Pfäfers is a municipality in the Wahlkreis (constituency) of Sarganserland in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.
The villages Pfäfers, St. Margrethenberg, Vadura, Valens, Vasön and Vättis belong to the municipality.
In the Drachenloch above Vättis stonetools of cavemen and bones of bears, perhaps 50,000 years old, were found.
The sick people who bathed in the curative water were let down the narrow gorge on ropes.
Two important milestones of the 20th century in economical aspects were the opening of the clinic Valens in 1970 and of the power plants Sarganserland in 1975.
[7] The age distribution, as of 2000[update], in Pfäfers is; 259 children or 14.8% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 269 teenagers or 15.3% are between 10 and 19.
[10] From the 2000 census[update], 1,300 or 74.1% are Roman Catholic, while 217 or 12.4% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.
[7] The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Gules a Dove volant Argent membered of the first having a sprig in the mouth.
Saint Pirmin took this as a sign from God and decided to build the friary on this place where it is now located This anecdote is illustrated on the ceiling paintings of the church in Pfäfers.
Of the rest of the land, 1.1% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (38.9%) is non-productive (rivers or lakes).
It stretches from the Taminatal south to the Kunkelspass and to the west into the high Calfeisen valley.
Pfäfers lies on about 800 meters (2,600 ft) above sea level at the entrance of the Taminatal.
The most important employer with a total of 245 employees is the clinic St. Pirminsberg with its fields psychiatry, psychotherapy and addiction treatment.
Mentally ill people from the south part of the Canton of St. Gallen and from Liechtenstein were treated there.
The control centre and the equalising reservoir Mapragg of the power plants Bad Sarganserland are located in Vadura.
The pumped storage hydro power plant produces 444 million kWh of electricity on average per year.
Places of interest Vättis on about 940 meters (3,080 ft) above sea level and has approximately 460 inhabitants.
Places of interest Valens (920 meters (3,020 ft) above sea level) inklusive the hamlets Balen and Gassaura has circa 400 inhabitants.
The clinic Valens, which is specialised in rheumatology, neurology and orthopaedics, is the most important employer.
The Old Bath Pfäfers, the castle ruins of Wartenstein, the former Benedictine Abbey, and the paleolithic caves at Drachenloch in Vättis are all listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance.