The Five Lakes Hike near Pizol

By Chantal Panozzo

Summer, I know you’re out there. As I write this, it is June 2, and I haven’t seen the sun for about a month. While gray and fog are typical for Switzerland, this has been a rather unfortunate spring.

That’s why this post is dedicated to get you into the mountains (i.e. at an altitude above the gray and fog). Just like during the Swiss winter, sometimes in the summer you also have to ascend a few thousand feet to get your dose of Vitamin D.

Here are a few suggestions for hikers (and sunbathers) in Switzerland:

Mt. Rigi

The great thing about Mt. Rigi is not only its proximity to Zurich, but also the way that you can hike (or not hike) parts of the main trail due to the efficient railway that makes scheduled stops along the mountain. And if you just want to sunbathe, that’s ok too, there are several restaurants with fantastic terraces at the top of the mountain, which is directly reachable by train. Bonus: the Rigi railway now accepts the GA travel card.

The Five Lakes Hike (5-Seen Wanderung)

This is a tough hike. You are not just walking around five lakes. You are climbing up and descending from a lake and then starting the process all over again. The turquoise lakes and camera-worthy scenery make the blisters worth it though. But keep in mind, if you do the whole hike, it will most likely take you all day. And the chair lift that brings you back down the mountain closes exactly at 5 p.m. So start early.

The Bürgenstock Felsenweg Hike

This is an easy and scenic hike along the side of a ridge overlooking Lake Lucerne. The highlight is the option to take a short cut and ride the Hammetschwand-Lift, a crazy elevator that the Swiss built into the mountain in 1905 for the novelty of proving they could do it.

What hikes do you recommend in Switzerland?

Chantal Panozzo is a writer in Switzerland. She’s the author of One Big Yodel, a blog about life in Switzerland and moving abroad, and also discusses living abroad as a freelancer at Writer Abroad.

Tags: hiking, mountains, summer, Switzerland, weather

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