Although we love the convenient, safe and reliable mountain transport all over Switzerland, there are many reasons you might want to hike without it: to save money, if you get vertigo, if the transport is closed off season, you want to hike outside operating hours (after 17:00), or if you want more fitness.
Of course, you can always hike up a mountain. But I think most of you want a hike suitable for casual hikers and families, not mountain climbers. So for this post, I’ve picked hikes with big mountain views that normal people can do. I’ve picked a few favorites in each region and linked to more.
Note: Remember to check local conditions before heading out. During shoulder season (March to June and Oct/Nov), trails may be impassible due to landslides, snow or other debris.
Zermatt & Valais region free hikes
1. Zermatt Füriweg
The 256 Füriweg leads from the Füri gondola station back to Zermatt, an obstacle free path suitable for wheelchairs and strollers. It’s intended that you take the gondola one way, either at the start or end of your hike. But you can easily turn this into a loop and skip the gondola fees, as shown on this trail map.
The walk wanders through the Zermatt village and forests, with occasional views of the Matterhorn. This is a particularly nice walk in the early evening and during sunset. You can add on the Gorner Gorge if you don’t mind paying a few francs to see this beautiful river gorge.
See one way Füriweg and suggested loop trail map.
2. Zermatt village walk to Matterhorn viewpoint
You should do this walk at sunrise or sunset to capture beautiful pics of the Matterhorn. Depending where you are staying in Zermmat, your route will vary. So I’ll just give you the address: Mürini 21, 3920 Zermatt.
3. Saas Fee Mattmarksee
This gorgeous reservoir is in the Saastal valley, one valley over from Zermatt. You can drive or take a bus directly to the dam and walk around this beautiful lake on an easy safe path.
See details for Mattmarksee trail
4. Leukerbad Dala Gorge
This gorge is so nice, I’m surprised it’s still free. You can drive or take a bus to the Leukerbad village, then a short walk to this dramatic river gorge with metal walkways built into the sides of the cliff walls. It’s a bit short, so you can combine this with a longer walk up the river valley and back.
See details for Leukerbad Dala Gorge
Free hikes near Interlaken (Bernese Oberland & Jungfrau Region)
5. Lauterbrunnen valley
A stroll through this epic valley full of waterfalls is almost as nice as hiking around on the mountains themselves. Most of the path is on a quiet country road with traffic restricted to residents only. So you can easily walk, bike, scoot or bring a stroller. Farther down the valley, it turns into a wide dirt path next to the river. When you get tired, you can catch a bus back to your starting point or walk back the way you came.
Details for Lauterbrunnen Valley Walk
6. Steingletscher – Easy walk to glacier ice
You can drive or take a bus to the Susten pass, then hike directly to the glacier ice. It’s a moderate trail with uneven terrain, but not difficult. You can shorten the trail to just 1km by paying a few francs to drive on the private road to a closer parking area. Don’t plan to walk on the ice unless you have the right equipment and know what you’re doing. We did that as part of a guided glacier trek on the ice, which I highly recommend.
See details for Steingletscher hike
7. Gelmersee
Most people prefer to ride up the super steep open-air funicular to reach this beautiful alpine lake. But if you can’t get a ticket (must reserve in advance) or prefer to save some money, you can hike up to the lake from the road. The trail to the lake is 1.5 km one way, gaining 250m of elevation. It’s a narrow mountain trail which requires steady footing and common sense. Then you can hike around the lake, about 4.5 km.
See my Gelmersee post that includes a trail map for the free hike version
Free hikes near Lucerne
8. Rheinquelle & Lai da Tuma – Source of the Rhine River
This lake is such a special places, the magical source of the Rhein river. You can drive or take a train to the Oberalppass, where the trail starts. It begins rather easy but climbs 400m of elevation over the last 2 km. So you definitely earn the view. When you peak over the edge to see this little lake, you’ll forget all hard work it takes to get there. It’s a popular destination but plenty of room to spread out and have a picnic. There and back is 8km or you can do a longer loop option that is 10k with 900m elevation ascent/descent.
Details for Rheinquelle & Lai da Tuma
9. Grosser Mythen Peak
This popular hike summits the Grosser Mythen peak with panorama views across central Switzerland. It’s the peak on the right in the picture below. If you ride the gondola, it’s only 3.5 km up and back. But you can easily skip the gondola by either driving to the nearby mountain pass or hiking up from the valley. My post below details both options.
Get details for Grosser Mythen hike
10. Lungernsee
This long distance path wraps around the southern fingers of the Vierwaldstättersee (aka Lake Luzern), with gorgeous mountain and lake views. The full 35 km is divided into sections which you can hike separately, with trains or ferries at each juncture. Since the sections are one-way hikes, you will need to pay for the train, bus or ferry to return to your starting point.
See details for Lungernesee lake walk
Free hikes near Zürich
11. Walensee & Seerenbach Waterfalls
A beautiful hike through grassy fields with mountain and lake views ending at a huge waterfall, 4 km round trip. Although it’s more fun to take a ferry to reach this trail, you can drive directly to the trailhead and save yourself some time and money.
Details for Walensee hike
12. Näfels Obersee lake walk
If you don’t mind a slightly scary drive on a narrow winding mountain road, this beautiful alpine lake is a great choice for free hike. There’s a short easy 2.7 km loop around the lake, possible with strollers.
Details for Näfels Obersee
13. Batöni Arena Waterfalls
Hike up and back a steep valley to reach three beautiful waterfalls cascading down cliff walls. There’s also a bouncy suspension bridge crossing the river. Optionally hike up the mountain a few minutes to get an even better view. Then hike back the way you came. Trail accessible by car or bus.
Details for Batöni Arena Falls
14. Chli Aubrig
Beautiful mountain trail near Zürich, a good choice for early spring because it’s accessibly by car and relatively low elevation. It’s about a 9.5 loop and a tough climb at times but the panorama views are worth the effort.
Details for Chli Aubrig hike
Free hikes in Graubünden
15. Pigniu Reservoir
This reservoir is tucked way up in the mountains, but happily accessible by car. Once you get to the dam, it’s an easy 2 km stroll on a dirt road to the far side of the lake, where you’ll find two cascading waterfalls and a nice picnic area. We hiked here in late April, but it’s best after about they do trail maintenance in about mid-June, when they rebuild the bridge and clean up the landslides so you can walk around the whole lake.
Get details for Pigniu reservoir
16. Partnunsee lake
A short hike up to a hidden alpine lake surrounded by mountains. In winter, it sometimes freezes over so you can skate on it. You can drive or take a bus up a winding mountain road to the start of the trail.
See details for Partnunsee lake hike
Free hikes near Ascona Locarno & Lugano (Ticino)
17. Valle Verzasca – Swiss White Water Trail
It might not be warm enough to swim, but the path along this gorgeous river is a great choice, particularly for hiking off season. The full trail is 13 km, but you can do a shorter section as little as 4 km, ending at the famous double arch bridge. The trail is accessible by bus, but check the schedule as it is very infrequent.
Details for Swiss White Water Trail
18. Foroglio Waterfall Viewpoint & High Alpine Valley Hike
Huge waterfalls up a long valley near Locarno, easy to reach by car or bus. You can do a short walk close to the spray or hike to the top of the falls and explore a beautiful high alpine river valley.
See details for Foroglio hike
Free hikes in Lake Geneva Region & Jura
19. Lavaux Terraces
Walk through the Lavaux terraced vineyards along Lake Geneva, enjoying panorama views of the lake and surrounding mountains and perhaps some wine tasting. My post includes shorter routes for families and even a non-walking option.
Details for Lavaux Terraces Hike
20. Les Pléiades Hike near Lausanne
The best and easiest trail for seeing the most narcissus flowers near Montreux in late May. Easy to access by car or train and a relatively easy hike with lots of places to picnic.
Details for Les Pleiades trail
2 responses
Please note that public transportation from and to Weesen / Amden is limited at present (CV19); i.e. the Postauto driver may refuse to transport hikkers
Yes, you are right. I did noted that at the top of the post but didn’t repeat it for the individual hikes. Thanks for reiterating this important point.