Get outside: 3 day hikes around Zurich

After living in Germany for almost 4 years and cycling most of 2021, we are back in Switzerland! We both have lived here for years and we are so happy to be back! For now we have settled in Zurich, where we both lived before and have met each other. In the next months, while getting back to adult life, we will see where we land long-term. But for now: Zurich, with its great views on Lake Zurich, the river Limmat and easy mountain access.

However, you don’t have to go into the Alps to go hiking around here, so here are three (half) day hikes around the city!

The classic: Uetliberg (9 km)

Every Swiss city has their own “house mountain” and for Zurich that is Uetliberg, on the south-west side of town. Funnily enough, there is a hill on the other side of town called Zurichberg, which did not win the designation “house berg”. Uetliberg is a favorite place to go for walks, as it can be easily reached by public transport; there is even a train going up from Zurich Hauptbahnhof (Central Station), the S10.

Our preferred way is to take the 80 bus to Triemli and walk up. It’s a bit of a climb, through the woods and past streams, with better views over the city at every turn. After 3.5 km and about 400 high meters you get to the top. Here is a hotel and restaurant (Uto Kulm), and you can even get higher to climb to the viewing platform. When you’ve reached this point, you can descend the stairs on the other side of the view point and continue following the signs to Albisrieden and then Felsenegg. This part is almost flat, and you have views both on the city and the valley on the other side of Uetliberg. At Felsenegg you can take the gondola down to Adliswil, where you can take the train back to Zurich.

The knife’s edge: Dielsdorf-Baden (13 km)

Between Dielsdorf and Baden runs the Lägerngrat, or Lägern ridge. The weather station on top can be seen from Zurich, and it takes only half an hour by train to Dielsdorf. From the station of Dielsdorf you follow the yellow signs to Baden; this route is also the first strech of the Jura Long Distance Hiking Route number 5. It goes steeply up through vineyards to the very cute town of Regensberg, complete with castle. Then up again to the top of the ridge, where you’ll follow wide forest paths until the viewing point and restaurant. From here it gets a bit more difficult, especially in rainy weather (or snow, as we had) it can get very slippery. The ridge part starts here, with drops on both sides of the path, but also great views (unless it’s foggy, we really have to do this hike again…). At Lägernsattel you encounter a warning sign, saying that the next bit can be tricky and is for experiences hikers only. As it was snowy, we choose the easier route via Chaltbrünnli, and down to Baden. At the end you’ll look down on the city of Baden, and then it’s only a 10 minute walk back to the railway station.

Say hello to the queen from Zugerberg (16 km)

For this hike you’ll have to travel a bit more, take the train to Zug and change to Oberwil bei Zug. Straight from the station you’ll go up Zugerweg, and the higher you get, the better the view on Lake Zug and the Queen of the Mountains: Rigi. This 16 km walk is steep up and steep down, on the top it’s flatter and it has plenty of picnic sites along the way, complete with fire places and fire wood. So don’t forget to bring your sausages!

We did this walk in December, but it was unseasonally warm and we could take off the hats and gloves, and even walk in T-shirt while going up!