I am looking for a 2 day hike. We would like to stay in a hiking hut too. We are planning this as a friend is visiting us from abroad and would like to give hime a real hiking experience where we can catch up with walkers in the middle! Also - not TOO far from Zurich - up to 3hrs Max by train.... Any tips HUGELY appreciated...

hi..
check this site out : www.myswitzerland.com
they have many suggestions

Thanks very useful - still, looking for some "off the shelf" tips. We did a walk a couple of years back in the south of Graubunden which was great - would do it again, but simply too far from Zurich...

Following a trip with some of the EF crowd last weekend I would love to go back and vist http://www.leglerhuette.ch/ Sadly these guys are booked every Saturday for the season. The hut has recently been done up and looks amazing, so see if you can wangle a Friday or Monday off and make it straddle the weekend.

Anywhere operated and run by the Swiss Alpine Club is a winner www.sac.ch

Glarus region is fabulous and feels much less explored than some other areas. The real bonus is that it is all accessible 1-2 hours from Zurich.

Thanks - the SAC site looks good!

It would help if you gave some indication of the distance and, more important, the elevation gain you are thinking of.

Wow.... to be honest, I tend not to think about it to much. Distance... I think 15km per day (so 30km in total). Not TOO much elevation gain... it is the down I hate! The main thing is that it is a nice walk, good views (though never disappointed in Switz so far) and not alongside a road I could have driven down!! Thanks for any specific ideas!!

Ha ha I agree! Most of the "hikes" I've been on in Switzerland so far have really been for sissies! It's almost embarrassing when a tractor drives by halfway through the trail :P If you head down to the Alps though I'm sure you'll find better luck, I haven't had time.
I don't have any good advice yet, but let us know what you pick and how it goes!

I'm not too fond of the use of the phrase 'hikes for sissies' when referring to trails which are neither long nor steep and the path itself fairly broad. There are plenty of people in Switzerland who, when well over the age of seventy, still enjoy walking. Not belonging to the 'the Rega will pick us up if we get ourselves in a mess' generation, they may prefer to go somewhere where the paths are safer for the 'no-longer so foot-sure'.

Sorry about the tractors. I suppose you realise that most of the lower hikes are in farming country. I suppose it is very inconsiderate of the farmers to turn the old, one-person-wide tracks into paths broad enough for their vehicles. Why are they no longer keen to carry the stuff they need on the alp up on their backs the way their parents and grandparents did? Why is it that only on the very steepest slopes are they still prepared to cut the hay with the scythe and turn it over 'by hand'?

Get a map. Look for somewhere where the contour lines are close together and crossed more or less at right angles by the line of a zig-zag path and I promise there won't be many tractors about.
Leistchamm, Speer, Aubrig, Mythen, Schilt, Selun, Brisi, Frümsel, Gnipen...

Hi OP, that's the point: if you haven't thought thru', how can random internet people do it for you? the posters above have enough information to write a couple of books on hiking, but open-ended questions won't elicit any meaningful response.

What do you mean "TOO much" elevation gain? It could be 500m for some people, could be 5000m for some others. "A nice walk. good views" is another extremely generic description to the point of being completely useless, almost all hikes will fit the bill. Moreover no one will intentionally guide you to one without nice views should it exist

My suggestion: search the forum, or google, and you will get a few hundred hits. Shortlist a few regions, specify your range, or maybe post a tentative schedule, and then invite people to comment on that. Researching and planning a hike should be part of the fun IMO, and can be safer for you too (plus reduces clutter for future searchers).

Have fun, and sorry that my post sounds a bit blunt

Edit: have you considered using cablecars to avoid hiking downhill, or using hiking poles to ease the descent (I personally am undecided on the efficacy of poles, but they are popular, I too use them often).

Here's a suggestion: take the train to Meiringen and then head towards Grindelwald (over the Grosse Scheidegg). If you want to avoid the first bit, you can take the cog railway up to the top of the Reichenbach Falls - the one where Sherlock Holmes met his end at the hands of the evil Dr. Moriarty. There is a very nice old hotel you can stay in at Rosenlaui, at the base of the glacier with the same name - or if you are feeling much more energetic, climb up either to the Engelhornhütte or to the Dossenhütte and spend the night there (the latter is a 4-5 hour hike from Rosenlaui). Or you can head up to the Grosse Scheidegg and stay at the 'Berghotel' (mountain hotel) up there. From the Grosse Scheidegg (check out http://www.geo-reisecommunity.de/bild/45658 for the view) you can then head to Grindelwald First and take the chairlift down - or spend 5-6 hours hiking on a nice trail with a gorgeous view over to Schynige Platte and then take the cog railway down to Interlaken.

J.

Here's a complete route description, together with pictures, of the hike I just described:

http://www.wandersite.ch/2tageswande...roberland.html

J.

How strict are rules about tents? Is it crazy to pitch a tent in an open meadow? I suppose if it is a rocky slope it may not work too well? And will there be an angry farmer waking me up in the morning? thanks for any opinions, and sorry if this is a stupid question

Hi, you might want to check this and if it doesn't cover your specific queries, ask there

Have a look at www.rural-tourism.ch (where I happen to work) : what about walking along donkeys or lamas ? We have one member in the St-Gall canton i.e not too far off Zürich who proposes trekking with sleeping in a hut. We also have similar offers in different locations.
A good tip : many people who offer accomodation in the countryside agree to pick you up at the nearest bus or train station, very often without charge so don't be shy to ask. Some also agree to bring your luggage to your next walking point.

vitznau is a nice place for hiking.and there are places were you can sleep in hay for cheap. its just passed luzurn check it out.

I highly recommend an overnight stay in Aescher which is located in the Alpstein region. Check this out: http://www.aescher-ai.ch/

This region, also known for nude-hiking , is suitable for any length of hike since there are loads of trails.

I also recommend Anne_s suggestion in Aescher great walks and wonderful excuses to stop for cheese along the way.