Winterthur walks

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Schluchtensteig trail leads in 6 stages over 119 km from Stühlingen to Wehr across the southern Black Forest. "Exposed paths along steep rock gorges with some spectacular views down into the depths. Wutachflühen, Wutach Gorge, Schleifenbach Falls, Haslach Gorge, Windberg Waterfall, Hohwehraschlucht and Wehraschlucht are destinations for anyone who enjoys hiking through wild gorges, marvelling at thundering waterfalls, enjoying the natural silence and wanting to escape everyday life for a week," according to the Schluchtensteig website, and the trail delivers what it promises. We have changed the third stage slightly to save you the mountain between Lenzkirch and Fischbach. Instead, we hike in Schluchsee to the Riesenbühlturm tower with its panoramic view.

The Schluchtensteig trail leads in 6 stages over 119 km from Stühlingen to Wehr across the southern Black Forest. The first stage takes us from Stühlingen to Blumberg along the Wutachflühen. High above the Wutach, we hike on narrow paths and exposed trails. We pass the Sauschwänzlebahn railway line several times and, with a bit of luck, we will see the museum train steam past. The Buchberg with its long ascent challenges us in the last third of the tour before we descend to Blumberg.

This stage will take you from Siebnen to Einsiedeln. After the long climb up the Stöcklichrüz, you will be rewarded with a magnificent view of Lake Zurich and the Sihlsee. At the Etzelpass, you will pass the St. Meinradskapelle chapel and the birthplace of Paracelsus. In Einsiedeln, a major pilgrimage site in Switzerland, don't miss a visit to the monastery.

The Schluchtensteig trail leads in six stages over 119 km from Stühlingen to Wehr across the southern Black Forest. The second stage leads from Blumberg via the Schleifenbach waterfall to the Wutach, through the magnificent Wutach Gorge, past the former spa town of Bad Ball and several waterfalls, ending at the Schattenmühle inn.

This stage will take you from Cham to Lucerne. The Michaelskreuz chapel offers a splendid view of Lake Lucerne. Gradually, as you walk along the Lucerne golf course, you will reach the shore of the Luzernersee. The magnificent lakeside promenade will take you to the old town near the famous Kappelbrücke.

This stage will take you from Einsideln to Unterägeri. You will enjoy a superb view at the Chatzenstrick pass. You will descend to Unterägeri on the shores of Lake Ägeri via a ridge path.

This stage will take you from Unterägeri to Cham. You will gradually arrive at Lake Zug after a short climb to the Brunegg mountain pasture. On the way down, you will pass the pretty chapel of St. Verena. You can enjoy a lovely walk along the lake in Zug.

A beautiful loop starting from Innerthal (906m) on the shores of the Wägitalersee. This loop will take you to the Bockmattli (1932m), with beautiful views of the lake during much of the ascent. After the Bockmattlihütte, the terrain becomes rockier until you reach the summit.

The Schluchtensteig trail leads in 6 stages over 119 km from Stühlingen to Wehr across the southern Black Forest. Our third stage starts at the upper entrance to the Lotenbachklamm gorge and ends in Lenzkirch, where there are numerous accommodation options and a bus connection to the start of stage 4. Alternatively, you can spend the night in Schluchsee and climb the Riesenbühlturm tower, see the corresponding tour. If you want to hike all stages of the Schluchtensteig, you can stay overnight in the Schattenmühle between stages 2 and 3. From there, you can tackle the Lotenbachklamm gorge and hike up to the starting point of this hike.

This long, almost flat stage will take you from Amden to Siebnen, crossing three cantons: St. Gallen, Glarus and Schwyz. You will walk along the Walensee and then the Linth Canal. Several small villages follow one after the other before you arrive in Siebnen.