Welcome to Ziegelbrücke

Expansion of the vocational school campus

For CHF 35.6 million, a new two-storey classroom wing is being built (partly to merge with the Bildungszentrum Gesundheit und Soziales healthcare and social-care school) along with a triple competition sports hall, partly sunk into the ground, replacing the old gymnasium, both fitted with photovoltaic panels. Architecture: Diagonal Architekten AG ("Comparsa"). Construction has been underway since early 2026, with completion planned for the end of 2027.

SBB: renewal of station infrastructure

SBB is replacing the outdated overhead line equipment at Ziegelbrücke station for around CHF 25 million, and installing new LED lighting and public-address systems on the platforms. Construction runs from June 2024 to the end of 2027; from June 2025 there may be occasional weekend and full closures with rail-replacement buses.

«Hof» housing development (148 apartments)

On the plot between the vocational school and the Jenny site, Fritz+Caspar Jenny AG is planning two seven-storey residential buildings (each about 75 × 21 metres) with a total of 148 rental apartments ranging from 1.5 to 5.5 rooms. The invited competition was won by Knorr & Pürckhauer Architekten together with Gersbach Landschaftsarchitektur; construction is planned in two phases.

Jenny site master plan

Across around 30 hectares, the largest contiguous development site in the Canton of Glarus is taking shape: a high-quality, sustainable mixed-use development combining housing, business, education and possibly a hotel, incorporating the listed factory buildings. The master-plan competition was won by Blättler Dafflon Architekten together with Tony Fretton Architects; the planning and legal process is underway.

Ziegelbrückstrasse framework plan

In spring 2025, the municipality of Glarus Nord approved a framework plan for Ziegelbrückstrasse. The reason is increasing construction activity driven by more generous building rights under the revised zoning plan. The framework plan aims to preserve the street's existing village character and serves as binding guidance for builders and authorities.

New riding stable by the Glarner Gemeinnützige

North of Koloniegut 6, the charitable association Glarner Gemeinnützige is planning a new riding stable with horse boarding and therapeutic riding; the existing, dilapidated stable is to be demolished. A precondition was the Glarus Nord zoning plan, which the canton has approved. The initial cost estimate was CHF 3.25 million, and the revised project, serving as the basis for the building application, was announced for the second half of 2025. Building profiles are now in place on site.

LinthWind wind farm (contested, outcome open)

From 2010, utility SAK planned a wind farm on the Linth plain near Bilten, not far from Ziegelbrücke. In 2019 the Glarus cantonal parliament (Landrat) removed the required wind zone from the structure plan by 30 votes to 24. The cantonal structure plan amendment of 2024 put wind power at Bilten back on the table, now with 12 turbines and thus considerably more than in the original SAK project, some up to 200 metres tall. In February 2026 the association "LinthGegenwind" handed a petition with 4,246 signatures to the president of the Landrat. A decision by the Landrat is still pending; unlike the other projects on this page, this one is not approved.

Axpo/SAK: High-voltage line goes underground

Axpo and SAK are jointly undergrounding a roughly 2.4 km section of the existing overhead power line between Grynau and Weesen. The route runs directly past Ziegelbrücke. The goals are greater supply reliability, lower long-term maintenance costs, and an improved landscape view. The project is part of the larger Linth-plain grid upgrade, which SAK is implementing in three stages through 2027 (total investment over CHF 4 million), while Axpo simultaneously converts the voltage between Grynau and Tuggen to 110 kV.

Canton of St. Gallen

Municipality of Schänis

Train station and public-transport hub

Northeast of the Linthkanal lies Ziegelbrücke station, on the territory of the municipality of Schänis (around 70 residents in the Ziegelbrücke part). As a junction station, it connects the Zurich–Sargans main line with the Rapperswil–Linthal regional line, with around 9,400 passengers boarding/alighting daily (as of 2018).

• S-Bahn lines S2/S25 & S6/S17, plus regional express services
• Avec shop open daily at the station

Photo: NAC, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Canton of Glarus

Glarus Nord (Niederurnen)

Living, culture & business

Southwest of the Linth lie the historic village, residential neighbourhoods and business areas of the Glarus side (municipality of Glarus Nord).

• Municipality of Glarus Nord, Niederurnen district
• Culture on site: events & studios in the Jenny-Park

Photo: Paebi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cable car & Bergrestaurant Hirzli

From Niederurnen (about a 10-minute walk from Ochsenplatz), the Niederurnen–Morgenholz cable car carries hikers and bikes up into the Niederurner Täli valley. From there it's roughly 15–20 minutes to the Bergrestaurant Hirzli, with a sun terrace at about 1,000 m above sea level.

Photo: Uwe Häntsch, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Linthkanal & Linthwerk

A popular stretch for rubber-boat trips ("Böteln") as well as inline-skating and cycling paths along the dyke, around 70 km in total.

Photo: Adrian Michael, CC BY-SA 3.0

Hiking: The Speer

The highest Nagelfluh (puddingstone) mountain in Europe rises directly behind Ziegelbrücke, with viewpoints for various skill levels.

Photo: Albinfo, CC0

Walensee excursions

Just minutes away: boat trips, bathing spots and watersports. The seasonal long route Weesen–Walenstadt runs April–October, the Murg–Quinten cross route runs year-round.

Photo: Marco Zanoli, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons