Camping and hiking on Lake Walen - my personal tips!
25.8.2016
Translation: machine translated
A wonderful activity for a sunny weekend: Camping and hiking on Lake Walen. As I did this some time ago with a few colleagues, I can now share my personal experience with you, along with the tips I have for you.
Packing list (things that are useful in addition to the usual camping equipment):
- Picnic blanket (this is where we had our dinner and breakfast)
- Travelling games (we had the Swiss version of Monopoly with us)
- A bit of charcoal (if you want to use the barbecues there)
- Plates, cutlery, plastic cups (there is a communal kitchen on site)
- Pocket knife
- Torch (for the way from the tent to the washroom)
- Lighter (maybe also candles)
- Camera (there are beautiful motifs)
- Hand and bath towel (showers are available on site)
- Swimwear (the lake is cold, but pleasantly refreshing)
- Hiking or trekking shoes (the path is very steep in places)
How to get there
We took the S-Bahn from Zurich main station to Murg (we had to change trains once in Ziegelbrücke). The journey takes a good hour. From there, it's only a few minutes' walk to the campsite. As we were very fully packed, we were very happy about this. Before we checked in, we went to the nearest supermarket to buy groceries (barbecue food for the evening, fruit for the hike, cheese and sausage for breakfast) for the weekend. After checking in, we made ourselves comfortable in the sun on the sunbathing lawn, played Monopoly and enjoyed the beautiful weather.
Important to know:
- The Spar in Murg is only open until 3.00 pm on Saturday.
- A camping pitch must be reserved online in advance at the Murg campsite
- Check-in is possible between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., latest check-out at reception is possible until 11 a.m., the pitch can be claimed until 2 p.m.
- A deposit of CHF 50 must be paid for the electronic key at check-in.
- The campsite only accepts cash payment, no credit cards.
- You can order fresh bread rolls for breakfast at the campsite reception.
- You can store your luggage in the lounge if you want to go hiking after checking out.
Overnight stay
In the evening, we pitched our tent and enjoyed the fantastic view of the lake. There were 2 barbecues available for public use, where we grilled our cervelats. So we spent a very cosy evening by the lake with red wine and amusing conversations.
We slept quite comfortably on our guest bed in the tent and waking up with a view of the lake was wonderful. We were definitely awake after swimming in the lake and then having some good coffee from the bistro with fresh bread rolls for breakfast.
We then packed up, stored our belongings in the lounge and crossed the lake on the ferry.
Here you can find the 2016 boat timetable
Hike
We disembarked in Au, from where the hike started for us. As the hike is on the sunny side of the lake, it is accessible almost all year round. This area even has a subtropical climate in places.
The picturesque village of Quinten, which we reached next, has the character of Ticino. The south-facing location beneath the steep southern faces of the Churfirsten mountains gives the village such a mild climate that figs and lemons can ripen alongside excellent wine. Another special feature of Quinten is that the village can only be reached by boat or on foot.
The view to the other side of the lake, where the peaks of the Flumserberge, the Murg Valley and the Mürtschenstock draw attention to themselves, is also of no lesser quality.
During the hike, we kept passing small sales baskets with cool bags where you could buy cheese, honey, jams or even cider. The products are labelled and the money is simply thrown into the small cash box on site. This process is not monitored by anyone - the honesty of the hikers is trusted. We treated ourselves to a freshly chilled sour cider and enjoyed the wonderful view of the lake and the opposite shore.
After that, we headed up the cliff along the mountain, and the route took us through a beautiful mixed forest and across secluded forest meadows. The effort was absolutely worth it when we arrived at the Seerenbach Falls, which are among the highest waterfalls in the world. From a height of almost 600 metres, the water cascades down into the valley in several stages. As we didn't want to miss out on a closer view, we hiked up a small path to the end of the waterfall and got soaked through and through. Luckily, once we got back down safely, we discovered the official path to the viewing platform right next to the waterfall.
Return journey
After about 4.5 hours, we arrived in Weesen quite exhausted. We took the bus back to the campsite to collect the rest of our luggage.
A wonderful weekend came to an end. We travelled back home on the S-Bahn.
Details of the hike
Hiking time: 4-4.5 hours
Distance: 11km
Ascend: 278m
Recommended season: April - November
Products we had with us:
You can find another experience report from me here:
Header image: The partly subtropical climate allows an excellent wine to mature.
Madeleine Bello
Senior Brand Communications Manager
Madeleine.Bello@digitecgalaxus.chI draw inspiration and energy from nature – whether I'm hiking, skiing in the mountains or travelling to new places. I also have a passion for photography, music, TV series and good food.
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