Hillside Hike from Weissenberge to Engi in the Sernf Valley

Friday May 8, 2026 -- After a beautiful April month with an average of one hike every two days, May is turning out to be rater drab and rainy. Urs had his first week of vacation (along with the May 1st public holiday) i.e. 10 days in a row where we had hoped to spend some days in a more remote part of the country, but the weather didn't play along.

Besides the two first May days of nice weather, we only had Friday May 8th and Saturday May 9th to look forward to two more hikes, which we decided to do as day hikes once again, instead of going further away.

Our choice for this Friday was to head into the Sernf Valley in Canton Glarus, where we last did a valley walk in September 2024. (This valley is famous for the recreation town of Elm, and the Tschingelhorn peaks with the Martinsloch, a hole in the mountains where the sun shines through and directly into the village church twice per year). This valley is also in the UNESCO Heritage Site Sardona Tectonic Arena where one can observe up close the effects of the Glarus Overthrust.

We headed up to a sunny hillside called Weissenberge where we had not yet been, and rode a cable-car which we also had not yet tried out. From there we simply did a mountainside walk northward with little ascent, and included a detour into a side valley to extend the walk somewhat. From up on this hillside we had some very nice views southwards up the valley and to the Tschingelhorn peaks. And once again we were reminded at the beauty we can experience within just a two-hour trip from home!

The excursion starts with the always fantastic train ride up the Linth Valley. This huge mountain called the Glärnisch forms the south side of Lake Klöntal in the side valley, which is accessed by road from the city of Glarus. 

At the very back of the Linth Valley, the distintive peak called Mount Tödi looms large. The town of Schwanden lies at the junction of the two valleys: Linthtal and Sernftal, and we now have to take a bus into the Sernf Valley, heading toward Elm. 

The bus heads up the Sernf Valley with the fabulous backdrop of the mountains in the Sardona Region. We are not going all the way to Elm, but rather getting off here in the village of Matt, where a cable-car (which we have not ridden yet) takes us up to Weissenberge on the east side of the valley. 

It is a short ride up to the sunny hillside called Weissenberge (also popular in winter). Rather expensive at 12 Fr. each for a 4-minute ride, but saves us 400 meters of uphill walking. Plus we really wanted to do this trip once!

Leaving home at 7:40, we were ready for the cable-car ride to Weissenberge at 9:47!!! All this beautiful landscape we are able to reach in only about two hours.... 

View down onto the village of Matt as the cable-car starts its way up the mountain. 

View up the Sernf Valley. 

Heading higher now, we can see further down the valley where we are going to be descending to the neighbouring village of Engi. 

The other cabin just passed us on the way down to the station. 

After a maximum 4-minute ride, we reach the summit station of the Weissenberge cable-way. Interesting to see is the trail we walked back in September 2024 (along the Via Suvorov Trail), where we crossed the river on the south side of the village (on the left) and followed the riverbank northwards. At that time, we did not walk through the village of Matt. 

View south up the Sernf Valley from the Weissenberge summit station. 

Starting at the summit station of the Matt-Weissenberge cable-way, we walked north along the hillside toward Engi. We could have descended directly to the bus stop, but wanted to do a longer hike, so went into and out of the side valley called Cholgruebentobel. In all it was a 3-hour hike, and starting at just before 10 a.m., we got to the bus stop in Engi at 2:10 p.m., for the 14:21 bus back to Schwanden train station. 

Heading off on our hike along the sunny Weissenberge at just before 10 a.m. 

Typical mountain farms!

We had never seen a fungus as large as this one! It was at least a half meter in diameter. 

Joined by a very friendly cat. They always go to Urs!!!

Looking behind us at the smattering of homes up here, as we head up the hill a bit. 

That cute little cat followed us for a while!

Just 20 minutes into the start of our hike, we took a bench break, because the view is just too nice to just race on by! 

View down to the valley bottom near where we caught the cable-car. 

That's a power plant below, at the south end of Matt. On our September 2024 hike along the valley bottom, we followed the lane beneath the roadway and crossed the river over the bridge on the right. 

By this point we can just make out the town of Elm at the far back. Weather forecast was for pure sunshine all day, but we could see clouds gathering on the other side of those mountains. 

Beautiful day for this relatively easy walk. Always slightly uphill for the first 45 minutes or 250 meters of altitude gain. 

View across the valley to the west. In the clearing on the left is a large barn-like building which also doubles as a mountain "restaurant" (probably self-serve), on a hiking trail up that side of the valley. 

The meadows are starting to show colour, how pretty is this!

By just after 11 a.m. we have reached the maximum altitude of the uphill section at a place called Altmannberg, where from now on we have a stretch of narrow mountain trail... after another short break on that conveniently-located bench!

Sitting on the bench we admired the peaks on the opposite side of the valley. The main massif on the right is called the Charenstock, and with surprise and studying our maps, we realize that we crossed the saddle in the center of this photo (Wildmaadfurggeli) on a hike we did from the other side in September 2023. (Our descent at the time was over the ridge on the left).

Continuing on an interesting trail now: There are often boardwalks set up on wet ground. 

So many pretty early alpine flowers. I am especially thrilled at the first gentians, large and small (the blue ones). 

Another view up the Sernf Valley.

Now starts the downhill section on lovely small mountain paths. 

Behind us far in the south and just east of Elm are the mighty Tschingelhorn peaks. We are right in the center of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Sardona Tectonic Arena, and these are the main features. It is here where average people can get the closest look at what is called the Glarus Thrust, a flipping of the Earth's crust over 30 million years ago. 

A nice stretch through the forest as well. 

Now we get the first look at the town of Engi where we are ending our hike. The trail will take us down a steep section to just above the village, but instead of ending there, we are going to head into a side valley to extend our hike. 

Close-up look at the village of Engi below, where we are going to catch a bus back out of the valley. 

Every once in a while we pass a little cascade!

After a steep an uncomfortable descent on a gravelly road, we took our third bench break at 12:10. This was our lunch break!

View to the south from our lunch-bench. We are glad we started the hike early, as the clouds from south of these mountains have moved quite a bit north by now. 

Continuing on down the mountain now, we pass this farm with these cute goats, all obviously of the same breed. (Toggenburgziegen, i.e. Toggenburg Goats. Apparently this was the first officially-recognized breed of dairy goats). 

Look how curious they are to see us!

VIDEO:

The goats were unsure whether to come greet us or not!

At this point we could have descended directly to Engi, another 260 meters and 30 minutes downhill, but we wanted to extend our hike, so we continued along the hillside (on a paved road afterwards) toward the little side valley/gorge. 

A view down the Sernf Valley toward the Linth Valley. 

And from here along the paved road, we get our first look at the side "valley" where we will hike uphill for a bit along the river, before returning at about the level of the red line. It is called the Cholgruebentobel. 

About half-way up the valley called the Cholgruebentobel (Well, half-way up the portion we were going to walk... the valley continues quite a bit further up). 

We took another break on a bench here, and admired the lovely and remote site back here in the valley. It looks like water from the river (Mühlebach) was diverted to create THREE pools! How lovely, and the best thing is that there is vehicle access for the owners. 

Looking behind us at the property with the pools!

No bridge, just stepping stones!

Even though the valley continues quite a bit further (you can actually ascend from here to a couple of passes into the heart of the Sardona Region), it was about here that we crossed the Mühlebach River and headed back out toward Engi. 

Crossing the Mühlebach River. 

VIDEO:

A video of crossing the bridge over the Mühlebach River, 

because it's always nice to hear the sound of the water.... 

Heading out of the little gorge now on an easy level road!

From here we look south across the side valley and along the hillside where we did the main part of our hike. 

And another close-up view of the Tschingelhorn peaks far to the south. The clouds are looking thick and dark over there now... 

Now the final descent into the village of Engi. 

Both this valley and the Linth Valley were once important industrial regions, and this here is a textile factory grounded in 1864, one of the few remaining textile factories in Canton Glarus, which now operates under the name WESETA (producing Terry Cloth). It was near here where we caught the 14:21 bus back to Schwanden train station. 

What the hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps, starting at just before 10 a.m. in Weissenberge, and reaching the Weberei Bus Stop in Engi at 2:10 p.m. (We had several bench-breaks along the way!)

These are all the hikes we have done in the Sernf Valley

On the bus ride out of the valley, a look back at the road we walked before the detour into the side valley. (We were actually quite close to the village of Engi). 

From the train heading back out of the Linth Valley, we get lots of nice views of the lovely Linth River. (It was rivers like this that made it a good location for industries). 

Up there on the east side of the Linth Valley is a high plateau which we hiked across on a May 2022 hike along the Schabziger Trail. It's always interesting for me to see places we have been, from a different vantage point.  

Before reaching the station at Ziegelbrücke (where we change trains), we see the lovely hillside region of Amden above Lake Walensee, which is where we are planning to go the next day. 

Heading north in the direction of Lake Zurich, we pass a little lake called Hirschlensee, which I'd really like to walk to some day. 

It's always a treat to see the Churchill Red Arrow train! It was stationed in Wädenswil on Lake Zürich, being prepared for a charter run. We were lucky to have been able to ride on this train back in May of 2014 (photos HERE)

Also just leaving the dock in Wädenswil, this beautiful steam boat called "Stadt Zürich", which runs from town to town on Lake Zurich. . 

Location of the Sernf Valley within Switzerland. 

SIDE NOTE:

Three days later it snowed to very low elevations again all over Switzerland!!! Here is a comparison of the Webcams of the same view of the mountains across the Sernf Valley from where we were hiking, on May 8th and May 12th... 

Webcam direction Charenstock on May 8th

Webcam direction Charenstock on May 12th