While tourists are clogging the works elsewhere in Switzerland, local families like us (I think I can call us local now?) frequent beloved alpine resorts a little closer to home. We spent last weekend in Heidiland, one of the best mountain areas for families in Zürich and eastern Switzerland. We love its wide variety of hikes and activities for all ages and skill levels, spectacular views and how easy it is to access by both car and public transportation.
Here’s everything we did over our weekend (plus favorites from previous trips there), including hikes, theme trails, climbing park, alpine coaster, swimming, restaurants and our hotel. It’s close enough for a day trip, but definitely worth a longer stay over a weekend or summer break. Hope you find something you like!
Note: Thanks to Heidiland Tourism for sponsoring this trip. All opinions expressed here are my own.
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Where is Heidiland?
Heidiland is a region about 1 hr southeast of Zürich as shown below, easily accessible by car or public transport (detailed directions in individual posts linked below). We’ve done many day trips to this area over the years. But it was nice to stay overnight, enabling us to enjoy the sunset and sunrise surrounded by mountains and have a more leisurely timeline.
For two days, we picked activities in this area that made sense for our boys, aged 12 and 15. At the end of this post, I have more suggestions both for families with younger children and adults who want something more challenging.
Day 1: Detective Trail and Panorama Views at Pizol
On Saturday, we drove from Zürich to Pizol, a mountain resort overlooking the Rhein valley. There are two sides to the resort, accessed with different gondolas, as shown on the summer hiking map below. We were on the right side of the map at Wangs.
We drove to Wangs and parked at the free parking next to the gondola station (near Schiggstrasse 27, 7323 Vilters-Wangs). You can also ride the train to Sargans, then take a bus to Wangs, Pizolbahn, about a 1hr10 ride from Zürich HB.
Mounteens detective trail
We rode the gondola from Wangs to the Furt middle station and started with the Mounteens detective trail, which took us about 2.5 hours with play time. It’s a new theme trail designed for older kids, with 10 activity stations along the trail, either with a question or a hidden clue to find. The trail is accompanied by a story book, which tells about a ghost that haunts the mountain and the four teen detectives that try to solve the mystery. My 12 yr old really liked the story and searching for the clues, even though some were very difficult to find. The trail ends at a playground and picnic area, with a restaurant nearby for ice cream and treats.
See details for the Mounteens detective trail
Lunch with a view
Then we rode chair lifts higher up and had a late lunch at the Pizolhütte with a view of the classic “Five Lakes” trail. I had a light meal of a delicious carrot soup and plate of local mountain cheese. My son had his favorite “Wurstsalat” and my husband the classic schnitzel and fries. I loved hanging out in the lounge chairs while my son practiced bottle flips with some other kids.
If you need lunch with a playground, stay at the Furt middle station where there are two restaurants with trampolines, climbing stuff, swings, etc.
Panorama Mountain Trail
After lunch, we strolled along the easy Panorama Mountain trail and took some nice pics before catching the last lift down the mountain around 16:00. If you do the whole loop, it’s about 1 hour, but you can easily cut it shorter if necessary. It’s easy walking and possible with a sturdy stroller.
See details and trail map for Pizol Panorama trail
Other options at Pizol
For younger kids, we love the Heidi theme trail with lots of play equipment and adorable Heidi theme activities along the trail. See details here.
For older kids and adults, we recommend the popular and challenging Five Lakes Trail.
Overnight in Bad Ragaz
Back in the valley, we stayed overnight in nearby Bad Ragaz at the cozy and very friendly Boutique Hotel Bellevue, where we had a comfy suite overlooking the village.
The restaurant is clearly a favorite among locals, with lots of regulars happily chatting with the host. We enjoyed our hearty Swiss dinner and appreciated the flexible options for the kids. Later after our swim, we had ice cream sundaes with delicious local ice cream and some special flavors like ginger lime.
We liked being in the center of the adorable village, strolling around at twilight, watching the pink light fade on the mountains above. That’s our hotel lit up in the pic on the left.
That evening we walked through town to the Tamina Therme, where we spent the evening swimming and relaxing with massage jets, waterfalls, lazy river, hot/cold pools and sauna. Our favorite part might have been getting wrapped in a hot sheet at the end of the visit, so luxurious. This is also a great option for a rainy day.
Day 2: Action Adventure at Flumserberg
The next day, we drove to the nearby Flumserberg, a big resort overlooking the beautiful Walensee lake and Churfirsten mountain range. We started on the left side of the map at Tannenheim and Prodalp. We finished on the right side of the map at Tannenboden.
You can drive up the mountain to Flumserberg, with free parking at the gondola stations at either Tannenheim (Bergstrasse 153, 8897 Flums) or Tannenboden (Molseralpstrasse 9, 8898 Flumserberg).
You can also reach this area by public transportation, either by bus 441 from Flums to Tannenheim, Post or by cable car from Unterterzen train station to Tannenboden.
Climbing park
We parked at Tannenheim and rode up the Prodalp Express gondola to the amusement center at Prodalp. We started with the Cliimber adventure rope park, testing our nerves and strength. We like the flexibility of the regular courses, which allow you to pick and choose your obstacles instead of completing a full pre-determined course. This time we did the 6 zip lines, which are new since our last visit, a great addition. They also have a mini course for small kids over 4, where the safety harness is always connected instead of having to clip on and off.
See details for the Flumserberg climbing park
Lunch & playtime
We ate lunch at the adjacent Prodalp self-service restaurant, which spills into the big playground with a bounce pillow and sunbeds for tired parents. I appreciated their big antipasti bar for those looking for a more healthy lunch option. This place can get crowded on sunny weekends, for good reason. But don’t worry, it’s easy to escape by walking just a couple minutes on the trail and suddenly you’re all alone with the pretty views.
Panorama hike to alpine coaster at Chrüz
Then we hiked around the mountain another part of Flumserberg, where we could ride the Floomzer alpine coaster, about a 40 min hike. It was nice to stretch our legs and leave the busy amusements behind for awhile and chat together as a family. The views were pretty nice too.
A little map for you so you know what to expect.
Alpine coaster
Our hike took us to the top of the Chrüz chair lift, where you can ride Floomzer alpine coaster down to Tannenboden, a thrilling 2 km ride with lots of bumps, turns, spirals and drops. It’s probably our favorite alpine coaster in Switzerland.
More info about the Floomzer alpine coaster
Videos are not allowed during the ride, so here’s a promo video from Flumserberg:
It is generally open 9:00 to 17:00 and costs CHF 13/adult and CHF 6.50/child. There are a variety of ticket options: multi-ride discounts, combos with the climbing park and gondolas, etc. See complete price list here.
Other Flumserberg hikes we like
For kids, we like the Saga “Wild Man” theme trail that starts at the top of the Prodalp-Prokamm chair lift, with fun activity stations along the way.
For adults and older kids, we like the gorgeous 4 Peak Tour or the full 7 Peak Tour if you are really motivated.
Did you find something you like?
