Amazing views of the city of Zürich, Zügersee (Lake Zürich), and the Alps. Take train (S10) which…read moreruns every 30 minutes (05 & 35) then walk up the small mountain to be rewarded with stunning views. There is a restaurant, a lookout area and a separate tower at the top. The lookout area is free. The tower offers 2 levels (30 m and 72 m) of views for free. The highest level of view (900m) will cost 1 or 2 franc. From this small mountain, you can hike various paths ranging from 0.6 km to several km. I wish I had the time and the right shoes to hike one of the paths. I'm sure the experience would be well worth the effort.

An absolute must when you visit Zurich! You can hike up or you can take a simple tram ride, but you…read morewill get the best views of the city! You can goto the top of the tower for only CHF 2 and there you can really get a stunning panorama of the city and its surroundings.

If you are relatively new to Zurich, it might be tough at times to recognize which river is which…read more So let's start sorting through the confusion by pointing out which body of water is technically NOT a river, but a canal that was used as the outer moat outside the Zurich city walls starting in 1642: the Schanzengraben. The easiest place to spot it is just off Bürkliplatz, to the left of the Bar Au Lac, and that's where I'd recommend beginning your walk. Walking alongside the canal, you will likely be surprised at how quickly the noise starts fading, even though you are in the middle of the city. And don't worry if you cannot recognize your surroundings - you are still in the center of Zurich, I promise! Walking along the Schanzengraben's zig-zag course you will cross Dreikönigstrasse, Bleicherweg, Gartenstrasse...When you get to the Selnau Bridge, you may choose to take a break to check out the Old Botanic Garden, or keep walking past it. Right past the Old Botanic Garden is where you can see the old Zurich walls that the Schanzengraben was created to protect. Shortly after you will find an old "Männerbad" (men's bathing house) which is still in operation; by night it turns into the Rimini Bar (and then it's open to everyone!). Right next to it there is a charming old windmill. Keep walking 10 more minutes, and you will get to a spot you will likely recognize: right behind the Migros City, where you might have even stopped to eat your lunch now and again. Just 100 meters or so beyond that point the Schanzengraben ends, by joining the Sihl river. The whole walk could be done in 35-40 minutes, but it's much nicer to take your time and enjoy the peace quiet and a few hidden spots you may not have noticed from the main streets :-) It's a charming walk and I would especially recommend it in late spring and early fall, when it's all green and in bloom around the canal.

If you walk not even 3 kilometers up the hill from Alpnachstad you find this wonderful view. The…read moreelevation climb is about 350 meters, but still comfortable, if you don't wear high heels. Just follow the signs Waldstätterweg, Renggpass. Another great view in the other direction is just a few kilometers further, across the pass at Renggkapelle. Maybe you will feel happy, you invested the effort, especialy if you are not an experienced alpinist.

A must on your do to list. Hiking boots, water bottle and sunscreen. Enjoy the view it's just truly…read morea beautiful place. Tip: Take the funicular up, hike the Stoos to the end and take the chairlift down.

The Stoos Ridge Hike was another trail I planned my Switzerland trip around. Social media really…read moremade this ridge hike popular with the phenomenal views of the Alps and 10 different lakes. If possible, try staying overnight at Gipfelrestaurant Fronalpstock for the best experience. It was quite the journey getting to the beginning of the trail from Lucerne. We had to take the train, a bus, then the world's steepest funicular, and finally a cable car. And if you're not spending the night in the area, make sure you begin your day early so you can catch the last cable car down the mountain after hiking. Harcore hikers can choose to skip the cable car but if you plan on taking the same transportation, look into the Stoos passes, which is also discounted with the Swiss Pass or Half Pass! Out of every hike we did during our trip, I would rate this the hardest. Not only were the steep parts really steep, it was also very hot and sunny. There were also a ton of flies and beetles so we were constantly moving to avoid them, giving us little time for breaks. And because we came from Lucerne, we arrived kind of late and there were already a lot of people on the trails. But the views are amazing and I stayed there overnight and got to see the sunset. It's best to hike this from Klingenstock to Fronalpstock so that you can end the hike at the restaurant and grab a couple of beers to enjoy the view. There's also some playgrounds for the younger kids and a gated area to enter and pet some miniature goats. If you go the other way, there isn't much of an area to chill at Klingenstock and you would just have to go back down the mountain. Overall, glad I got to do it once but it's a rough one to hike during the summer. The views were amazing though and being able to stay up there when it's empty was a nice experience.

We recently visited Harder Kulm, and it was nothing short of spectacular. Located above the…read morebeautiful town of Interlaken, this panoramic viewpoint offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains, lakes, and the iconic Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau peaks. The journey to the top is an adventure in itself taking a funicular ride from Interlaken up to the summit ( there happens to be a pretty steep hike as well that can take you up there) was smooth, comfortable, and gave us our first taste of the stunning alpine scenery. Once at the top, we were greeted with a 360-degree vista that truly took our breath away. The observation platform is perfect for photos, and we spent quite a while just soaking in the views. We also had a chance to explore the area a little more, with well-maintained paths leading to even more scenic spots around the summit. One of the highlights was the viewing platform's ( also referred to as the two lakes bridge as you get to see the Thun and Brienz lakes) glass floor.Stepping out onto it felt like flying over the town of Interlaken, and it was a thrilling experience. For those who are a bit more adventurous, there also are a couple of hikes around ( one's simple the other being a challenging strenuous hike) where you can feel completely surrounded by nature and mountains. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, adding to the warm atmosphere. Whether you're looking for a relaxing day out or an adventure in the mountains, Harder Kulm delivers both in spades. Highly recommend this spot if you're in the area and it's definitely worth the visit!

If you want to get the best views of the Alps you have to visit Herder Kulm…read more We took a trolly ride up the mountains and it gave us a nice view of Interlaken. The ride up took maybe 10 minutes. Harder Kulm had a restaurant and shop at the top of the mountain. We ended up eating at the restaurant and the food was great. There are also plenty of hiking opportunities so you can get a nice workout. If only have time to do one activity in Interlaken, visit Harder Kulm!!!

We arrived a few days early for our July 2019 Collette 9 day tour of Alpine lakes and Scenic…read moreTrains, spending the time self touring Zurich, Switzerland. Much of the time at various museums, but found time to walk to Lake Zurich. Big vast blue mountain lake on the edge of one of the most expensive cities in Europe. Snow covered peaks of the Alps in the background. Fancy promenade for walking around the parks full of gardens that line the Lake. Water fountain in one area, spewing a geyser of water high in the sky. Bridges and wooden towers line the river full of ducks quaking for a handout. On the opposite side is a lake shore walkway. They have a high dive tower in the summer, where dare devils jump off the 30 foot tower into the deep cold waters of the Lake below. A local band is playing. When they see that I'm recording a few seconds of music, one of the performers stops me afterward, asking if I would like to buy a CD of their music. Trying to get hustled again. Not many Asians in Zurich, and no way for me to hide that I was a tourist. As our tour leader, Marion Roy said, this was the first time she had seen a senior Chinese tourist in shorts and sandals. But she had never been to California in the summer nor Hawaii.

Loved it here. Spent a Sunday afternoon just reading my book on one of the benches. Water is really…read moreclean, which makes the whole setting really nice. Beautiful view of everything.