All the best information to go Switzerland-hiking

Go Switzerland-hiking in probably the most spectacular scenery in the world

It ranks as my best hiking vacation ever. The most popular region to go Switzerland-hiking is the region of Berner Oberland with most hikers converging on the Jungfrau district around Interlaken.

There are local hotels and hostels for every budget and the hikes are relatively short. The area is well served by the various famous Swiss railways that comprise a network of cogwheel trains, funiculars and cable cars to get you there.

The area includes places such as Interlaken, Wengen, Gimmelwald, and Grindelwald and for those early or late season hikers there are lower altitude places such as Thun and Brienz

The Valais area is drier than the Oberland, and suits short hiking vacations where you don’t have space in your itinerary for wet days and this area includes Zermatt including the magnificent Matterhorn.

Graubünden and the Engadine area near St Moritz have beautiful scenery and accessible mountain trails. The Swiss National Park is worth visiting to see ibex, chamois, and other native wild animals.

Go Switzerland-hiking – 30,000 miles of marked hiking trails to traverse

Swiss hiking trails are classified under three headings

Wanderwege are located in the many valleys and next to lakes, and between villages and towns. These are identified by signs with yellow markings. And also yellow metal markers or paint blazes are also used to help you keep to the trail

Bergwege are the higher-altitude mountain paths and have white and red markings. You need a reasonable level of fitness for these routes.

Alpine Routen These alpine routes are marked with white-and-blue signs. They tend to be rather rugged, with drop-offs, and there are often steep sections that have cables or other handholds. These routes are only for the experienced mountain hiker and you need to have a guide for safety.

As a note the signs show the estimated walking times to the various route junctions, villages, or mountain huts. You should regard the times as minimum ones and they don’t factor in rest breaks, lunch stops or sore feet.

When to Go Switzerland-hiking

The alpine hiking seasons generally runs from mid-June through to mid-September. If you start earlier then snow will often be encountered on the shaded paths at the higher elevations.

If you arrive later the you just might get an early snowstorm. At the lower elevations and on the southern side of the Alps, the hiking season starts in May and through to October.