5 Best Hikes in Swiss Alps - Hiking Trails in Swiss Alps
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Adventure In Switzerland

Hiking Trails in Swiss Alps

1. Start Hiking at Hohenweg Hohbalmen
2. Walk from Riffelsee to Sunnegga
3. Hike at Lac de Louvie
4. The Faulhornweg 
5. Explore Mürren Alps

Hiking through the Swiss Alpine mountains and meadows is a dream which every traveller cherishes. The ethereal mountain ranges, the lucid lakes and the rolling meadows in Switzerland hold some of the best hiking trails in the whole world. Depending on the expertise level of a hiker, they can choose a hiking path that is easy, moderate or difficult. 

Interlaken, Grindelwald, Zermatt, and Müren are some of the most popular hiking destinations in Switzerland, often included in Europe trip packages. The iconic Haute Route or High route from the Chamonix valley in France to Zermatt in Swiss, is the longest hiking trail in the Alps that traverses through 180 kms and takes about 14 days on foot. The Swiss Alps is a favourite destination for hikers due to a couple of reasons.

It offers a variety of terrains in terms of levels of difficulty and the best mountain landscapes, convenient infrastructure such as lifts, cable cars, hotels, bridges are available along the routes. No wonder, every year, between mid-May to mid-October, the Swiss Alpine region receives thousands of hikers from worldwide. 
Experience the breathtaking Swiss Alpine trails with your Switzerland package.

Here is the list of best hikes in Swiss Alps: 

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01

Höhenweg Höhbalmen

Image Credit : https://pixabay.com/photos/away-trail-liguria-186376/
The hike of Höhenweg Höhbalmen loop begins at Zermatt and passes through some of the most picturesque places such as the Haus Edelweiss, the Höhbalmen meadow, Schwarzlager, Chalbermatten and finally the Zmutt valley in the Pennine Alps.

The trail covers a distance of roughly 18 KMS and an ascent of 4000 ft. Zermatt in the Canton of Valais, Swiss is where the single gauge train leaves the hikers. From there the uphill walk to the Höhbalmen balcony through the larch forests is worth the effort as it offers a bird's eye view of the charming Swiss villages and a panoramic glimpse of the surrounding peaks and glaciers.

Hikers choose to catch breath with fresh baked apple pie at Haus Edelweiss before moving on to get the glorious view of the Matterhorn. The descent to Zmutt through Chalbermatten offers a delightful view of a sparkling waterfall.

Best for:
Best view of Matterhorn

Difficulty Level:
Fairly Difficult

Duration:
6 to 7 hours

Best time to do:
Between June to October 
02

Hike From Riffelsee To Sunnegga

This is a point to hike 8 KMS from Riffelsee to Sunnegga near Zermatt with an ascent of 7700 feet. Riffelsee can be reached on a cog train from Zermatt to Gornergrat and from there the trail starts heading back upwards to the Grünsee, a beautiful lake on the way.

Up this route, there is a great site to get up, close and personal with the imposing Matterhorn, just before reaching the Grünsee, a beautiful Alpine lake. The spot also offers a great view of the Zmutt glacier and its drainage basin below. From here, the path bends towards a much bigger lake - Stellisee. But the trail goes left from Grindjisee (before reaching Stellisee) which is an ideal lake-stop to catch the breathtaking scenery around.

From the path is a straight left climb towards Sunnegga before crossing the third lake, Leisee in this five-lake region. Once in Sunnegga, one can spend some time at the charming landing to have lunch or head back up to Zermatt through the funicular.

Best for:
Zmutt glacier view and the three lakes - Grünsee, Grindjisee, Leisee

Difficulty Level:
Moderate

Duration:
2 hours

Best time to do:
The best time to do this trail is between June to September 
03

Lac De Louvie

The lac de Louvie is a pristine lake situated at a height of 2631 ft and is hiked from Verbier in Valais region in Switzerland. It is a 17 kms hike from the busy ski region to the Alpine lake and is often completed in two days with hikers spending the night at Cabane de Louvie.

The hike starts from Les Ruinettes, a place that can be reached from the Vernier ski resort on a cable car, till one stops at cabane du Mont fort. This is the place which provides the most brilliant view of the dazzling Mont Blanc in the Chamonix commune of France. From here, the trail takes one to the Upper Val de Bagnes which is a preserved natural habitat for some of the Alpine wildlife species - marmots, ibex and the chamois deer.

It is possible to spot each of these animals while in the Val. From here the path descends to Col Termin which leads the way to the lake from two sides. The one path that reaches the lake from the north has two large self supporting barns which are considered to be historical monuments. Once at the lac de Louvie, one can begin to descend to the village of Fionnay or decide to spend the night at Cabane de Louvie.

Best for:
Views of Mont Blanc and wildlife at Val de Bagnes 

Difficulty Level:
Moderate

Duration:
8-10 hours on the same day or split between two days 

Best time to do:
Between July to October 
04

The Faulhornweg

The hike begins from Schynige Platte at 1966 metres and ends at First which covers a distance of 15.6 kms. This trail is very close to Interlaken in Bern, Switzerland and is one of the best considering the variety of landscapes that it offers.The hike starts at the Platte which has grand views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau (the triplet peaks meaning "ogre", "mink" and the "virgin").

The hike goes further northeast towards the Loucherhorn summit from where it takes about a couple of hours to reach the Sägistal valley through the gravelly Egg pass. From the Egg Pass the trail continues further to Männdlenen, Winteregg to reach the summit of Faulhorn from where the panoramic view of the surrounding mountains is marvelous. The Berghotel Faulhorn, built in 1830 which can be seen just below the summit is the oldest and the hotel in Alps.

Climbing down through Gassenboden, the trail leads to the azure blue waters of Bachalpsee where the famous Schreckhorn peak appears in the reflection and in the background. This picture perfect image is also captured in Gmail's mountain theme. This entire hike down to the First, is interspersed with green rolling meadows where the Swiss cows and sheep can be seen grazing. The lucky ones also catch a glimpse of the marmots. The trail is completed upon reaching First from where the six-seater gondola cable car runs to Grindelwald.

Best for: The trans-country view into France and Germany from the summit of Faulhorn.

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Duration: 6 hours

Best time to do: June to September 
05

Murren Trail

There are a number of hikes available in Mürren, of which the Mürren Flower Trail is the best and most popular one too. Novices who wish to experience hiking across the Swiss Alps or those with small kids should definitely not miss this hike. It's a loop hike from Mürren and back and is roughly about 2 kms downhill.

From Mürren, a funicular takes hikers atop Allmendhübel where a beautiful flower park greets you. The iconic Swiss edelweiss can be seen in bloom here along with a large play area for children. The trail goes around the park and then heads back down to Mürren through a lovely forested path. The forested path may not be stroller friendly but there is a road that heads down to Mürren and those with a child-stroller should take that road.

On the way down, one gets a beautiful panoramic view of the Eiger, Mönch and the Jungfrau. There are also restaurants and a picnic zone with a fire pit for the hikers who want to while away some time in this Alpine verdure.

Best for: Views of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau along with family including kids

Difficulty Level: Easy

Duration: 2 hours

Best time to do: July to October is the best time for this trail 

People Also Ask About Switzerland

  1. How long does it take to hike the Swiss Alps?

    It could take anywhere between two hours to a couple of days depending on the hiking route chosen. Some hikes are relatively easy and can be considered for the beginners without much hassle or expertise. These hikes are usually through lower heights, without much elevation and takes between two to five hours. The ones which ascend to the peaks and across glacial tongues require practice, expert physical fitness and are considered difficult. These treks can take anywhere between one to two days.
  2. What to wear hiking in Swiss Alps?

    Hiking boots, raincoat, gloves, a warmer and dark shades to cover the eyes from snow glaze. If trekking through snowy terrain specialised snow boots, trekking poles, snow jackets should be used.
  3. Can you climb the Swiss Alps?

    Yes, it is possible to climb up a number of peaks in the Swiss Alps. The Mönch, Eiger and Jaungfrau are among the easier peaks. There are also a number of lifts and cable cars available which takes tourists up thousands of feet without having to hike.
  4. Where should I stay in Switzerland for hiking?

    Interlaken, Zermatt, Lucerne, Zurich are some of the places where it is advisable to stay if planning to hike.
  5. Do I need hiking boots for Switzerland?

    Yes, if you want to hike across the Swiss Alps, a pair of hiking boots is a must. Although, while walking through paved paths and forested paths may not require special hiking boots, just a pair of comfortable sneakers should be good enough.
  6. What to pack for hiking in Switzerland?

    1. Trekking shoes
    2. Raincoat or waterproof jacket
    3. Dark shades with full coverage
    4. Two trekking poles are extremely important for snowy hikes
    5. Caps to cover head, ears and neck
    6. Warm sweater
    7. Gloves
    8. Thick knee-length socks
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The Mount Titlis Day Tour with Cable Car was a delightful experience for me. I was traveling with my spouse. The views were gorgeous and something that I can never forget about, it was dramatically gorgeous. If you are visiting Switzerland then Mount Titlis cable car ride is a great way to spend some time in the arms of nature and enjoy a great time. I was also able to capture some really good photos of the cute little snow penguins.
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The best fun I had at night in Switzerland was with sulwald Sledding experience at Interlaken. The activities are really organized and the guide gives thorough instruction about the details of the night. I must say that these instructions can get really boring but the guide found a way to make it really fun. I and my partner I was able to get into the action really fast with Sledging which followed dinner. All in all, I must thank Thrillophilia for making our night adventurous.
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