Hello my dears,

Why always travel so far away? The beauty is so close and Switzerland (or Europe) has a lot to offer! This summer I was really hiking a lot in the mountains. Doubtlessly, hiking, nature and fresh air make you happy. I would never ever have thought that Switzerland has so many great destinations and activities to offer. And to be honest, it is much more relaxing to stay in one’s own country and avoid the stressful holiday traffic.

Maybe you already saw on Instagram that I was able to visit some breathtaking places (among others the Matterhorn!!! Blogpost about my stay)

That’s why I want to inspire you to lace up your hiking boots and to explore. Below I introduce you to 3 great (more or less well-known panoramic trails, which invite you with their unique natural scenery to marvel.) All three hikes are suitable for every level and for particularly ambitious hikers I show you options for extending or bypassing the cable car and lifts 😉

But before you set off, you should always choose the right equipment and not neglect your planning (spontaneity is always possible, but not without these points!)

Weather

• In the mountains the weather changes very quickly, so always make sure that you are back in a protected environment before any thunderstorms.
• Also note the wind strengths! Especially on ridge walks or chairlifts, the way is blocked in too strong winds. This can also be the case with sunshine and 25 degrees! (was with me in Stoos)

Equipment

• A credit card is usually sufficient, but for security some emergency cash (50 bucks) don’t hurt. Some mountain railways and mountain huts only take cash (Cash is still king in the mountains!)
• Always have sunscreen with you! Even if the weather forecast is cloudy, often the sun is shining through and then the nose gets quickly burned!
• Water! Unfortunately, there are many hiking areas and regions where drinking water or wells are a rarity and therefore you should always have enough with you.
• Good footwear is essential. Especially if you want to prevent injuries and don’t want to get blisters. Personally, I like the ones that cover the ankles because they give me more support. It’s worth investing in a good pair, because they stay with you longer (I bought bought mine 5/6 years ago and they still look great)

Three marvellous hikes

High Trail Sardona

Naraus – (Grauboden) – Segnesboden – Alp Nagens
Distance: 9.6 km
Hiking time: 3-4.5h
Ascent: 569 m
Descent: 316 m
Starting point: Flims Naraus
Destination: Alp Nagens

Normally, I only go skiing in Flims or cross-country skiing in Bargis. In the summer I explored only the hiking trails around Caumasee (here’s the whole blogpost) and of course my favorite Crestasee is my go-to place. But when I spontaneously decided to visit the Tectonic Arena Sardona, I was surprised with a unique panorama!

The hike starts at the valley station in Flims and with a short change from the chairlift in Foppa it goes on to the mountain station Naraus. From there, the panorama trail starts ascending the mountain. Already after the first ascent you can enjoy a beautiful, panoramic view over Flims and you walk with the unique mountain scenery of the UNESCO World Heritage Site towards Segnesboden. Beware: In summer you share the trail with cows, which also like to occupy the trail, so sometimes you have to make a small detour 😉

From the lower Segnesboden, I made my way to the waterfall (5 min) and stayed there in the flower field. Then the path continues between the streams up to Grauberg. From there you can also enjoy a beautiful panorama and the descent to the Segneshütte is short and you will be rewarded with a delicious refreshment.

After a break, you can start the last piece of the trail, slightly downhill to Alp Nagens, where the postbus drives back to Laax / Flims.

Panoramaweg Fronalpstock

Stoos – Fronalpstock – Klingenstock (- Stoos)

Distance: 11 km
Hiking time: 4-6h
Ascent: 1018 m
Descent: 316 m
Starting point: Stoos Funicular
Destination: Klingenstock chairlift / Stoos Funicular

The tightrope walk between Fronalpstock and Klingenstock is one of the most beautiful panoramic routes in Central Switzerland and has been on my list for a long time. Unfortunately, it hadn’t worked out twice (snow or strong wind). But on the third try I was welcomed by a breathtaking panorama!

The mountain hike starts at the station of the funicular railway in Stoos and leads past the pretty chapel up over cow fields to Fronalpstock. If you want to skip the climb, you can comfortably ride up the chairlift. But already on the ascent you can admire the Mythen and the mountain scenes of Schwyz and Uri. Personally, I found the ascent the prettiest, because I have hardly encountered any other hikers.

The heart of this breathtaking panorama hike is the section over the ridge from Fronalpstock over the Huser Stock to Klingenstock, this is noticeable on arrival, because there are many hikers on the way. On the trail you can enjoy the beautiful view of Lake Lucerne and 9 other Swiss lakes! In the west and in the north, there are several famous peaks: Pilatus, Rigi and Mythen.

I recommend you this direction of the walk, because on one hand the ascent is much more beautiful and secondly, you go the tightrope in the opposite direction and escape, so to speak, the «pilgrim’s stream»

If you still feel like walking when arriving at Klingenstock, you can also hike back to Stoos (1:20h) or take comfortably the chair lift.

Panoramaweg Rigi Scheidegg

Weggis – Rigi-Kaltbad – (Dossen) – Rigi Scheidegg – Kräbel – Arth-Goldau

Distance: 11.3 km (17 km)
Hiking time: 3: 30h (6: 45h)
Ascent: 346 m (1350 m)
Descent: 362 m
Starting point: Weggis
Destination: Arth-Goldau

Even on the third panorama hike you will be able to enjoy an incomparable view. This tour is also customisable to your liking, you can take the chairlift if you have tired legs.

We wanted to take it easy and have taken the gondola from Weggis to Rigi Kaltbad and thus spared us the rigorous ascent 3:15h and 1000 meters altitude. Even though the gondola was very crowded, almost all hikers and tourists were on the way to Rigi Kulm and we could enjoy the cozy panoramic path for us to Rigi Scheidegg in peace.

This high-altitude trail is popular and beautiful with views of Lake Lucerne and Lake Zug, as well as the imposing Alps. We also chose the most exhausting piece up to Dossen (you can also choose the easy path around the viewpoint). The view of the Pilatus and the other imposing mountains was definitely worth it!

On Rigi-Scheidegg we have allowed ourselves a refreshment. In addition, there is a nice playground for families and we also found it exciting to watch the paragliders. Then we went down to Kräbel and walked from there to Arth-Goldau, but you can continue the rest of the way to Arth-Goldau also by train. Otherwise, it is a pretty path along a stream and takes about 1:40h.

I hope I could inspire you to go to the mountains again this autumn and explore beautiful Switzerland in your hiking boots! Have you already tried one of the hikes? I am happy if you send your impressions!! and for more (visual) impressions you can have a look in my Instagram highlights 🙂