My favorite hiking trails in Switzerland

Freedom! This is what I feel when I stand on the top of a mountain. If you share this feeling and you plan to visit Switzerland, you'll definitely need to do at least one of the following hiking trails:

The way from "Laui" to the top of Lütispitz is a very impressive one. You'll pass alpine flowers, a small mountain lake (perfect for a refreshing dip during summer time), a cute alpine hut (a good place to take a small break btw.) and much more. And during the hike, you'll enjoy a wonderful view of the Churfirsten. However, the way is quite steep and you need to be in good condition. For families with children, I'd recommend to only hike to the mountain lake called Gräppelensee. However, it is a very good route for people with dogs because there are no climbing spots. I did the hike during spring time; as you can see on the pictures, there was still some snow left on the trail from winter. Make sure, you wear sturdy shoes! 
The route isn't very well-known, that's why you can enjoy nature with almost no other people (I don't know how it is during summer time to be honest). 

The last 30-40 mins of the trail are the steepest and therefore hardest ones; but it is so worth the effort. Because once you're on the top, you'll have the most breathtaking view of the Swiss mountains and valleys! Take a deep breath, be proud of yourself and just enjoy the wonderful nature :-)!

First things first: If you're searching for an easy hiking trail, this one is definitely not the right one for you. The route is quite challenging and in my opinion not very suitable for those who are scared of heights, for children, dogs, people with knee or feet injuries and for those who never went hiking before. 

However, for all of you who are looking for an unforgettable weekend in the amazingly beautiful Swiss mountains: This is the perfect adventure for you! 

On the first day, you'll walk from Muothatal to the cute Lidernenhütte SAC, where you'll stay for the night (Please note: Book in advance! And: There are no showers ;-P!). To be honest, the first hours of the route are not the most beautiful ones; you'll walk on a street, most of the time. But I can promise you, it gets better after the first approx. 1.5- 2 hours; you'll leave the street and will walk on small paths encircled by wonderful green grassland; you'll still not have a breathtaking view though, but... just be patient a little longer :-). After approx. 4-5 hrs, you'll arrive at Lidernenhütte SAC. What an amazing feeling! The view from there is already quite spectacular btw., especially during sunset. The very kind staff serves a delicious dinner at Lidernenhütte SAC, perfect after a long hiking day. And if you leave your drink bottle in a box in front of the dining room, the staff will fill it with a very tasty alpine tea on the next morning (it's called "Marschtee" in Switzerland). 

On the next day, I recommend you to get up early because you'll still have quite a long hiking route in front of you. A very tasty breakfast will be served at Lidernenhütte before you'll leave. This route is a lot more scenic than the one on the first day. You'll even walk on a very impressive ridge walk. I would say, you'll hike around 2-3hrs to arrive at the top of Rophaien. At some parts, you'll even need to climb a little. Please wear sturdy shoes and be extremely careful in case it is wet! The last 200-300 meters are a bit steep; the rest isn't very steep (maybe at some short parts, but there are no long, steep parts). I can assure you, you'll feel so great and proud once you reached the top of Rophaien! And the view is simply breathtaking; I would say it is one of the most beautiful views I've ever experienced on a mountain peak; and let me not forget to mention the majestic summit cross! Relax a little, and enjoy your time on the top of the world (almost :-P); at least it feels like that)! 
To go down, I chose the route Rophaien- Sisikon, which is extremely steep! My knees and feet hurt as hell while walking down (and even the whole week after!). But once you made it, you can directly jump into the beautiful, refreshing Vierwaldstättersee (I didn't take my bikini with me, so I went for a swim in my underwear; it was fun! ^^); the perfect end of an amazing weekend hike!
I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun too on this unforgettable hiking trail! 

Btw. if you're searching for amazing, sustainable activewear, you need to check out BAM! They have the most comfy and beautiful clothes; perfect for hiking (and other activities). I simply love them!

This hike is one, that I did more than 4 times already. It is located in Glarus, the village where I grew up and the first time I hiked up there, I still was a child. For me, this trail is one of the most beautiful, enjoyable and peaceful ones. I would recommend you to take the cable car from the valley station  "Kies LKM" to the mountain station "Mettmen", where you'll begin to hike. There is a beautiful lake at Mettmen btw.; it's called "Garichtisee". The route to Leglerhütte SAC (a beautiful, modern alpine hut) isn't a very heavy one. You'll pass such incredibly beautiful nature like rivers, alpine flowers and if you're lucky, it's even possible to spot some ibexes. I've seen an ibex once very close to Leglerhütte SAC; it was amazing; they look so proud!
After an approx. 2.5-3hrs hike, you'll arrive at your destination, where you'll be able to enjoy one of the most beautiful panoramic view of more than 150 mountain peaks! In case you'll still have energy left, you should definitely continue your hike (approx. 30mins) to a peaceful little mountain lake, called "Milchspüeler", where you could even go for a swim, if you don't mind freezing cold water ;-). 
I still never did that (but it's on my list!), but there is the possibility to spend a night in the Leglerhütte SAC. They have some shared rooms but also a beautiful suite for couples. But it is also absolutely no problem to walk down at the same day. I always took a different route down, directly to the valley station "Kies LKM", because I actually don't like to hike the same route up and down. If you prefer to take the cable car down, you could, of course, simply take the same route. Whatever you'll decide to do, I'm absolutely sure you'll enjoy this scenic hiking trail and especially the panoramic view on the top.

First of all, I have 3 questions for you: Are you an adventurer? Are you in good physical condition? Do you like to sleep outside in a sleeping bag? - If you can answer all those questions with "yes", then this hiking trail is the right choice for you! 

When I did this hike, I started from a little village, called Näfels. It is located in the canton of Glarus where I grew up. However; the hike is very challenging and long, if you decide to start in Näfels. Otherwise you could start at lake Obersee, which is located a little bit higher (982 m.a.s.l.) than Näfels (437 m.a.s.l.) and a little bit closer to the mountain peak. My idea was to start hiking in the afternoon (around 4 p.m.), then be on the top of the mountain in the evening to sleep there in my sleeping bag and then watch the sunset from the top on the next morning. Unfortunately, my plan didn't work out because the whole hike to the top took me much longer than I thought it would; it got dark and I wasn't able to see the path anymore, so I decided to rest and sleep... somewhere... in the middle of nowhere... surrounded by grassland and Swiss cows ^^! It wasn't very comfortable because the passage was quite steep and I had a rock between my legs, so that I can't slip down ^^. If you'd like to reach the top of the mountain before sunset, I recommend you to start hiking from Näfels around midday (between 1 and 2 p.m.) or even before midday, if you'd like to take it easy.
However, on the way up, you'll walk through an incredibly beautiful, green landscape, you'll pass some Swiss cows and with a little bit of luck you'll see some chamois or you'll hear a marmot :-). At some spots you'll need to climb, that's why I don't recommend this route with dogs. 
Once you reached the top of Rautispitz, your hard work will be rewarded with a fantastic view of the lake Walensee and the cute valley of Glarus. You could then continue your hike to the top of Wiggis (you'll need to walk down a little, and then again walk up; in my opinion, it looks easier than it actually is ^^), where you could stay for the night, if you plan to make it a 2-day-hiking-trip.
On the second day, I chose a different route to hike down (Wiggis-Klöntal-Netstal), because I planned to go for a swim in the beautiful mountain lake, called Klöntalersee. Unfortunately, the sun was already gone, once I arrived there... no swim for me, because it was too cold!
Please notice, that the way down from Wiggis to Klöntal is very steep! If you have any knee problems, I recommend you, to hike the same way down as you went up.
I must say one more time, that this hike is very challenging and takes a lot of time; but the view from the top is absolutely worth the hard work! And if you'd like to challenge yourself, I'm sure you'll enjoy this unique hike and the spectacular view on the top! 

This hiking trail is located in the alps of Bern (Berner Oberland, to be more specific), where you can find some of the highest mountains of Switzerland, including the famous Jungfraujoch, top of Europe (3466 m.a.s.l.). 
One reason why I love this hike is, that, while hiking, you have an amazing view of those impressive high mountains (Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau, Schreckhorn...); I can't think of another hike with a panoramic view like this one... It simply is unique! 
There are several options to do this hike, depending on how challenging or "easy" you'd like it to be. The easiest one is to take the cable car from Grindelwald to First and start hiking from there to Bachalpsee and then continue to Bussalp where you could take the bus, which drives you back to Grindelwald.
Another option is to start hiking from Grindelwald to First and then continue to Bachalpsee, Bussalp and then either take the bus or hike back down to Grindelwald.
The most challenging option is to start hiking from First to Bachalpsee, then continue to Faulhorn (2681 m.a.s.l.), further to Bussalp and then hike down to Grindelwald (or take the bus). Relating to the panoramic view, it doesn't matter which option you'll choose. I'm sure you'll enjoy the hike to the fullest, no matter which route you'll take.
If you prefer to not hike too long, you could also only walk to the mountain lake Bachalpsee, which is a wonderful place to take a break and maybe have a pic-nic, and then hike back to First. 

What are your favorite hiking trails in Switzerland (or in your home country)? Have you already done one of my favorites? I'm happy to read about your experiences!