Schreizen-Giessen Ravine in the Töss Valley in Zurich Oberland

Monday June 8, 2026 -- The Berner Oberland is probably the most well-known "Oberland", but there is also a Zürich Oberland region, a pretty landscape of rolling hills, farms, ravines and waterfalls, which doesn't get enough attention.

A long time ago I had seen a hiking suggestion for an off-the-main-route trail to a waterfall which you can walk behind, and I had never been able to find the spot again. Recently, though, an article related to hidden waterfalls suggested a tour to a waterfall near Turbenthal i.e. off the Töss Valley, and I was pretty sure that's the one I wanted to see, so before forgetting this again, off we went!

Leaving home at 6:50 a.m., we could be at the start of the hike at a mountain restaurant called Sitzberg in just over two hours, with views all around including toward Lake Constance to the North and the Alps to the south (unfortunately it was a bit hazy this day). Unlike the missing trails from our hike the day before, the walk to the waterfall, also shown only as dotted lines on the map, was barely an issue and a lovely walk. The waterfall was a bit "thin" but the ravine was super interesting, as you walk via a recess in the cliff walls.

Later, as we reached the higher part of our route, we had the option of walking on forest roads to Turbenthal where we had once started a hike in June 2024 (our original plan), but this meant five kilometers of forest and not a lot of views. So we opted instead to return to Wila (also five kilometers), from where we had originally caught the bus, and even though we had paved roads, there was little traffic and the landscape was much more interesting. 

We enjoyed it very much and hope to do more hikes in that region.

Leaving home early at 6:50, we traveled about two hours via Zurich and Winterthur into the Töss Valley, where we are catching a bus here at Wila, with the cute church on the hill!

Here comes our 8:45 bus for the 15-minute bus ride up a side valley to the small hamlet called Sitzberg, in the Zurich Oberland (back-country). 

Along the way we caught sight of a fox!

The winding road up into the hills. 

At this point along the road, before heading North, we actually got a view into the Alps to the south! This would be the Glarus Alps, as the table-top shape of Mt.Tödi is very recognizable. 

This is the restaurant at Sitzberg, and there are already people waiting to head back down again with the bus. We got here at about 9 a.m. 

Before heading westward near the restaurant, we walked the short distance to the village church, to have a look at what fancy things might be inside!

The little church in Sitzberg. It is an Evangelical church established here in 1838, because the church in Turbenthal was too far away for the locals. 

This beautiful organ has a long and complicated history! Originally built in 1741-1743 by a German organ builder for an evangelical church in Germany, it suffered greatly due to dampness, and was fixed up many times till 1850, when the organ was discarded and replaced by a new one. It basically fell apart in storage (and parts were lost) until the church in Stein am Rhein (Switzerland) purchased it in 1869, and fixed it up. But they replaced it in 1897, and Sitzberg needed an organ, so it was transferred to here. But the real value of the organ was only recognized in the 1950's by an organist from the Grossmünster, and it was then restored to its original Baroque form by 1960. A very beautiful piece of art. 

Heading out now on our hike at 9:20 with a final look back a the little church in Sitzberg. 

Starting at 9:20 in Sitzberg after a quick look at the village church, we headed down into the Giessenholz forest where we walked behind a small waterfall, then hiked out again. From there down to Wila with views of the Alps, and we reached Wila at 13:20, enough time for the 13:38 train, followed by a 2½-hour trip back home. 

Look at this fabulous tree! 

Before reaching the little ravine, we even got a view of the Eiger and Mönch mountains of the Bernese Oberland (on the left), and closer by is Mt.Rigi, which you can see from a lot of places in northern Switzerland. (This is a zoomed view). 

Heading down into the ravine. 

It was nice and cool in the forest, sprinkled with sunlight, and a bit of fancy manoeuvering necessary!

First we headed down to the junction of two streams, and here we had to head uphill again!

It's like being in the jungle

The sign points us to the waterfall called the "Schreizen Giessen" ("Giessen" is a word we have seen a few times in this area, and it seems to relate to waterfalls, as the word "Giessen" means "to pour"). 

Wooden blocks create steps for the uphill stretch we had to follow. 

We then reached the back of the ravine, to the place with the waterfall which was our main goal for this day... only there wasn't much of a waterfall at all, maybe because it has been quite hot recently. But it is a fascinating geological landscape nonetheless, a full semi-circle with 20-meter high walls of molasse rock and a trail beneath the overhang. 

There was even a bench under the overhang (which we had to clean first from rock dust), a nice place for a break and to watch the trickle of water coming from above!

VIDEO:

Sound of the "waterfall"....

Since we couldn't see the water much from here, I tried to capture the sound on a video.

Continuing on the interesting trail under the overhang. 

From this side you could see the waterfall better. 

This is the amount of water coming over the cliff. Maybe earlier in Spring there is more? The falls around here are called "Giessen" (= "pouring"), and this one is the "Schreizen-Giessen". 

Heading out of the semi-circular cauldron now. 

After spending some time at the overhang behind the waterfall, we continued uphill out of the forest. We came upon this sign that informed us that the region here is a nudist camp, and if we entered, we should expect to see people walk around without any clothes on!

Higher up and near the edge of the forest, this bridge crosses the little stream which later becomes the waterfall which we had just been at. 

Now out of the forest we head up to a crest which we followed for a while heading west, mostly through forest. 

From the ridge, we can actually see the Alps to the south.

And to the east, we are surprised by a good view of the Sitzberg Church, where we had started our hike! (Walking down into the ravine to the right, and heading back out to here). Far in the background is Mount Säntis.

A closer view of Mt.Säntis and the church in Sitzberg where we started our hike. From here, after just one kilometer through the forest, we had a choice to make: Five kilometers to Turbenthal, a village where we had started another hike in June 2024, but which would be mostly along a forest road with no views, or five kilometers back to Wila where we had caught the bus earlier, but this would be along paved roads, but with views and interesting things to see. We chose the latter. 

This is one of the first pretty houses we came to. It is a farm called Bühl. 

And these are the views of the lovely countryside which we had while walking along the paved roads. (On these roads is very little traffic, so it is not tedious to walk them). 

Another interesting farmhouse along the way. 

This bird is made totally of wood pieces. 

Another sighting of the Alps to the south. We would probably not had views like this had we stayed on the forest trail to Turbenthal. 

These Indian Runner Ducks are just so cute!

Another spectacular tree! I think this is a Linden. 

We then came to a little hamlet called "Käfer". This large barn has been converted into apartments. 

Another interesting building in the little hamlet called Käfer. ("Käfer" = "Beetle"). 

I got a real kick out of this little pond: There were two boats and a dock here! (From here we have another 40 minutes to walk to Wila. It is now 12:15 and we are actually looking for a nice bench to have our picnic lunch. 

Admiring the village fountain...

This interesting house had, among other text, two panels which read "Built in 1690", and also "1971-1973", which is probably the time the house was renovated. 

(I must have photographed every house in the hamlet of Käfer!!)

Another interesting building.... possibly a guest house?

More views to the south. 

This bench with a view would have been a good place for our picnic lunch, but it was a warm day, and it we were looking for something with a bit of shade. 

There were a few cattle in this meadow which became quite nervous when they saw us approach. They had all been lying comfortably, but jumped up when they saw us. The bull is massive! And the cow was nervous because there were babies in the field. Luckily we didn't have to pass them, as our trail now heads down through the forest on the left. 

All of these cattle kept a very close eye on us. They looked pretty menacing. We were glad we didn't need to walk through their pasture.

Heading down through the forest now toward the valley bottom. 

Nearing the valley bottom and heading westward. The road below us is the one the bus took heading up into this side valley. .

We have now arrived back in the Töss Valley. The riverbed is below where the line of trees are, past the houses of the village of Tablat. We had a choice to descend to the riverside path and head north into Wila, or head north right from here through the forest higher up. We chose the higher trail. 

On this warm day, all the cows seek out the shade!

After a long stretch we finally found our lunch bench in the shade at 12:55!!!! (There had been a couple of benches before, but they were in the hot sun). 

View from our lunch bench up the Töss River Valley, and the village of Tablat below. The Töss river is 60 km long and flows north to join the Rhine. 

At 13:20 we crossed the bridge over the Töss River into the town of Wila, where we are going to catch the trail. (The placard gives information about the life of a local author/writer named Jakob Stutz. He wrote about being welcomed here in the next side valley to where we walked, by a pietistic family named Kägi.).

There is almost no water here, so it can hardly called a river! Urs says that the Töss River often has very little water..... 

Urs headed straight to the train station and I did a little loop walk to have a closer look at the little church which I had seen from the train when we pulled into town in the morning. That is a very attractive half-timbered house.    

As the train was coming in less than 20 minutes, I didn't have time to look into the church, as it was higher on the hill.

Heading back toward the train station now. 

Wila train station. 

The train is right on time at 13:38. From here it was a 2½-hour trip back to Küssnacht. (The 13:20 connection was quicker but we had just missed that train). 

What this hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps. Starting at 9:20 in Sitzberg, we reached Wila at about 13:20. In June 2024 we had started a different hike in Turbenthal. On this particular day we also could have walked to Turbenthal, also along a crest, but it was mostly through the forest, and we wanted to see a bit of the countryside. 

Location of Sitzberg in the Zurich Oberland region. 

Once again I am heading westward from Rapperswil and Pfäffikon, with views of Lake Zurich as the train winds its way up the hill to Biberbrugg.

As the train approaches Arth-Goldau station, another favourite view of Lake Lauerz and the Schwyzer Alps with a direct view of the popular Klingenstock-Fronalpstock ridge past the city of Schwyz. 

And a final view of the Mythen mountains on the left.