Welcome to Wander We Go. I’m Alex.
I write about life in Zürich, travels throughout Europe, and musings on both.
All tagged best hikes
In the summer, Raunaq and I are focused on high alpine hiking. But in the spring, when all the snow packs are melting, there’s no better time to wander through a Swiss valley - especially if that valley is the land of the 72 waterfalls. Lauterbrunnen might just be the most whimsical place in all of Switzerland. Which, in a land full of storybook towns and rolling green countrysides and aquamarine lakes, is saying something. It’s modern-day Rivendell, and it is spectacular.
A seriously gorgeous hike that makes you feel like you are in the heart of Switzerland. The namesake three lakes (Seeaplsee, Fählensee, and Sämtisersee) are all beautiful in their own right, but this trail has so much on offer: a heart-pumping climb for a bird-eyes view of Seealpsee, the most charming herdsmans village of Megaslip tucked high and deep in the mountains, and sweeping views of Santis and the sharp, distinctive ridges of the Apstein - just to name a few of the highlights.
For the past year, we had been hearing so much about this region of Switzerland, and our first foray into Appenzell and the Alpstein did not disappoint. We did one of their classic routes, but backwards. My knees and I will always prefer a long ascent to a long descent, even if that means 1000+ meters of sweaty climb. Seealpsee, with the mountains reflected in its still green waters, is probably the most famous image of this region. Amazingly, this was only the first of many, many stunning views on this hike.
But every so often, there is a hike that is special (shh, don’t tell the other trails). And this one, the Brisen Peak and Haldigrat ridge, was special enough to merit its own blog post. There are a couple of reasons why. First, I had never even heard of this canton before, so the whole area felt a little bit undiscovered. Second, the whole experience felt “classically Swiss,” from start to finish. And third, this was a hike that challenged me in a new way. Physically demanding, yes. Tough, absolutely. But I wasn’t expecting it to be so mentally taxing.
Raunaq and I have been living in Zurich for over a year. Given that we hike a fair bit (in Switzerland and elsewhere), I thought to put together a “Swiss Hiking 101” guide for anyone interested in exploring this lovely country on foot. Generally, we hike moderately challenging to challenging trails, but if you are not an avid hiker, don’t despair. Every single mountain included in my hiking lists have trails for all abilities and interests, and no matter what you chose, it’s absolutely worth trying at least one hike while in Switzerland. It’s really a hiking paradise.
