Hiking Around Amden on the Höhenweg

Above the Walensee

A great hiking location not far from Zurich is Amden. Situated high above the Walensee with wonderful views across the deep turquoise blue lake and towards the mountains, it makes for a very scenic excursion. A while back we wrote about a Spring hike from Weesen to Quinten here, but recently Carmen went on a shorter hike.

As you can see from the photos the landscape was stunning and the fields of dandelions looked particularly spectacular in the sunshine.

Carmen went by car to the village of Arvenbüel, not far from Amden. It’s about an hour’s drive from Zurich and once you leave the main roads the journey up is stunning. After parking at the Parkplatz Arvenbüel car park, she then set off on foot towards Restaurant Monte Mio, and continued to follow the Wanderweg signposts.

It was mainly flat with a few inclines and short descents. She followed the Wanderweg for about half an hour and then doubled back to Arvenbüel. The whole hike took around one hour from start to finish and is an easy hike suitable for families. There are many hiking routes in the region and if you have more time you may want to go for a longer hike like the one below (subject to the Mattstock cable car being open).

Many Hiking Routes Around Amden

Amdener Höhenweg Circular Hike *

There are several hikes you can take along the Amdener Höhenweg for example this one which goes from Amden Niderschlag to Amden Arvenbüel. We did it many years ago starting in Amden, then taking the Mattstock chair lift to the beginning of the hike, in Walau. Along the way you get amazing views of Toggenburg, the Alpstein mountains and the Glarus Alps.

It’s an easy hike of approximately 9km and takes about 2.5 hours. From Walau you hike towards Hintere Höhe across Alpine moorland towards Stöckliriet, beneath Furgglen, to the end of the trail in Arvenbüel. The key signs to follow are as follows: Walau – Strichboden – Hintere Höhi – Letzbüel – Hüttlisboden – Altschen – Arvenbüel. Finally, take the Postbus down from Arvenbüel to Amden.

*Please note that the Mattstock chair lift is currently planned to re-open from 8th June 2020 (but do check before setting out to be sure.) The Information Telephone number is +41 55 611 18 00. The return journey is approximately CHF 13 for an adult and children under 16 are free when accompanied by their parents. No SBB Halbtax discount applicable.

You can see more details and a map of the route on Schweizmobil.ch here.