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3 walks & hikes in the foothills of the Alps in eastern Switzerland:

Bad Ragaz, one hour from Zurich by car, is not only good for staying and dining in style, but also for walking and hiking. It is part of the so-called Heidiland and offers such activities in the wine region of Buendner Herrschaft or in the surrounding hills and mountains. Great choices are the vinery walk from Maienfeld to Flaesch, the Tamina Gorge hike and the 2-lake hike in the Pizol area. Please find below details for these three walks and hikes that give ample chance to explore the beautiful pre-Alpine and Alpine landscapes of Bad Ragaz and its environ.

About Bad Ragaz area

The town of Bad Ragaz is nestled among the foothills of the Alps in eastern Switzerland.

It has a long tradition as a health spa. Nowadays, it is a wellness resort with top hotels – see my blogpost about staying at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz – and great fine dining opportunities – have a look at my restaurant overview and my review of a Michelin starred dining-spot.

Bad Ragaz is part of the so-called Heidiland, a vacation region stretching from Lake Walen to the town of Chur. The town’s home mountain, Pizol, is a ski region in winter and a hiking paradise in summer. You can reach this health spa from Zurich city in about an hour’s drive. By train you get here in about one hour and 15 minutes.

There is a myriad of easy walks and moderate to strenuous hikes to do in Bad Ragaz. I like walking and I do not mind doing one or the other hike. The latter under the condition that it is not too hard to endure. This means in my case that a hike must not be longer than four to five hours and the ascent should be 600 to 700 meters/2,000 to 2,30o ft at the maximum.

After these preliminaries now to the actual walks and hikes. If you look for an online hiking map in Switzerland, a great app is SwitzerlandMobility. In case you are interested in hiking tours on the web, Outdooractive is a super source for every kind of outdoor activities.

1. Vineyard walk Maienfeld (easy walk)

Maienfeld – Heidi Fountain – Flaesch – Maienfeld

Duration: 2 hours / Ascent: 170 m/560 ft / inspired by Outdooractive trail

A good place to start this walk is the train station in Maienfeld. If you do it in the early afternoon as my husband and I did, a recommended restaurant to have lunch before the tour is Restaurant Falknis/review, 2 minutes from here.

You cross Maienfeld’s historic town center with lots of beautiful buildings

to reach the vineyards.

After a slight ascent you come to the Heidi Fountain.

It was erected in memory of Johanna Spyri, the writer of the known Heidi novels, who found her inspiration for this character in the picturesque Maienfeld.

Then the way leads along vineyards, meadows and groups of trees to Flaesch, another idyllic wine village. After passing through the small town and going uphill along vineyards again, you come to a point where you have a good view of Flaesch.

At this very spot (before entering the forest), my husband and I directly turned to go back to Flaesch on the lower road (without going further as suggested by Outdooractive). Once again, you walk through the town’s streets before approaching the Rhine River along a forest edge. On your route you pass another recommended restaurant to have lunch or dinner, Restaurant Muehle. We did not eat here, but my sister in law did it and enjoyed the experience.

Now the scenery becomes a bit less rural. You actually come to the motorway service station of Heidiland. From there you return to Maienfeld along the railway track.

2. Tamina Gorge hike (moderate hike)

Grand Resort Bad Ragaz – Tamina Gorge (old Bad Pfaefers) – Pfaefers – Ruin of Wartenstein – Grand Resort Bad Ragaz

Duration: 3 hours / Ascent: 493 m/1,620 ft / inspired by Outdooractive trail

Right behind the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz there is a path in the direction of the Tamina Gorge (there is also a bus service to this point of interest).

After about an hour’s hike – and passing under the impressive Tamina Bridge –

you reach the thermal spring grotto. A stop here for visiting the grounds (for a small fee) is well worth doing.

The hike continues by ascending towards Pfaefers trough the forest. Underway you cross a natural bridge. Once you arrive at the top (where the car road is), it is not far to this remote town. On your way to it, you pass the Tamina Bridge again.

In Pfaefers you find a former Benedictine abbey, amongst other sights.

The way back leads past the Ruin of Wartenstein. Do not leave out the short climb to this castle

because the view from here of the Bad Ragaz area is splendid.

Now a steep trail through the forest brings you directly back to the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz.

3. 2-Lake-Hike Pizol (moderate hike)

Pardiel – Alp Lasa via Bettlerweg – Pizol Hut – Wangser-Lake – Vilterser-Lake via Mugger Cham – Schwarzbuel – Pardiel

Duration: 4 hours – Ascent 597 m/ 2000 ft – inspired by Outdooractive trail

From Bad Ragaz you reach the valley station of the Pizol mountain train in a few minutes by car. Here the gondola lift brings you to the Pardiel

from where you take the Bettlerweg to the Alp Lasa. Along the path leading into the idyllic Zanuztobel you can enjoy magnificent Alpine flora and sweeping views of the valley below.

Once you get to the Alp Lasa – a group of buildings – and having left behind the forest border, the ascent to Pizol Hut – quite an ordeal – starts. If you have managed this part, the worst in terms of strenuousness is over.

Not far from the Pizol Hut

there is the first lake, Wangsersee (Wangser-Lake).

The trail leads further via Muggercham to the second lake, Viltersersee (Vilterser-Lake).

If you are here end of June, you will enjoy lots and lots of blooming Alpine roses along the path, a wonderful sight! And further down, there are moorlands, too.

At Schwarzbuehl, there is one last chance to view the valley before heading back to the Pardiel mountain station.

Overall

The choice of walks/hikes I have just suggested represents a cross-section of what the area of Bad Ragaz has to offer. Everything what is characteristic for this part of the eastern pre-Alps of Switzerland is covered: vineyards and wine villages, Tamina Gorge and Bridge with pre-Alps landscape as well as Bad Ragaz’ home mountain, Pizol, which is already Alpine area.

While the two hikes are not exactly easy, the harder parts are relatively short (not more than half an hour). And they are both rewarding and therefore worth the effort! And I am not really a hard core hiker. However, it is advised to be fairly fit in order not to suffer too much while doing those!