You can hike in Switzerland during winter, but it’s a quite different than the green alps you see in summertime. In winter, you have three choices:
- hiking on winter trails with groomed snow
- snowshoe hiking on unprepared trails through snow
- hiking at lower elevations with little or no snow
Below I give an overview of each winter hiking option and link to other posts for more information.
Winter Hiking (on groomed snow)
Many mountain resorts in Switzerland provide a network of winter hiking trails, where the snow is groomed. This allows hikers to use these trails with regular hiking boots instead of snowshoes.
Here are some winter hiking resources;
- Winter Hiking in Switzerland 101
- Best winter hikes near Zurich
- Best winter hikes near Lucerne
- Free winter hikes near Zurich (no gondola)
- All winter hiking posts
You can see more winter walking trails on SchweizMobil.ch. In addition, mountain resorts often have more winter walking paths that only appear on their local maps.
Snowshoe Routes
Switzerland has many official snowshoe routes. Snowshoe trails are typically marked by purple poles and trail signs as shown below. In general, these routes are designed to avoid risky terrain. However it’s important to check the avalanche bulletins and safety notices before planning your day.
You can find some snowshoe trails on SchweizMobil.ch. In addition, many mountain resorts will have other snowshoe routes that appear on their local maps.
See our posts below to learn more about snowshoeing in Switzerland and trails we suggest.
- Snowshoe hiking in Switzerland: Beginner’s Guide
- Swiss Snowshoe Trails for Beginners
- All of our snowshoe posts
Low Elevation Hikes (not on snow)
Not all of Switzerland is covered in snow during winter. Very often the snow at lower elevations (under about 800m) will melt quickly, leaving many trails free of snow most of winter.
See Easy nature walks near Zurich.
Of course, check the conditions and weather forecast before heading out. If we have recently had a snowstorm, these trails might be snow or be wet and muddy as the snow melts.
