Voralpsee • walk around alpine lake

This beautiful alpine lake is clearly a favorite among locals and a real treat for anyone willing to make the small effort to drive here. The lake is nestled high in the mountains, but accessible by car or bus.

There are lots of picnic areas sprinkled around the lake, with nice tables and fire pits. There’s a café selling snacks and hot meals and an alpine cheese dairy, where you can buy cheese made from the milk of the cows you see in the area. You can even swim in the lake on a hot day and fishing is also very popular here (with a permit). A great choice for an easy family outing.

Hiking map

From the bus stop and parking area, it’s an easy 700m (>10 mins) walk down to the lake. Then it’s an optional 2 km to walk around the whole lake, very easy and definitely recommended.

There are lots of picnic areas around the lake with picnic tables and fire pits. There is a cafe near the lake shore with snacks and simple meals. You can also buy firewood there and there’s a WC. 

Longer hike: you can start with the 7km Moorweg Gampfin above the lake like we did, then come down to the lake for your picnic.

Getting there

Voralpsee is an alpine lake in eastern Switzerland, near Liechtenstein (see on Google maps). You can drive or take a bus to a parking lot a short walk from the lakeshore – no gondola required.

By car:

Get off the highway and Buchs, then drive to Grabs, then follow signs to Voralpsee up the mountain road. It’s a good road, but narrows to one lane eventually, so drive carefully. 

Note: our GPS took us a strange way through Gams towards Wildhaus, then on a different mountain road, which was much more narrow. Don’t go that way. Use the route I show above from Grabs.

On your way, you’ll pass a few parking areas, that are for overflow when the main lot is full. This makes me think this place must get really crowded in summer. Your goal is P5, which is the largest lot right next to the path to the lake. If you must park in one of the other areas, you still have to purchase your parking pass at P5 since the others don’t have parking ticket machines.

Make sure to pay the parking meter – coins only last time we visited. There is no entrance fee to the lake.

By public transport:

The bus stop is Grabserberg, Höhi, which is at the Voralpsee parking area. The bus only goes a few times a day, so you need to schedule carefully. Check the schedule here.

If you are coming from Zürich, you would take a train/bus to Buchs, a bus to Grabs, Post, then bus 412 to Grabserberg, Höhi, which drops you at the Voralpsee parking area. Total travel time about 2hr45 to 3hr15.

Photo story of the trail

Arriving at the parking

Here is the P5 parking and the bus stop. The only parking ticket machine is here.

A view of the parking from above. You can fit a lot of cars here, but I bet it gets full in summer.

Next to the parking there is a dairy with a cafe and counter where you can buy cheese made here. There is also a public toilet that is free to use.

Walking to the lake

Here’s the trail sign at the parking lot, so many options. If you are going to the lake, just walk down the parking and join the dirt road down to the lake.

Dirt road down to the lake.

Then you enter the forest for a couple minutes. You’re almost there.

Arriving at the lake.

There is a cafe with a view of the lake. They have snacks, ice cream and simple hot meals. You can buy firewood for CHF 9 and take it to your picnic area. There is also a free public WC here. 

Path around the lake

You can walk either direction around the lake. I prefer counterclockwise. On the left side, the dirt road continues for awhile, which would be helpful if you have a stroller. On the right side, it’s a foot path.

There are lots of official picnic areas with fire pits like the one here. They don’t have wood. You need to bring your own or buy a bundle from the cafe for CHF 9.

Some fire pits are formal with nice tables, some are just fire rings lined with rocks. At 12:30 every picnic area with a table was taken even on a relatively quiet Saturday. So best to go early if you want one.

You can swim in the lake, but use caution. No lifeguard on duty.

There are two parallel footpaths around the lake, one nearer the shore and the other in the forest. I preferred to be by the water to get the views. 

So much pretty here.

Much quieter on the far side of the lake.

One last look at the lake. Are you ready to go yet???

Video of the trail

Here’s a video of our day at the Voralpsee.