitional bog, and lowland moor is a place of national importance, an ecological gem that slumbers between the lines of civilization like a forgotten storybook.
Here, sky and time are reflected in the dark water of old peat bogs, surrounded by gently swaying cotton grasses and the quiet whisper of birch trees. But as rich as the beauty is, so deep are the wounds: Traces of the past – former peat extraction, ditches, and man-made channels – draw away the water that gives life to the moor. What was once a vast, vibrant wetland has been painfully trimmed by the draining of its edges.
And yet the Wildert lives on, defying its scars with quiet strength. It remains a refuge for rare plants and elusive animals, a treasure of biodiversity—and a reminder of the fragility of our natural resources. Those who enter the Wildert enter a world where every rustle has meaning, every veil of fog tells a story.
