Metzerlen-Mariastein

Geschichte

Metzerlen-Mariastein is a municipality in the district of Dorneck in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. The present name of the municipality dates from 2003, it being previously known as Metzerlen.The nearby Benedictine Mariastein Abbey is an important place of pilgrimage.HistoryMetzerlen is first mentioned in 1194 as Mezherlon. Until 2002 the official name was Metzerlen.GeographyMetzerlen-Mariastein has an area, of 8.49km2. Of this area, 3.99km2 or 47.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 3.89km2 or 45.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.65km2 or 7.7% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.01km2 or 0.1% is either rivers or lakes.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 4.9% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.4%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 27.3% is used for growing crops and 14.7% is pastures, while 4.9% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.The municipality is located in the Dorneck district, at the north foot of the Blauen mountain in the upper Birsig and Leimen valleys. It consists of the S-shaped linear village of Metzerlen and the hamlets of Mariastein around the monastery.Coat of armsThe blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Or a Fess Sable