It doesn’t always have to be a one-week hiking holiday in the mountains, day trips are also suitable for beautiful nature walks. Nature has a lot to offer across the country and much to discover. Easy or challenging hikes, trails along the water or to the top – there’s something for everyone. There are adventure trails for children that turn walking into an adventure.
Most of the time by public transport you can quickly reach all possible sightseeing points in the mountains. The list below includes hikes of varying difficulty so that both advanced mountain fans and very young hikers can get their money’s worth on these day trips.
From Chur GR to Heidi road in Pizol
Anyone living in or visiting Chur can take a day trip for kids to Heidi Road in Pizol. It takes about 15 minutes to get to Bad Ragaz Pizohlbahn station by train and from there by bus to Bad Ragaz train station. The adventure for the little ones begins here, as the Heidi gondola takes you to Pardiel SG. Now the task is to find Peter’s goats on the family circular path and master various tasks, for example, jumping a goat. Part of the route is also suitable for strollers (up to Alp Schwarzbüel) and has playgrounds and recreation areas as well as a viewing point.
Distance: 4 kilometers
Duration: Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes (may be longer depending on time spent at each activity station)
Difficulty: Easy
More: Information on travel times and prices for the Heidi gondola can be found here.
From Lugano TI to the Alpe Neggia circular walk in Monte Gambarogno
One way to start hiking in the mountains from Lugano is with a tour to Monte Gambarogno. It can be reached by public transport, so you first take a train, then continue by bus and then switch to another bus line until you arrive at Alpe Neggia station. When you arrive there after a two and a half hour journey, the walk begins. The circular route leads to the summit of Monte Gambarognos, at an altitude of 1734 meters above sea level, where there are magnificent views of Ascona, Locarno, the Maggia Delta and the Lago Maggiore region. The other route returns to the Alpe Neggia starting point via Santa Anna.
Distance: 9.6 kilometers
Duration: 2 hours 36 minutes
Difficulty: Easy to Medium
More: Here you can find all the important information about Monte Gambarogno and the region.
From Interlaken BE to the glacier view walk in Gornergrat
A beautiful walk, where you can admire the impressive glacier scenery, can be reached by public transport from Interlaken. It is best to start this day trip early in the morning. Depending on the train connection, after a few changes, it takes around two and a half hours to reach Zermatt train station, where the Gornergrat Bahn starts just meters away. This leads up to Gornergrat station at 3089 meters above sea level, with several intermediate stations taking just over half an hour.
The hike along the Hohtälligrat starts from here and descends steeply towards Gornergletscher, which makes the hike stand out. Then you continue to Riffelsee and Riffelberg station, where you take the Gornergrat Bahn back to Zermatt VS, with views of the Matterhorn.
Distance: 6.3 kilometers
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Difficulty: medium
More: Information on travel times and prices for the Gornergrat Bahn can be found here.
Panoramic view of Rochers-de-Naye from Lausanne VD
You can reach Montreux VD from Lausanne in just 20 minutes by train. From there, you can take a gear train up to Rochers-de-Naye, at an altitude of 1,600 meters, in about fifty minutes. The journey offers countless beautiful landscapes over meadows, fields, villages and forests. Once at the top you can not only admire the views of Lake Geneva and the mountain scenery, but there are also restaurants, a “maroon paradise” and several hiking trails: everything from leisurely hikes to steep hikes for advanced mountain fans is included. If your feet are firm and experienced, you can get off at Jaman station, for example, and then go up to the top.
Distance: 2.9 kilometers
Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes
Difficulty: Medium to Difficult
More: Information on travel times and prices for the cog railway can be found here.
From Lucerne via Rigi Kulm to the circular hiking trail Rigi Kaltbad
More than ten kilometers of circular hiking trails offering picturesque views start from Rigi Kaltbad. Anyone living in or currently staying in Lucerne can reach Rigi Kaltbad in various ways using public transport. One option is to travel to Vitznau LU by train and bus, or by boat, which takes less than an hour. From there you can take the Vitznau – Rigi Kulm cog train all year round to the Rigi Kaltbad-First station.
The hike can then begin on the way by passing the Chänzeli viewpoint and reaching Rigi Kulm. This hiking trail leads back to Rigi Kaltbad, where you can take the cog railway over Alp Chäserenholz to Rigi Klösterli and from there to Vitznau LU.
Distance: 10.3 kilometers
Duration: 3 hours 25 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
More: All information about travel times and prices for the cog railway can be found here.
From Zurich to the walk around the Obersee
You can also go on countless great hikes from Zurich. If you want to take a short walk around the Obersee, you can take the train from Zurich to the Näfels-Mollis stop in the canton of Glarus. The journey takes 53 minutes without changing trains. When you arrive in Mollis, if you have a few hours and are in good physical shape, you can walk to the Obersee. However, it is also possible to get there by a call bus – this must be clarified by phone no later than the day before. The walk around the Obersee, which is only three kilometers long, is also suitable for children and offers an idyllic view of the surrounding mountain scenery, including Brünnelistock.
Distance: 3 kilometers
Duration: 50 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
More: Information about the call bus from Näfels to Obersee can be found here.
Author: Sonja Zaleski-Körner
Source : Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
