I highly recommend this Hütte, nestled about 1300m up into Austrian Heaven…read more It gets its name from the Alpenverein that founded and used to operate it (and perhaps still is involved somehow?). That chapter was, as you probably have guessed, based in Lindau. The feeling during my three day stay here was more like at an exclusive though rustic resort than at a Hütte. The whole experience was so clean, so professionally operated, and so friendly. There is a "no shoes" rule, meaning you have to rinse your boots off outside, store them away in the cloakroom, and wear slippers/indoor shoes throughout the rest of the building. I wish I'd known that in advance. I had many dirty, wet socks as a result. But hey, the restaurant was always warm, so it wasn't too bad. The food prices are comparable to "Munich prices", meaning expensive if you're used to small town prices, but quite reasonable if you come from a decent-sized city. There is always a great deal for lunch, and I recommend taking advantage of it if whatever they have on offer appeals to you. You won't be disappointed! I even went with a salad one time and was very pleasantly surprised by how large and filling it was. The kitchen stays open only to about 22:00, but if you intend to get up early the next morning for some hiking, you already know that is late enough. Breakfast starts, if I recall correctly, and about 06:00. There are three options: small, medium, and large! I'm a fat-ass, so I always went with large: meat, cheese, bread, jam, butter, and tea (or coffee, if you prefer). A shower token costs €2, and gets you 5 minutes of hot water. I tested my manliness by taking a full shower with only cold water. That was fine in the middle of summer, but for the colder months, I wouldn't wish that experience on a hardened inmate. Short story: get the token if it's not sunny and 30C outside. Each floor has a men's toilet and a women's toilet, as well as a men's washroom and a women's washroom. Hot water is obviously free there, so if you don't feel you need a shower, you can get a lot done there. Or if 5 minutes is too little for you, bird shower upstairs and then shower shower downstairs in the shower room. If you're an overnight guest (not just passing through for lunch), you get a pamphlet with all the options of what you can purchase during your stay, from shower tokens to wine to lunch plates. DON'T LOSE THAT! You need that when you order so the waitress can mark it all down. And don't forget that for breakfast. And on your last morning, just pay right then and there. They do take cards, but the machine only works in one corner of the building, so be prepared to wait a few minutes while it tries to connect. Enjoy your stay!

If you're headed to Schloss Neuschwanstein, you'll stop first in the town of Schwangu, and before…read moreyou do any hiking up to the castle - you'll see Lake Alpsee! And it's worth visiting Schwangu and the lake in their own right, if you want to stay near Neuschwanstein and see a little/a lot of cool nature. Alpsee is nestled in the foothills of the Alps, so your view will be breathtaking as you stand on the shoreline of the lake, looking at the behemoth mountains! The water is crystal clear, so you can see the rocks and shoal right through the surface. It's heralded as one of the cleanest lakes in Germany. There are swans and other fowl that like to lay claim to Alpsee and they also make for great photos as they glide across the pristine water. There are boats available for rent, great swimming spots in the lake, and hiking trails all around Alpsee. So it's not just Insta-worthy here, there's also a ton to do and see. So definitely don't skip over Alpsee on your Bavarian adventure!

Gorgeous lake! Right next to the museum of the Bavarian Kings. There's a trail and you can kayak as…read morewell. Highly recommend walking down to the lake even if you're not doing the museum.

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.

Oh my god. This place is STUNNING. We went on a Friday afternoon, the sun was shining, the birds…read morewere chirping and the water was an incredible neon blue. I've never seen anything like it... Ethereal and mysterious and peaceful. The area was crowded, but not enormously so. We walked around the water for a bit, then grabbed a lite lunch at the little cafe on the water (not great, but what tourist restaurant is?). There are tons of little hikes in the area, but we just walked along the Blau river away from the town and discovered this super quiet walk through the forest. Such a magical day. If you're in the area, Blautopf is a must-do.

It was one of the coldest days, we caught a bus to the Olympic stadium and went back behind the…read morejumps. It was beautiful, cold and a nice hike to the top. It took us about an hour to climb to the top. It was extremely icy and very bitterly cold that day, but it was so much fun and the scenery was beautiful.

Yes put this on your list. No question. It will generate exactly what you are looking for - a…read moreshared memory that will last forever. Beautiful, well done, amazing. Now there are some things you need to know Parking - at the ski jump stadium 5€ for the day. Then a 20 min easy walk up the road to the gates. No you cannot drive up there even if handicapped. There are a couple hotels up there with small lots but nothing at all for visitors. A horse drawn cart runs during the day for a few euros and it appears a taxi will take you up but you get a lot of intense looks if you do that. Just walk. I only have one leg and did it just fine Get ticket online and screenshot a closeup of the qr so you can get in the gate easily. No cell there Arrive by 9am at the latest. It does get crowded Bring a cell phone light or flashlight. There are some tunnels that are pitch black. Consider a hat and shoes that can get wet. Lots of side waterfalls that splash and drop on you While it's not officially a one way trail, you will be judged and given the unofficial German cold shoulder if you try to come back down the narrow gorge trail. It's tight. Again i have one leg and a cane and no way was i going to face a long line of judgmental Germans Is it ada accessible? Maybe. Definitely not a full wheelchair and there are parts that are tight width wise. The end has a steady incline in a dark tunnel that would take some pushing. So what do you do at the far end (south end) there are another set of gates. If you go out you have to buy another ticket to get back in so decide before you exit. Face the Germans or do the loop. I'd say the loop is worth it. Just go another 100 yards south and keep left and there is a trail up to the kaisetscmarn-alm. It's a bit of a climb up well taken care of stairs to the top of the canyon. That place is a little restaurant that has great food. Restrooms there too. And you cross a very cool suspension foot bridge that is also suspension stairs. I suggest you pass the kaiser and before you get to the next hotel on the way down turn left and follow the signs to eierbrucke. Essentially you head back to the top of the canyon and get to cross a bridge right over it and look way down on the people in the bottom. Summary. Do it!

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.

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.