Evangelical church in Obermutten, Reformed church in Obermutten, Grisons, Switzerland
The evangelical church in Obermutten is a wooden building constructed entirely from larch timber in 1718. Inside, a mobile wooden baptismal and communion table stands at the centre, with a simple pulpit without a sounding board beside it. On a slightly raised gallery behind the table is a Toggenburg house organ from 1807, built by Heinrich Amman and donated by Friedrich and Anthoni Michel, its painted peasant decoration contrasting with the bare wood.
The church was built in 1718 by the residents of Obermutten during the period when Walser people had migrated from Valais to the high mountains of Graubünden. The structure has remained largely unchanged since its construction, preserving its original appearance for more than 3 centuries.
The church is Obermutten's Predigtstätte within the parish of Mutten, which shares a pastoral partnership with Sils im Domleschg. Its two bells carry founders' inscriptions: the smaller, 42 cm across, cast by Johannes Schmid of Grüneck in Chur on 14 April 1722; the larger, 52 cm, by Christian Schmid of Bregenz in 1723.
The church stands in Obermutten, a hamlet of the Mutten municipality high above the Domleschg valley, reachable on foot within the village. The two bells hang in the roof turret added in 1930; before that they hung under the front eaves. The organ prospect can be closed with folding shutters.
The church is the only sacred building in Switzerland made entirely of wood, and it is also the highest wooden church in Europe. It was built in 1718 from larch wood. The roof turret that now holds the two bells was only added in 1930 during a restoration; before that, the bells hung under the eaves at the front.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,137 contributors worldwide.