Since I settled in Switzerland, one of my favorite walks has been walking on the Hinter Höhi trail in Amden. Although this is not a very well known place, it should still be mentioned in an ultimate Switzerland travel guide.
In fact, I am not a person who likes to walk too much but since I got here, I’ve been walking like crazy. I evolved from a city girl to a Heidi. Look, this is a drama 🙁 But this is not our topic YET.
So what is our topic? Of course, walking in the mountains. What else to do in Switzerland? I will give you a very enjoyable route. If you visit Switzerland for a few days then it is not something you have to do, but I highly recommend it if you have a little longer time. As I said before, this has been one of my favorite activities since I settled here.
First of all, the view is really beautiful. Roads are covered with snow that’s more than a meter high and they cleaned half a meter of it so that people can walk on it. However, you can still see snow all along the sides of the road.
We preferred to have a walk, but if you wish you can do snow walk or ski on the same route.
If you decide to go for a snow walk, there is a point to be aware of. Do not enter that path without your snowshoes otherwise, the ground will swallow you like a swamp. That shoe is something like below;
While walking, you are surrounded by the Toggenburg and Alpstein mountains as well as the Glarus Alps. When you look down, you can see the turquoise blue Walen lake view. It’s really beautiful.
Where is Amden Hinter Höhi?
Amden is a city in the canton of St. Gallen. As if it is not enough to be surrounded by alpine mountains, it also hosts a magnificent lake. Doesn’t Walen lake (Walensee) look amazing from the above?
If you take the first stage by the chairlift, your starting height is 1300 m at the point you arrive, and 1400 m when you reach Hinter Höhi. You only climb 100 meters, so it is a road that people of all ages and conditions can easily walk. Almost 90% of the road is flat with a gentle slope.
If you want to complete the first stage of the walk on foot, not by the chair lift, the altitude is around 900 m. In this case, you have to climb 500 m in total. However, since this is not a road that suddenly becomes steep, it is a way that you can go up gradually without realizing.
When to Go Winter Hiking in Switzerland?
If you want to take a winter walk, January or February is very nice. As the snow is in maximum size, you can enjoy the snow without getting cold as the weather will be sunny.
If you do not want to walk in the snow and if you want that your feet touch the ground, spring and summer are the best seasons to watch the green nature, the snowy Alpine mountains and the lake Walen from above.
Autumn sorry, you’re not with us.
How to Get to Hinter Höhi in Amden?
So let’s get to how you can go to Amden.
We live in Horgen, a town in Zurich, and we travelled directly from there. But you can follow the route below to go from Zurich to Amden that is the starting point of the hike. If you are going by car, you can park the car around the Amden Post stop and start walking.
Departure Station: Zürich HB
Arrival Station: Amden, Post
The road from Zürich train station takes 1 hour and 10 minutes. First of all, you go from Zurich to Ziegelbrücke and from there to Amden. You can visit https://www.sbb.ch/ to see train times and buy tickets.
Now, when you arrive at the Amden Post train station you have 2 options. If you do not want to walk uphill, you can take the chairlift below, which departs from the Amden SBA stop and is a few minutes away from the train station. With this chairlift, you can go directly to Niederschlag, the starting point of the Hinter Höhi road. The journey takes 19 minutes.
If you get on the chairlift, it brings you to the end of the place I show with a straight line on the map below. You can walk afterwards.
However, my advice is to start from Amden centre if you like to walk. Because the road passes through the forest and this road has a view worth seeing.
Prices for chairlift are CHF 9 to fo up, CHF 7 to go down and a round trip ticket costs CHF 13. Free for children under the age of 6. You can check the current prices here. You can view the departure times at https://www.sbb.ch/. You have to buy your tickets from the ticket office at the door.
What to Take with You for Winter Hiking in Switzerland
First of all, make sure you have sturdy sneakers on your feet. If possible, you can choose a trekking boot. This is valid for both summer and winter. Of course, take your coat with you in winter. However, since the weather can be quite hot at the top, you should definitely wear something that you can easily take out. In the summer, definitely take a cardigan with you in case the weather is cold. Yes, it can be hot in winter and cold in summer.
Make sure you take a backpack, snacks and most importantly, water. You don’t come across any fountain on this route. You will also need sunglasses, maybe even a hat for sun protection. If you are going to walk in the summer, be sure to apply sunscreen.
Where to Eat in Amden Hinter Höhi?
Since we don’t want to regain the calories we burn on such trips, we usually bring healthy foods that we can have a picnic with (restaurants usually have fried sausages and potatoes). If you think like us, then you can put a few sandwiches, crackers, chocolate, fruit juice in your backpack. There will be places with tables and chairs where you can take a break and have a picnic.
If you prefer to eat at a restaurant, there are several restaurants on the road and the hill. You can choose the one that is close to your way. The menus are not so different, the only difference is the view.
Restaurant Holzstübli: The restaurant chair lift station is located just ahead of the last stop Niederschlag.
Restaurant Strichbode: If you want to watch the cows while eating, this restaurant is for you.
Cafe Löwen: This cafe is also in the centre of Amden, a place where you can go if you want to eat something sweet and drink coffee after you finish your walk.
Apart from those, you will come across many other places where you can eat.
Where to Stay in Amden Hinter Höhi?
In fact, if you are only going to come for a walk then you might not choose to stay here. However, if you want to come skiing and stay overnight, you can take a look at the hotels below. Prices vary according to the season, but 2 person accommodation starts from CHF 100 for a single night.
Hotel Restaurant Schaefli Amden
Mountain Chalet Amden Resort B&B
If you want to stay in a chalet rather than a hotel I definitely recommend staying at Naturfreundehaus Tscherwald. It will be much more enjoyable to stay in the huts inside the mountain if you don’t expect hotel comfort.
Sometimes there are activities like the following.
Amden Hinter Höhi Webcam
Finally, you can check out here to watch Amden live. A current image is shared every few minutes with cameras placed at 3 different points.
You can find other articles about places to visit in Switzerland here.
