Sankt Anna zum Loch

St. Anna Chapel zum Loch (Sankt Anna zum Loch) sits in Ulrichen, part of the municipality of Obergoms in the Upper Goms region of the Swiss canton of Valais. It stands by the former hamlet of Zum Loch, at the mouth of the Äginental side valley (46.50438 N, 8.31829 E). It is a small sacred monument and a natural stop on a tour of the churches and chapels of the upper Rhone valley.

What is Zum Loch?

Zum Loch was once a separate hamlet on the opposite side of the valley from Ulrichen village, and it belonged politically to Ulrichen. Its residents gave it up as a year-round settlement in 1834. The chapel outlived the community and still carries the hamlet's name.

What is the chapel's history?

According to the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, an avalanche destroyed the hamlet's earlier chapel in 1465. The present building went up between 1683 and 1686. At that time Ulrichen belonged to the parish of Münster. It received its own rectorate in 1720 and became an independent parish, dedicated to St. Nicholas, in 1868.

In 1799 French troops burned the statue of St. Anne in the altar niche. A sculptor from the canton of Uri then carved the group that stands there now: St. Anne in the centre, flanked by St. Catherine and St. Ursula.

What will you see inside and out?

• A small tower with a pointed spire, visible against the valley slopes.
• A coffered ceiling in the nave, with painted panels.
• The altar, regarded as the earliest dated retable in Goms and showing strong Régence influence.
• The sculpture group of Anne, Catherine and Ursula from the turn of the 19th century.

How do you get there, and when should you go?

Head for Ulrichen, then continue to the hamlet of Zum Loch (tourist listings give the address as Zum Loch 1, 3988 Ulrichen). Ulrichen has a station on the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn, so you can arrive by train from Brig or Andermatt. The best time to visit is from late spring to autumn, when the upper valley roads are free of snow. In winter the area belongs to cross-country skiers, and the chapel can be viewed from outside. The sources give no opening hours, so check with the Goms tourist office before you go.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

Ulrichen village has the neo-Gothic parish church of St. Nicholas, an unusual building type for Goms. The ISOS inventory describes the village as a dense mountain settlement of timber houses from the 16th to 19th centuries. Obergoms also publishes a guide to its churches and chapels, which helps you plan a longer route from chapel to chapel.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is St. Anna Chapel zum Loch? In Ulrichen, municipality of Obergoms, canton of Valais, at the hamlet of Zum Loch where the Äginental valley opens out.

When was the current chapel built? Between 1683 and 1686, after an avalanche destroyed the previous one in 1465.

What stands out inside? The coffered ceiling with painted panels and the altar, the earliest dated retable in Goms. After the 1799 fire, a sculptor from Uri carved the figures.

Can you reach it by train? Yes, the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn serves Ulrichen. From there you continue on foot or by the local road to Zum Loch.