Zürich – Weesen (lakeside): Car – approx. 45 mins (63 km) on A3; Train – from Zürich main station it takes 1 hour, changing at Ziegelbrücke.
Walensee in Spring
In my opinion Spring is the best time to visit Walensee (Lake Walen). At this time of year the meadows are bursting with wildflowers and the Seerenbach falls are at their best with water gushing from a height of 600m down the cliff, spraying anything or anyone in its path. The sound of crickets and cow bells can be heard when crossing the meadows, and birdsong takes over when entering the forest paths.
The walk to Quinten with the option of a boat trip back
There is a wonderful 10.5 km hiking trail that starts in the town of Weesen, found at the western edge of the lake. From here it is possible to walk along the edge of the lake, through tunnels, meadows and forests and along a wooded cliff face before reaching the pretty town of Quinten (and the option to carry on to Au).
The Hike
The hike can be started from the centre of the town, or further down the northern side of the lake. This narrow road is popular with pedestrians who want to get to the various lakeside picnic spots or eateries that are found along this section. The lakeside area abruptly stops at a cliff face which seems to rise out of the lake shore.
From here it is only possible to continue by going through a narrow tunnel carved into the rock. Once through, the cliff face curves back again, giving space for a one-lane road. This is a great place to walk with one more tunnel before reaching Betlis. Cars are only allowed to travel through the tunnels at 30 minute intervals. This is made clear on a sign close to the tunnels‘ entrances.
Good to Know: When driving, you can park before the tunnels or at Betlis where the road ends. This will shorten the walk by around 2-3 km.
The main trail starts from Betlis, an area with trees and meadows that slightly juts out into the lake. Betlis has BBQ spots, a swimming area, an ancient Roman Fort and a farm restaurant – Landgasthof Paradiesli. The ferry also stops here for travelling on the lake.
There is an option to dip inland for a close up of the impressive Seerenbachfalls. A signpost just back from the waterfall shows the way to Quinten.
After the waterfalls, the trail is often pretty steep with rocky, uneven paths that wind through forests and along wooded cliff faces – always with great lake and mountain views. There are some grilling possibilities and benches in and around the trees – good for a break from the steep path.
The walk then descends steeply before reaching the vineyards at the lovely village of Quinten with its lush gardens and beautiful views. Here you can find a couple of restaurants with lake-side garden bars.
The Boat Trip Back
The boat leaves from here for a relaxing trip back to Weesen – See if you can spot the hiking path you just walked on – its really well hidden and I always have problems finding it.
Important to know – During the in between season (mid April – end of May) the ferries only operate on certain days – See below for a link to the Walensee boat website which has a PDF timetable.
