Wehntal

Wehntal is the name of a valley region in the Canton of Zürich in Switzerland.

Glatttal as seen from the Regensberg Castle

Geography

The Wehn valley (native German name: Wehntal) area is situated between the

river of the same name which rises in the Wehntal. The population of the region is expanding rapidly due to its proximity to city of Zürich

and its beautiful landscape.

Wehntal comprises the area of the municipalities:

History

About 185,000 years ago, a side lobe of the Walensee/Reinglacier overlapped on the threshold at the present

Zürichsee, and finally the glaciers retreated into the alpine mountains.^[1]^[2]

In 1890 the most important site of ice animals in Switzerland was discovered in Niederweningen. Particularly the uppermost deposits with the so-called Mammut turf layer were studied up in about 5 metres (16 ft) depth, and between 1983 and 1985 by three research boreholes to a depth of 21 metres (69 ft). In 1994 a groundwater bore in Oberweningen proved that the Wehntal area originally laid at least 130 metres (430 ft) deeper than the present valley floor and had to be caused by glacial erosion. In 2003 the remains of a Mammoth were found, and further finds resulted in the establishment of the present Mammutmuseum Niederweningen.^[3]^[1]

Archaeological finds date back to the Roman era. The term Wehn may derived from the probably Allamanic name Waninc respectively Wano, meaning Wano's valley.

Neu-Regensberg

on the eastern Lägern slope.