This blog shows places that are often a side note or not found in most guide books. Let me show you my favourite spots - places that are just a bit off the beaten track in this beautiful country.
After spending a few hours hiking on an alpine trail that goes through meadows and forests; under overhanging rocks, across streams and through high valleys, it is such a wonderful feeling when the magical Oberblegisee alpine lake appears in front of you mirroring the surrounding mountain peaks.
The only access to the lake is with a gondola ride and then hiking and biking trails – keeping it well hidden.
The Walk
The walk to the lake and then to the Brunnenberg cable car takes approx. 3 hours with stops. The start is mainly flat then it goes up and down a bit before reaching the lake. A grill spot with views, a simple restaurant serving regional products and 2 self-service alpine cheese dairies are found along the route. Good to Know: They only accept cash and sometimes the TWINT app.
Getting to the Trail
The trip up the mountain starts at Linthal in the Glarus valley. This valley branches off just before Lake Walen (Walensee) and is reached by exiting the main motorway from Zürich at Glarus/Näfels (No. 44 off-ramp). The region, which includes the UNESCO World Heritage Sardona Tectonic Arena, is called Glarnerland.
Good to Know: The national public transport system (sbb.ch) offers a combi-deal – a discount when booking the complete trip through them. Get more information here.
Directions are as follows:
At Linthal Braunwaldbahn take the funicular to the car-free village of Braunwald.
Walk approx. 10-minutes to the Hüttenberg – Grotzenbüel gondola
When arriving at the Grotzenbüel ski and hiking area, look for the yellow sign (with white/red/white mountain trail markings) to OberblelgiseeRundweg.
The hiking trail ends at the Luchsingen gondola station that will take back down the valley to the Brunnenberg train station.
For more details on the funicular, gondolas(operating times), hiking trail and what time of year to do it see the Getting There section below.
The Trail
Distance: 8 km (from gondola to gondola)
Takes: approx. 3 hrs with stops.
Ascent: 77 m
Descent: 540 m
After leaving the top station of the Grotzenbüel gondola, the first part of the walk is alongside rolling pastures and forested areas with great views of the mountain range on the other side of the valley.
In the summer the dairy farms are busy making dairy products that can be enjoyed at small restaurants and Käserei (cheese dairies) throughout the whole walk.
Walking in the Glarus Mountains to Oberblegi Lake (Oberblegisee)
A lovely thick forest with wild mushrooms and ferns opens out to a wide valley. From here the trail winds uphill to a pretty little Beizli (small farm restaurant) which has a small but very tasty menu of local ingredients.
Then the wonderful Lake Oberblegisee with plenty of places for a picnic or, if you are brave, a swim.
Getting There
Hüttenberg-Grotzenbüel gondola also runs in winter for winter sports
Take the LinthalValley to Braunwaldfunicular, then walk to Hüttenberg for the gondola to Grotzenbüel to begin the walk (1,559 m).
The trail ends at the Brunnenberg cable car that travels down to the Luchsingen Valley.
Zürich– Weesen(lakeside): Car – approx. 45 mins (63 km) on A3; Train – from Zürich main station it takes 1 hour, changing at Ziegelbrücke.
Walenseein 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.
Swimming and BBQs – with both simple stone circles or proper grills and seating – you choose
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.
Quinten – arriving from the hiking path and leaving on the boat
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.
Geneva – green spaces, culture & life around Lake Geneva
Switzerland’s Historical Steamboats
The historical steamboats are the pride of the waterways. From the turn of the century, they have been on the itineraries of royalty and heads of state. Well preserved and well-oiled, these impressive ships can be seen slowly chugging their way around several of Switzerland’s most beautiful lakes.
Thanks to state-of-the-art restoration efforts, they have managed to find a way to keep the original designs by using modern technology. For example, a defective part of the Lake Thun Steam Boat DS Lötschberg was scanned, a mould was made and then printed using 3D technology so that the defective part could be recast.
Apart from the inner workings, careful attention has also been put into rejuvenating the stylish design features of all these ships, returning them to their original glory.
The Comangnie Générale de Navigation sur le Lac Léman SA is responsible for the Belle Epoque Fleet – the largest and most prestigous of its type in the world. The paddlewheel steamboats were commissioned between 1904 and 1927, with gorgeous decorations, elegant sweeping lines and large paddle wheels – these steamboats are impressive to cruise on or to watch from the region’s beautiful lakeside villages, vineyards and beaches found spread across Lake Geneva.
There are 35 landing stations spread around the lake for all kinds of boats and ships – with the Belle Epoque fleetservicing a large portion of them. The timetable for all boats that are run by CGN can be found on their website here, or download the general timetableof the CGN. The little half-circle, paddlewheel motif shows which routes are serviced by the steamboats.
Examples of Routes are:
Geneva – Yvoire – Nyon – Geneva
Lausanne – St. Gingolph – Chillon – Montreux – Lausanne
Lausanne – Morges – Yvoire and return
Lausanne – Vevey – Montreux – Chillon and return
ABVL – The Association Friends of Steam Boats on Lake Geneva
For anyone interested in the inner workings and renovation history of the Lake Geneva 8 steamships, the ABVL does a digital magazine that offers all sorts of tidbits and articles on the fleet. A page called ‘Introduction to the Eight Ships and their History’ details, amongst other things, their structure, fittings, capacity, historical stories, and of course, great photos. I can guarantee that you will want to go for a cruise after reading this article.
Three Lakes Region – Neuchâtel, Murten & Bienne
Small and agile – perfect for the canals that link the three lakes. Photo by A. Leggett
DS Neuchâtel
The DS Neuchâtel, the last half saloon steamship in Switzerland, cruises its way around the three lakes of the Plateau Central (Mittelland). Thanks to its small size, this boat can also travel on the two canals linking the lakes with room to pass under the canal’s bridges. It also has the special honour of being the only steamboat able to maneuver on a canal or river in Switzerland.
The DS Neuchâtel was built in 1912 and sailed until 1969, when it became a ship restaurant in the port of Neuchâtel. It was fully renovated over a 3 year period and started sailing again in 2014. This ship has 300 seats, including 90 for a restaurant (divided into 2 lounges). It is also possible to view the vessel’s steam engine.
How to get onboard the three lakes
For more information go to the Société de Navigation sur les Lacs de Neuchâtel et Morat website. The summer timetable shows the months of operation for 2022 from 14 May to 25 September – Wednesday to Sunday – and the route numbers of the Vapeur Neuchâtel/Dampfschiff Neuchâtel/steamboat Neuchâtel (page 6).
It would pay to go to the Neuchâtel, Murten or Biel/Bienne harbour ticket counter for further information.
There are 5 historic paddle steamers in Lake Lucerne’s fleet of 19 boats and ships. The leader of the pack is the stately flagship Stadt Luzern. Built in 1928, it is the largest and most impressive of the fleet. Travelling on this ship is a wonderful experience with its art deco saloon, huge deck area and imposing wide funnel – like a huge black cherry on top of the white frosted layer cake.
Guestlist of the Stadt Luzern
The Stadt Luzern has had an impressive guest list such as General Henri Guisan and the entire Swiss Army office corps who sailed from Lucerne to the Rütli meadow for an important military conference during a precarious wartime moment, following the fall of France.
Evita Perón, the extremely famous wife of Argentinian president Juan Perón set sail in 1947 during an official visit, and to add to the prestige guest list, Queen Elizabeth II went for an alpine cruise in May 1980. In honour of her visit, the ship’s upper deck lounge was renamed “Queen’s Salon”.
Renovationand Rejuvenation
Over 80,000 hours of labour and 13.3 million francs were invested into the renovation of the Stadt Luzern. From May 2021 the ship returned to public service on Lake Lucerne.
How to get onboard – Lake Lucerne
Culinary cruises – Wine & Dine 1 x per month from May to October (DS Stadt Luzern)
Jazz and Dine – weekly from the beginning of August to the beginning of September (DS Stadt Luzern)
Lucerne – Beckenried – Lucerne – see the timetablesfor steamboat operating times (steamboat icon – note: see limits to days of operation in small print*).
Lucerne – Flüelen – Lucerne, minimum 2 x daily from May to October Tip: this service stops at the lovely town of Brunnen.
Sunset Cruise– end of May to mid -September (either a steamboat or the modern MS Diamant)
*Good to Know: When looking at the timetable, a mini steamboat symbol above a route means that one of the paddle steamers is normally used for that particular route. The highlighted symbol means steamboats are only used on weekends and public holidays, or daily at peak season times – at other times a motorboat is used. Of course, this is all subject to change – for exact and up-to-date details go to the timetables.
Zürich
Stadt Zürich paddle steamer after a steam clean. Photo by A.Leggett
DS Stadt Zürich (1909) & DS Stadt Rapperswil (1914)
The Stadt Zürich steamboat is the oldest in the ZSG fleet, but both of the well-maintained steamboats have all the traditional fittings that you would expect from a Belle Epoque paddle steamer.
The Lake Zürich Navigation Company has a fleet of 17 boats and is part of the public transport service for Zürich canton. This is a big bonus if you are spending time in Zürich as you can travel on the lake, as an alternative to taking the train or tram to get around the city – and not pay anything extra (make sure you are staying within the zones of your return ticket, also known as a day card).
Many times I have walked down the lakeside on a sunny day and then taken the boat back to the city. I definitely recommend it – there is a great view of the mountains on a clear day. A special timetable is available showing which boat or ship will be used for which route so, if you time it right, you can easily manage to cruise the lake on either the DS Stadt Zürich or DS Stadt Rapperswil – both start operating in April and finish in September (see below for timetable link).
How to get onboard– Lake Zürich
These historic paddle steamers operate regularly from 2rd April to 22rd October 2023 – on scheduled cruises. The schedule of all boats can be accessed 4 to 5 days in advance by going to the Allocation of Boats page on the zsg.ch website.
For Something a Bit Different:
The Unique Cruises (mostly motorboats) run throughout the year. They offer all sorts of cruises with onboard entertainment and experiences such as a murder mystery(german),80s party, mind reading (german), silent party and international cuisine cruises. I like the sound of the 80s party one myself…
Bernese Oberland’s Lakes – Thun and Brienz
The extraordinary colours of both Lake Brienz and Lake Thun in the Bernese Oberland are beautiful, sitting amongst some of the best alpine scenery in the country. They’re a popular base for tourists because of their proximity to the famous Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains, the towns of Interlaken and Grindelwald and the magical Lauterbrünnen Valley.
Lötschberg– Lake Brienz
DSLötschberg – Image supplied by – BLS Shifffahrt
The DS Lötschberg was recently overhauled by a specialised restoration team who have a passion for preserving as many of the original features as possible – from the large anchor and decking to the small hidden compartments – all have their own special story to tell. An article in the Swiss Info news website explains the detective work that was done on this steamer to uncover some surprising stories of the past.
Blümlisalp– Lake Thun
DS Blümlisalp – Photo by Jeroen Seyffer Fotografie BLS – supplied by BLS Schifffahrt 2020
The Blümlisalp is a double-decker saloon steamer from the Belle Epoque with modern technology and a double-decker saloon. There is lots of polished wood and a panoramic restaurant on the upper deck.
How to get onboard – Lakes Thun & Brienz
The steamers start operating mid-May through to October. The BLS timetable has the option to search forms of transport such as boats, trains (or car ferry if relevant). The word “steamer” and a steamboat icon show which routes use a steamboat (same price as a motorboat).
The pretty little Greif steamboat is the oldest steamboat in Switzerland and the only passenger ship in the country that is fired with coal. It operates on the second largest lake in Canton Zürich – Lake Greifensee.
The fall and rise of the Greif steamboat
The Greif was built in 1895 by the Escher Wyss shipbuilding company in Zurich. Because coal became scarce after the outbreak of World War I and maintenance was expensive, like many other ships, the Greif steamboat coal fire was replaced by an engine. In 1979 the original Greif steam machine reappeared again and the historical boat was restored to its original design and declared worthy of protection by the cantonal monument preservation authorities. Finally, in 1988, the Greif was once again operating as a steamboat.
On Lake Greifensee through time
“Greif” can hold 24 passengers and crosses the lake for round trips from the end of April to mid-October on Sundays and public holidays and can be booked for individual tours during the week (e.g. birthdays, family celebrations for a maximum of 24 people). Timetables, contact details and reservation info can be found on the website of Greif steamboat.
The video below gives an idea of what is so special about little Greif and also the pretty lake it cruises on.
Getting to the port at Maur, on the edge of Greifensee
By Car: Zürich – Maur: 25-30 mins from central Zürich (14 km)
By Public Transport: with train and bus – 39 – 47 mins with changes (see sbb.ch for timetable – Zürich to Maur(See))
Other activities on and around Greifensee such as paddle boats, swimming, walking and grilling can be found on my Zurich Canton/lakes page.
