From Winterthur to Rapperswil via the Züri Oberland-Höhenweg

de fr

Four-day tour through the cantons of Zurich and St. Gallen.
This route offers views of Lake Zurich and the peaks of the Bernese Alps, the Glärnisch massif and the Alpstein, including the Säntis
Winterthur, the starting point, and Rapperswil, the finish, both have remarkable historic centres.

Details

n°53281042
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 75.18 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4 days 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 2,510 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 2,526 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,316 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 414 m

Photos

Lac de Zürich
Rapperswil
Rapperswil
Tweralpspitz

Stages of the route

This route needs several days, find the details below:

  1. S
    Winterthur - Gyrenbad par le Züri Oberland-Höhenweg

    Winterthur - Gyrenbad via the Züri Oberland-Höhenweg

    ↔18.52 km ↗596 m ↘315 m
    For this first stage, starting from Winterthur station, after exploring the old town, you will very quickly find yourself in the countryside. You will cross an animal park. The route is quite varied, following the Töss river and passing through the peaceful village of Kollbrunn. Then, a ridge path will lead you to Gyrenbad, a place of tranquillity and rest.
    View the route
  2. 2
    Gyrenbad - Hulftegg par le Züri Oberland-Höhenweg

    Gyrenbad - Hulftegg via the Züri Oberland-Höhenweg

    ↔21.00 km ↗815 m ↘590 m
    This second stage will take you from Gyrenbad to the Hulftegg Pass. The Schauenberg offers a magnificent view of the Alps. The route to Sitzberg offers more interesting views, particularly of the Bichelsee. From Sitzberg (on the border between the cantons of Zurich and St. Gallen) to Allenwinden, the route follows a small road, which fortunately is not very busy. When you arrive at the Hulftegg Pass, you will enjoy a superb view of the Toggenburg and the Appenzell region.
    View the route
  3. 3
    Hulftegg - Chrüzegg par le Züri Oberland-Höhenweg

    Hulftegg - Chrüzegg via the Züri Oberland-Höhenweg

    ↔11.34 km ↗730 m ↘425 m
    This third stage will take you from the Hulftegg Pass to the isolated inn at Chrüzegg. The start of the route alternates between forest and pastures before taking a ridge trail at Roten. You will follow this ridge between the cantons of St. Gallen and Zurich to the Schnebelhorn, the highest point in the canton of Zurich and also the highest point of the hike. This summit offers a splendid panorama stretching from Lake Constance to Lake Zurich. The scenic route then passes through the Schindelberg, Rossegg, Habrütispitz and Chrüzegg peaks, offering more superb views.
    View the route
  4. E
    Chrüzegg - Rapperswil par le Züri Oberland-Höhenweg

    Chrüzegg - Rapperswil via the Züri Oberland-Höhenweg

    ↔24.23 km ↗366 m ↘1,195 m
    This fourth stage will take you from Chrüzegg to Rapperswil on the shores of Lake Zurich. The trail quickly leads to a ridge line, passing through Tweralspitz. In the distance, you will recognise Chrüzegg. You will then descend gradually towards Rotstein, Schwammegg and Köbelberg, with panoramic views on both sides. From Rüeterswil, the Züri Oberland-Höhenweg and the Via Jacobi merge. The arrival in Rapperswil is achieved by avoiding roads as much as possible.
    View the route

Notes

Hike completed by the author from 3 to 6 June 2024
Preparation
A multi-day itinerary needs to be planned in advance.
From experience, it is a good idea to check the availability of accommodation, as some establishments have a "Ruhetag" (rest day) during the week

Signposting: at each major crossroads, you will find signposts:
- Sign No. 69 or P69 with a No. 69 sticker indicating this trail.
- Sign R: Yellow sign with a hiker pictogram

  • Before setting off, it is advisable to check for any trail closures and diversions on the Suisse Topo website. This information is updated in real time.
  • In addition to the Visorando app, you can also download the swisstopo app ( free) where you will also find this information.
  • Transport: timetables
  • Weather: before setting off, check the Swiss weather forecast or Météo blue
  • Hiking equipment, including good shoes.
  • Please note that Switzerland is not in the EU. Mobile data is charged at prohibitive rates. It is advisable to download offline maps via Wi-Fi before each stage.
  • In the cantons of Zurich and St. Gallen, very few people speak French. A basic knowledge of German or English is recommended. The local greeting is Grüezi (hello) or Grüezi mitenand (hello everyone).
  • Accommodation in Gyrenbad: Gasthof Gyrenbad
  • Accommodation in Hulftegg: Gasthaus Hulftegg
  • Accommodation in Chrüzegg: Berggasthaus Chrüzegg
  • Accommodation in Rapperswill: Hotel Jakob

Worth a visit

  • Winterthur and its historic town
  • Wildpark and Bruderhaus
  • The Töss
  • Kollbrunn
  • Gyrenbad
  • Schauenberg
  • Bichelsee
  • Silberbüel
  • Regelsberg
  • Hulftegg
  • Roten
  • Schnebelhorn
  • Schindelegg
  • Rossegg
  • Habrütispitz
  • Chrüzegg
  • Rotstein
  • Schwammegg
  • Köbelberg
  • St. Gallenkapell
  • Eschenbach
  • Jona
  • Rapperswil, its old town, its castle, the shores of Lake Zurich

 Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

Reviews and comments

virgule
virgule
• Edited:

Hello, I have a dog, so public transport is complicated.

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henrigole
henrigole

Hello Virgule,
Yes, the sticker on the windscreen is a thing of the past, but the difficulty is finding cheap parking for several days, and in any case you'll have to go back to where you left the car by public transport.
You can go almost anywhere, even deep into the valleys, either by train, bus or even cable car.
Most of the major routes go from station to station SBB

Machine-translated

virgule
virgule

Wonderful, thank you!

Just so you know, you can buy the vignette online, which saves you queuing at the border.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking Winterthur - Gyrenbad via the Züri Oberland-Höhenweg

Visorando member
Winterthur - Gyrenbad par le Züri Oberland-Höhenweg
↔18.52 km ↗+596 m ↘-315 m ◔7h 00 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Winterthur (Canton of Zürich)
For this first stage, starting from Winterthur station, after exploring the old town, you will very quickly find yourself in the countryside. You will cross an animal park. The route is quite varied, following the Töss river and passing through the peaceful village of Kollbrunn. Then, a ridge path will lead you to Gyrenbad, a place of tranquillity and rest.

Walking From Embrach to Uesslingen-Buch

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D'Embrach à Uesslingen-Buch
↔26.20 km ↗+295 m ↘-288 m ◔8h 20 ▲Very difficult
⚑Departure from Embrach (Canton of Zürich)
Seventeenth stage From Les Rousses to Lake Constance via the Jura ridges. Through the landscapes of northern Zurich, this stage takes you from Embrach to Uesslingen-Buch, following the rivers and villages that line the Huguenot Trail. From hamlet to hamlet, you will walk along well-marked footpaths, between discreet forests, peaceful farms and typical bell towers. Gradually, the scenery opens up onto the vast agricultural expanses of the Thur Valley, signalling the proximity of the German border. This route, rich in heritage and contrasts, ends gently by the river, in the peaceful countryside of Uesslingen.

Walking Gyrenbad - Hulftegg via the Züri Oberland-Höhenweg

Visorando member
Gyrenbad - Hulftegg par le Züri Oberland-Höhenweg
↔21.00 km ↗+815 m ↘-590 m ◔8h 20 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Turbenthal (Canton of Zürich)
This second stage will take you from Gyrenbad to the Hulftegg Pass. The Schauenberg offers a magnificent view of the Alps. The route to Sitzberg offers more interesting views, particularly of the Bichelsee. From Sitzberg (on the border between the cantons of Zurich and St. Gallen) to Allenwinden, the route follows a small road, which fortunately is not very busy. When you arrive at the Hulftegg Pass, you will enjoy a superb view of the Toggenburg and the Appenzell region.

Walking From Uesslingen-Buch to Amlikon-Bissegg

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De Uesslingen-Buch à Amlikon-Bissegg
↔22.26 km ↗+79 m ↘-39 m ◔6h 35 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Uesslingen-Buch (Thurgau)
Stage 18 From Les Rousses to Lake Constance via the Jura ridges. This stage, starting from Uesslingen, first takes you through peaceful agricultural pastures before skirting the vineyards of an old monastery. You then reach Warth, home to the Ittingen Charterhouse, which bears witness to more than 850 years of history and spirituality. Passing through Frauenfeld, the capital of the canton of Thurgau, you leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind and return to the tranquillity of the banks of the Thur. The route takes you to Pfyn, then offers a beautiful immersion along the river, punctuated by the passage of the superb Eschikofen customs bridge. A stage combining heritage, nature and the gentle flow of the river.

Walking Circular from Zurich Central Station (Zürich Hauptbahnhof)

Visorando member
↔2.87 km ↗+7 m ↘-7 m ◔0h 50 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Hochschulen (Canton of Zürich)
Departure from Zurich Hauptbahnhof station. Walk along the Letten, first through Platzspitz park and then along KlosterFahrWeg. Then take the Lettensteg bridge and walk along Sihlquai to return to Platzspitz park via a footbridge. Return to the station via another bank of the Letten.

Walking Dielsdorf - Embrach

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Dielsdorf - Embrach
↔21.98 km ↗+320 m ↘-354 m ◔7h 10 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Dielsdorf (Canton of Zürich)
Sixteenth stage From Les Rousses to Lake Constance via the Jura ridges. This transitional stage marks the departure from the Jura ridges and their mountainous panoramas to begin the descent towards Lake Constance. You leave the Jura Höhenweg to cross a more urban landscape, bypassing the metropolis of Zurich while skirting the runways of its imposing international airport. This contrast between nature and infrastructure gives the route a unique character. The stage ends gently on the banks of the peaceful Töss Valley, where the river meanders between woods and meadows, offering a relaxing setting after a varied day's walking.

Walking From Zurich to Greifensee following the streams

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↔13.92 km ↗+255 m ↘-272 m ◔4h 40 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Weinegg (Canton of Zürich)
This is an easy route. You will follow various streams through forests and villages, exploring the outskirts of Zurich as far as the beautiful Lake Greifensee, where you can go swimming (in summer, at least).

Walking Hulftegg - Chrüzegg via the Züri Oberland-Höhenweg

Visorando member
Hulftegg - Chrüzegg par le Züri Oberland-Höhenweg
↔11.34 km ↗+730 m ↘-425 m ◔5h 20 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Mosnang (Canton of St. Gallen)
This third stage will take you from the Hulftegg Pass to the isolated inn at Chrüzegg. The start of the route alternates between forest and pastures before taking a ridge trail at Roten. You will follow this ridge between the cantons of St. Gallen and Zurich to the Schnebelhorn, the highest point in the canton of Zurich and also the highest point of the hike. This summit offers a splendid panorama stretching from Lake Constance to Lake Zurich. The scenic route then passes through the Schindelberg, Rossegg, Habrütispitz and Chrüzegg peaks, offering more superb views.

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The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.