Hiking in Zurich from Uetliberg
Along the Felsenegg Ridge
If you fancy an easy but very picturesque hike in Zurich you must try the route from Uetliberg to Felsenegg. At around 6km long it’s easily suitable for most abilities and takes around and hour and a half. Do allow enough time for sight-seeing and photo taking though – we stopped a lot and took around 2 hours!
It’s a beautiful hike anytime of year. You can read about the route to the Uetliberg in a previous post – see here – but just to recap, you simply take the S10 from Zurich HB and the Üetlibergbahn as it is known, will take you almost to the top of the 871m high mountain.
Unless of course you want more of a challenge, in which case you can hike up the Uetliberg from the bottom (which takes about 1 hour) and then follow the trail to Felsenegg. The main options to hike up the Uetliberg are: 1) take Denzlerweg from the end of Tram 13 in Albisguetli. Or 2) you can hike up from the end of Tram 14 in Triemli on the Hohensteinweg. Alternatively, 3), the route with the least incline is from the car park at Uitikon-Waldegg through the forest.
When you’ve disembarked from the train, there are various places you can join the route to Felsenegg. You can follow the “Planetenweg” or Planet Trail (an illustrative walk through the solar system) as you head off – but don’t forget to admire the spectacular views.
Whatever time of year you go the views are always stunning.
Along the way there is a popular spot for paragliders to take off.
There is a pleasant cafe and restaurant, aptly named Gasthaus Felsenegg, just beyond the gondola station which is worth stopping for a restorative drink or two. Their French fries are very good too 🙂
At Felsenegg you can take the gondola down to Adliswil and then the train to Zurich main station.
Before You Set Off
– check the weather as it can change suddenly
– wear/take a hiking jacket and layers
– hiking boots (in early March there was snow on the ground in some places)
– sun / rain protection
– sunglasses
– take water / snacks
– don’t forget your camera!
Taking The Gondola Down to Adliswil
The gondola runs every 7 – 10 minutes at peak times and takes you down to Adliswil, where the S-Bahn runs back to Zurich roughly every 10 -15 mins. See the LAF website for more information about the gondola timetable and service.
Please note that at peak times (Sunday afternoons for example) there is often a queue of people waiting to take the gondola down as it can only accommodate 30 people at a time. Felsenegg gondola simply requires a normal tram/train ticket valid for zone 150 and there are great views as you go down. There is also a ticket machine where you can buy an add-on (Anschluss Billet) if you need to. Enjoy the hike!
To see more photos of Uetliberg throughout the year click here.
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