During our week in Leukerbad, we spent one day walking around the Leukerbad valley itself, which is every bit as pretty as the tops of the surrounding mountains. The loop walk follows a road up the east side of the valley to a little pond, called Majingsee, where there is a fire pit and a little trickling waterfall feeding into the pond. The trail returns on west side of the valley, following the river. Closer to town, the river dips into a narrow gorge, called the Dalaschlucht, which is an optional detour from the trail (but not stroller-friendly). The trail is about 4 miles (6.5km) depending on where you start and end the hike. It took our family with a 6 yr old about 3 hours with lots of stops.
This is too far for a day trip from Zurich, but a great option if you are already in the area. I like it with kids because it’s not too demanding, it’s stroller-friendly, and the river and waterfalls provide a good distraction from the work of walking.
| Location: | Valais Switzerland |
| Address: | Leukerbad |
| Car: | 3hr15 from Zurich Parking GPS: 46°22’41.9″N 7°37’29.5″E |
| Train: | 3hr15 from Zurich to Leukerbad Adult half fare return CHF 105 |
| Trail: | 5.5 km loop |
| Condition: | paved and dirt road, suitable for all-terrain strollers |
| Skill: | easy |
| Open: | May through October |
| Price: | free |
| More info: | www.leukerbad.ch |
Overview
This hike is a loop trail that starts in the town of Leukerbad, goes north along the southeast side of the river to Majingsee (a tiny pond) and returns on the northwest side of the river. So you can start this hike from any part of town and do the hike in either direction.
We chose to start at the south part of Leukerbad, a little south of the Torrentbahn, near the Torrent-Bahnen bus stop. We ended the hike at the north part of town, near the Obere Maressen bus stop. See the map below for a visual reference. The “trail” is a paved road on the southeast side of the valley and a dirt road on the northwest side of the valley. Most of it is quite easy with a stroller.
Getting There
By car: Get yourself to Leukerbad and park in the center of town, perhaps in the parking garage under the Migros. Use the hiking map above to find the trail.
By public transport: Take a train to Leuk, then bus 471 to Leukerbad. This drops you in the center of town. Use the hiking map above to find the trail.
Trail Details
Here’s the beginning of the trail on the east side of the valley, which follows a paved road all the way to the Majingsee. I don’t particularly like walking on a road, but the scenery was so nice that I didn’t mind this time.
The dramatic peaks surrounding Leukerbad are visible for almost the entire hike.
The path is easy, the views fantastic. If you’re hungry already, you could stop at Restaurant Weidstübli, which you’ll pass along this road.
View of Leukerbad from the east side of the valley.
The Majingsee (small pond of the left) and a trickling waterfall pouring into the pond. I was a little disappointed by the Majingsee. I was expecting more of a “destination” but this pond is just a small murky waystation for frogs and mosquitoes. It’s not horrible, it’s just not anything to write home about. That said, we had a very nice time wandering around on the stream/waterfall that feeds into the pond.
The dirt road path on the west side of the valley, leading back to Leukerbad.
The west side of the path closely follows the river. I liked this side more than the east side.
Close to town on the west side of the valley, the trail will branch off to the Dalaschlucht, a lovely narrow gorge. It has a narrow metal walkway built on the side of the gorge. It’s very nice but not appropriate for strollers. We took a quick look and decided to do it another time since we had already been hiking the whole day.
If you don’t go to the Dalaschlucht, you will continue on a dirt path to town, as shown below. There are also other paths that go up the mountain, so look at the signs to make sure you are heading to Leukerbad.
We stopped at Restaurant Buljes just before reaching town. The food was average, but the view was fantastic.
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