If you live on the Silver Coast of Zürich (west side of the lake), there are lots of lovely little walking paths along the Zimmerberg ridge between the lake and the Sihltal valley. One of our favorites areas is around the forest near Thalwil, passing by two pretty lakes, the Gattiker Weiher and Waldweiher. There are two nice picnic areas with fire pits and lots of benches for lounging with a view.
| Location: | Zürich Region |
| Address: | near Gattikonerstrasse 81, 8136 Thalwil |
| Car: | Parking: Brandgasse 3, 8800 Thalwil |
| Train: | Bus stop: Gattikon, Obstgarten 15 mins from Zürich |
| Trail: | 3 km loop, about 1 hour |
| Elevation: | highest point 540m, 40 m up/down |
| Condition: | mostly wide dirt/gravel path, suitable for all-terrain strollers |
| Skill: | easy |
| Services: | picnic areas with fire pits, water fountain |
| Cost: | free |
| Open: | year round |
Location
These little lakes are located south of Zürich, on the west side of Lake Zürich near Thalwil.
Hiking map
I’ve marked out a pretty 3 km loop but there are lots of paths crisscrossing this forest if you want to make your walk longer. There is an official picnic area at each lake, with tables and fire pit. There are also lots of benches with a view for lounging. Please note that you can’t swim in the lake.
I’ve started the walk at the parking area. But if you live nearby, simply take any walking path that leads in the general direction and join up with the path when you get near the lakes.
Getting There
By car: There is nearby street parking at Knonauerstrasse and a small parking lot at Brandgasse 3, 8800 Thalwil.
By public transport: The closest bus stop is Gattikon, Obstgarten, which is right next to the Gattiker Weiher. Bus 140 runs every 30 mins (on the :03 and :38) from the Thalwil Zentrum (southwest side of Thalwil train station). Bus 240 runs hourly (on the :45) from Thalwil Bahnhof (east side of train station).
Trail Impressions
I’ll start at the Gattiker Weiher, which is next to busy road. But once you start walking around the lake, it feels very calm and relaxing.
The path goes up a hill overlooking the lake.
We walked our bikes on this section and resumed riding once we got to the bike path in the forest.
The path goes back down the hill and enters the forest. When you reach the service road, turn right and follow signs to Waldweiher.
Here is the sign for the Waldweiher. Follow the service road up to the second lake.
Waldweiher
When you reach the second lake, there are some benches overlooking the lake. If you follow this path, you’ll connect with the narrow walking path along the west side of the lake. Or you can start with the wide dirt road on the east side of the lake. Just pick a direction and leisurely make your way around the lake.
Here is the dirt road along the east side of the lake.
At the south end of the lake, there is a big picnic area with tables and a fire pit. There is also a water fountain.
From here, walk around the south end of the lake and continue on the footpath along the west side of the lake. Then return to your starting point.
I hope you like this lake walk! Please leave a comment and let me know what you think about it.
4 responses
Thanks for the post! We did the round walking and decided to turn back after going to Waldweiher, as our 2 year old was getting tired. But both lakes were beautiful and the walk really easy with little kids. Good option for a change of scenery.
So nice to get your report! I’m glad you liked it and were able to manage with a 2 year old. It’s such a beautiful area. I was just there on my bike again last week. Wishing you many more happy adventures.
Thanks for sharing. Elevation highest point 1800m must be wrong. Also total elevation gain seems more than what it sounds from description.
We’ll try it anyway 🙂
You’re right! I forgot to change that bit in the table. Thanks for pointing that out. I’ll go fix it now.