When in snows in Zürich, the nearby Türlersee lake is one of the prettiest winter walks in the area. Even if the snow melts in the city, the lake will often remain a winter wonderland until temperatures increase.
There is an easy loop around the lake, dipping in and out forest. It’s a popular walking path, so the snow will be trampled down and you’ll only need hiking shoes to walk here.
If it gets really cold, this lake occasionally freezes over, which has happened three times since we’ve lived here. In that case, you can walk and skate on the ice (more info).
See also What to pack & wear on a winter hike
| Location: | Zurich Region |
| Car: | 25 mins from Zurich to Türlen 15, 8915 Hausen am Albis Parking GPS: 47°16’02.5″N 8°30’47.7″E |
| Train: | 45 mins from Zurich HB to Hausen am Albis, Türlersee |
| Trail: | 4 km loop, about 1.5 to 2 hours |
| Condition: | a wide walking path, not groomed when it snows |
| Skill: | easy |
| Open: | year round |
| Cost: | free |
| More info: |
Trail map
This small lake is located in the countryside southwest of Zurich, easily accessible by car or bus.
The 4 km trail around the lake is a wide dirt path. If it snows in winter, the path is not groomed but is usually stomped down quickly by other hikers, making it easy to walk with regular hiking shoes.
Getting There
By car: There are two free parking areas at either end of the lake. One is at the south end of the lake across the street from the camping, near the address Türlen 15, 8915 Hausen am Albis. The other parking is at the north end of the lake at 47°16’33.3″N 8°30’09.7″E.
Note that the camping parking lot is closed in winter, meaning a lot less parking spots. So on nice weekends, you may have trouble finding a parking spot.
By bus: Take the Bus 236 to Hausen am Albis, Türlersee. It drops off near the camping at the south end of the lake.
Here’s the path from the north parking out to the lake path.
Equipment
When it snows, this trail gets trampled down quickly. You’ll just need hiking shoes, not snowshoes. Sometimes the path can get icy, so you might want traction cleats. Even though it’s an easy flat path, in winter, I like to bring hiking poles to provide stability on the slippery snow.
See also What to pack & wear on a winter hike
On the trail in winter
The Turlersee lake is at a relatively low elevation so it’s not snowy all winter. Most of winter, you can simply walk on the dirt path around the lake. Sometimes it gets a little frosty as shown below, but the path is rather clear.
The path is long enough to be an outing and short enough that you’ll leave wanting a bit more.
If it snows, then you might get a few days or a couple weeks, where the snow stays on the ground as shown below. Since it’s a popular area for walking, the snow is usually stomped down pretty quickly so you can walk on the path with regular hiking shoes.
So so pretty under all that snow.
The path is clearly marked and visible. You can’t get lost.
A couple times a trail forks away from the lake. Always stay on the trail that is closest to the water.
Stay away from the water’s edge. You don’t want to accidentally fall in because the snow obscures the edge.
Even nicer when the sun comes out.
The snow often melts quickly here. On this day, most of the path had a few cms of snow, but this section was completely melted. So if you were dragging a child on a sled, it wouldn’t work here.
Even if it doesn’t snow much, it can be really pretty here.
See more Winter Walks in Switzerland
