Bäretswil

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Bäretswil is a municipality in the district of Hinwil, in the canton of Zürich, Switzerland. It sits in the hills between the Glatt and Töss valleys and includes the villages of Bäretswil and Adetswil, plus several small hamlets such as Bettswil, Wappenswil, Hof-Neuthal, Tanne and Kleinbäretswil.

The area is about 22.2 square kilometers. Roughly half of the land is used for farming, about 39% is forested, and the rest is made up of buildings, roads and other uses. The highest point is Allmen at 1,074 meters above sea level and the lowest point is about 616 meters.

As of December 2020, about 5,052 people lived in Bäretswil. The town has a low unemployment rate and a high level of education. Most residents speak German, with small numbers speaking Italian or Albanian. The population has grown in recent years.

Economy and life: The area has farms, small businesses and services. An old cotton mill in the town now houses a museum about spinning and weaving. There are two railway stations, Bäretswil and Neuthal, on the old Uerikon–Bauma line. Regular train service on that line no longer runs, but a heritage railway operates seasonal trips.

Religion: In the 2000 census, about 60% were Protestant (Swiss Reformed Church) and about 22% were Catholic, with smaller numbers of other beliefs or non-religious.

Surroundings: Bäretswil is near Bauma, Fischenthal, Hinwil, Hittnau, Pfäffikon and Wetzikon.