Hike – from Tufertschwil SG > Winzenberg > Hori > Haslen > Tufertschwil
Time – 4 hours, Distance – ca.12½ Km, Uphill – ca. 500m, Downhill – ca.500m
Starting point – Tufertschwil SG - Grosser Parkplatz near the Restaurant Rössli

Link to GPS track and pictures

This circular route took us over the hills near Will SG in Lower Toggenburg. The paths were good and well marked. As it had snowed the previous day, we were glad that we were wearing our hiking boots and not just shoes.
We stopped for a short break on the Wildberg, after the steepest part of the hike. The zig-zag path upwards was quite narrow but clearly visible and in spite of the covering of leaves on the damp surface was not too slippery. Short stretches follow the road.

Near a quarry, there was a most unusual sight, in fine sand, of flower patterns. They looked just like the ice flowers which, in winter in our childhood, we had found on our bedroom windows each morning.
We presumed that these ‘mud flowers’ had formed the previous night in the thin layer of water over the surface. As the ice melted, the shapes of the ‘flowers’ remained. They looked almost like petrified leaves.

Part of this walk followed the ‘Wind Wheel Path’. At intervals there are small wind wheels which drive parts of models depicting various trades. Beneath the model there is a short description of the work done by the artisan, the training required plus a list of possibilities of further education in similar fields. It would be quite interesting for children beginning to think of apprenticeships and learning German at school. They could translate for their expat parents! Looking for the next model would also have a ‘jollying along’ effect for children not too keen on ‘boring walks’.

There are restaurants in Tufertschwil, Winzenberg, Oberrindal, on the Wildberg and near Mühlau. The Landgasthof Rössli in Tufertschwil has a large playground complete with train as a bonus for youngsters. And there's a pleasant chap just up the road will might tell you the history of the village if you understand Swiss German.