Quicknation    Switzerland Sarnen

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Sarnen is the capital of the canton of Obwalden situated on the shores of Lake Sarnen. It has a population of just under 10,000 and is surrounded by lovely countryside and beautiful mountains. Sarnen is located 20 km south of Lucerne.

Stone Age and Bronze Age finds prove that the Sarnen valley was inhabited from the earliest times. Over the years Sarnen developed into an important trading center and it can look back with pride over its centuries of history. Everywhere you look its historic town centre provides evidence of its exciting past and ever-changing history.

Sarnen is on the shore of the idyllic Lake Sarnen. Lake Sarnen covers approximately an area of 7.5 kmsup. The town is surrounded by mountain chains and a protected bog can be found nearby. Its altitude is 473 m. The most well-known mountain close to Sarnen is Mount Pilatus with an elevation of 6,994 feet (2,132 metres).

The town of Sarnen has been experiencing steady growth over the past years. It has become more attractive due to its proximity to Lucerne. Many commuters work in Lucerne and use the motorway or railway service to get to work. Many people prefer the more relaxed and not so urban life of Sarnen to living in a major Swiss city.

Yet there are some important companies in Sarnen which have excellent working conditions. Among them are some international operating companies like Sarna Polymer Holding (waterproofing systems for the construction and civil engineering industry), Leister Technologies (Plasticwelding, Soldering, Lasersystems, Microsystems, Processheat) and Nahrin AG (healthy nutrition).

People from Sarnen like to point out the beautiful landscapes surrounding them. Excellent outdoor sports opportunities can be found in the region around Sarnen. Sarnen is rather small, still it has all you need including supermarkets, primary and secondary education, hospital, public administration and a police station.

The motorway A8 is passing through Sarnen. Driving on the A8, take the exit Sarnen Süd or Sarnen Nord.

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The rail station is situated in the center of the town. Sarnen lies on the railway line Lucerne - Interlaken. It takes 23 minutes by train to get to Lucerne and 1 h 30 min to Interlaken. The railway station of Lucerne serves all major Swiss cities and several international destinations. The trains are operated by the Swiss Federal Railways SBB-CFF-FFS.

Switzerland has three major international airports Geneva airport, Zurich airport and Basel airport. Both Basel and Zurich airport are closer to Sarnen than Geneva.

By road it takes approximately 1 hour 20 minutes from both airports. The distance in kilometres from Basel and Zurich airport are approximately 125 and 90 respectively.

By railway. Geneva and Zurich airport have a built-in railway station. The journey from Zurich takes either 1 h 30 min or 1 h 55 min depending on the train connection.