Guide number 3 - Cycling, bike hire, walking and hiking

Cycle paths are numerous in Switzerland. You can rent a bike in many Swiss towns.

For bike rental at two locations at Zurich HB, as well as at Globus City, Bürkliplatz and Bahnhof Enge, see this link: http://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/content/aoz/de/index/shop/veloverleih/standorte.html

Also SBB has details about bike hire throughout Switzerland: http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/car-bike/hire-or-borrow/rent-a-bike.html

And there you can also find details about taking your bike on the train. See this link: http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/car-bike/on-the-move-by-bike.html

For an organised bike tour in Zürich, have a look at this website: http://www.zuerichbybike.ch/touren_e.htm

Organisations such as HEKS run free bikes, in Wädenswil for example. See this link:
http://www.heks.ch/en/switzerland/zurichschaffhausen-regional-office/heks-rollt/

Slow-up Zürichsee is on the last Saturday in September, when the streets of the city and also the stretch round the lake between Schmerikon and Meilen are closed to motorized traffic for cyclists to enjoy a family day out.

For bike rental in Geneva, see this link: http://www.bikeswitzerlandrentals.com/index.php

Another country-wide bike rental organisation: http://www.veloland.ch/en/page.cfm/318349

For more bike rental in the French part of Switzerland, see this link: http://www.suisseroule.ch/

For bike routes in Switzerland, see this link: http://www.bikemap.net/

Walks and hikes

Switzerland is a hiker’s paradise with numerous well-marked walking trails in cities, mountain areas, lake and riversides and through country villages. Here are just a few suggestions:

Ütliberg to Felsenegg (ZH). The Planetenweg takes about one and a half hours in either direction. You can get a round trip ticket to take the train up to Ütliberg (871m.), admire the view, and take a leisurely walk along the route marked by proportionally sized planets starting from the sun. At Felsenegg take the cablecar down to Adliswil and there’s a short walk down to the station for the train back into Zurich HB.

Schanzengraben (ZH) Walk along the old moat around Zürich from Bürkliplatz to the Sihl. Historic signs give information along the route. Takes one hour.

Weg der Schweiz near the lake of Luzern, the Vierwaldstättersee, takes about 2 days to cover in total. The stages of the walk represent the Swiss cantons in terms of size and population. For a short section, take a half-day trip from Brunnen, by boat to Treib, cablecar up to Seelisberg and a downhill walk to Rütli where the Swiss Confederation was signed in 1291, thence by boat back to Brunnen. The view over the Urnersee is spectacular.

http://www.weg-der-schweiz.ch/

Pilgerweg This street name crops up in many Swiss villages as part of the pilgrims’ way from Zürich to Einsiedeln and further afield as Jakobsweg to Santiago de Compostelo in Spain. The stretch from Schwarzenburg to Fribourg (FR) can be walked in half a day: www.myswitzerland.com code 57249

Grindelwald and Mürren (BE) Deb B says these are her favourite hiking areas.

Mühlehorn to Walenstadt  (SG) – level 2 walk – beautiful walk along the Walensee. About 12 k, but flat (and along tarmac roads, which, like marmite, some love and some hate). We have done it twice this year, with folk for whom views and conversation and coffee pauses are more important than training for next year’s Olympics. Great for people who have just arrived in Switzerland and want a taste of the mountain views and lakes and like ice cream at the end. Takes 3 hours. Colin Hawker.

Flims/Laax area– Crap Sogn Gion to Naraus (GR) - Level 3 walk. This starts at 2,200 m (having taken the cablecar up from Laax), and walks around two valleys, finishing at 1,800m. Although predominantly downhill, it is undulating and although along marked paths, conditions underfoot are tricky and slow (but not difficult). In decent condition, very rewarding (fantastic actually) in terms of the views into the valleys and potential sighting of marmots.  Colin Hawker.

http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Flims-Laax/pistemap_full

Recommended hike guides: Rother Wanderführer series. Grades hikes as Blue, Red or Black.

Be your own tour guide!

No need to pay for an expensive guided tour; you can take a tour of the main sights in any major Swiss city with the help of a good guide book and a street map.

Featured town: Luzern

In coming guides, discover these cities  - see links on right:

Bern – you can also visit the Swiss Parliament on a guided tour

Basel Altstadt

St. Gallen cathedral area

Schaffhausen

Chur

Bellinzona

Murten

Schaffhausen

Konstanz

Zurich

Zug

Plus why not explore on your own these lovely towns and cities:

Geneva - see http://www.geneva.info/

Fribourg – on the French/German language border

Appenzell – an old-fashioned town

Lugano – gateway to three lakes

Locarno – on Lago Maggiore

And more…

Compiled by Julia Newton, 2 September 2011, amended April 2016

With contributions from Amy Eber, Colin Hawker, Ewelina Pace, Gill Rüttimann, Helga Meyer-Piening, Lindsey Carver, Otto Schreibke, Paola Cavallari, Sue Poolman, Trudi MacDonald ,Valerie Quiblier.