Hiking in Switzerland – Gabrielle and Urs

Saturday May 9, 2026 -- Two years ago in June 2024, I did a hike on my own along a section of National Trail no.3: "Alpine Panorama Trail" just west of the Churfirsten Mountains, starting above Lake Walensee and walking over a "pass" into the Thur River Valley in the Toggenburg region to the north. Along the way was a long and interesting descent along a river, a distance of four kilometers and 650 meters height, with about 100 "waterfalls" created by man-made steps of rock, cement or wooden logs, to prevent the constant flooding of the river in the past (photos HERE). I knew this would interest Urs as well, so had always planned to do the hike again with him.

So that was on the plan on this Saturday, as the weather forecast had indicated pure sunshine, which then ended up not being the case. We still had windows of sunshine through mostly overcast skies, but that didn't bother Urs, and I had done the hike with better weather before anyway. And the waterfalls were just as impressive as last time.¨

Since we were quite a few weeks earlier in the hiking season this time, there were no cows in the upper meadows yet, and only a few new flowers, including lots of crocuses where the snow had just melted. In fact, we took a partially different route on the way up to the "pass" this time, getting into elevations that still had quite a bit of snow.

Starting in Arvenbüel on the Lake Walensee side at 9:45 a.m. (just a two-hour trip from home with train and bus) and ending at the village of Stein in the Thur Valley at 2:45 p.m., it was a 3½-hour hike which we did in five hours, taking it easy along the way.

PART I: Heading to the Vorder Höhi "Pass"

We had chosen this region near Glarus for a second day in a row because the weather forecast had for pure sunshine. That was no longer the case in the morning, but we went anyway. This view is into the Linth Valley as the bus climbs up the mountain from Weesen on Lake Walensee

View into the Glarus Alps and Mount Kerenzerberg on the south side of Lake Walensee from Amden.

Passing via the hillside village of Amden. We have been here very often. The smaller peak here is called Mattstock, and we did a superb hike once just below the summit there. (photos HERE). The bus continues higher up to the hamlet called Arvenbüel, end of the line.

From Arvenbüel are several options for hiking up to the peaks of the Churfirsten range or along their northern flanks, or to head northwards to the passage at the Vorder Höhi farm from were you have several options to descend into the Thur Valley. It is to the arrow where we are headed, having started at 9:45.

We headed up on a narrow trail at the bottom of a ravine called the Schwaderloch, which is the same trail I walked on a solo hike I did here in June 2024. In places where the trail is notoriously wet, such wooden boardwalks have been laid down.

A nice trail next to the stream called Beerenbach, in a small ravine, heading upwards.

After a 20-minute walk, we near the upper end of the ravine.

At the upper end of the ravine, a small waterfall joins the river we have been following. There are many small streams which drain these hillsides.

Early alpine flowers: This is the smaller Gentian, but I love both, especially the bright blue colour.

Final stretch out of the Schwaderloch ravine into the higher pastures.

Starting at the final bus stop in Arvenbüel, this was a 3½-hour hike for us, climbing up to the Vorder Höhi farm and then descending to Stein (SG) in the Thur River Valley. There is a more direct option which I had done twice before (once in winter), so we took a detour this time to make it longer and with better views. (Without that detour we would not have found the fields of crocuses).

Out of the ravine now, we see the Glarus Alps to the south. Last time I did this hike, I headed south along this road to the houses ahead, then north again along the paved road to the Vorder Höhi farm. It was not so great to walk on the paved road, so that is why we did a detour up the mountain to the east.

Heading up the hillside now on the east side of the Schwaderloch Ravine. The high mountains in the back are on the west side of the Linth Valley.

View past the Schwaderloch Ravine to the paved road were I walked last time I did this hike in June 2024. The skies look much better in the Linth Valley right now, than here!

A variety of forest and mountain flowers which we had seen on our walk up the ravine and continuing on up the hill to the Toggenburg High Trail.

At 11 a.m. we found these benches, a good place for a break on our way up the hillside.

What fantastic roots!

We knew that this hillside was a wet and marshy area, and were pleased that wooden boardwalks have been set up over the wettest part of the trail!

Now we have come across the first crocuses! They appear soon after the snow melts.

At 11:30 we joined the higher trail No.48: "Toggenburger Höhenweg", where we had walked once before in August 2020. We were surprised at how much snow was still up here, but it is, after all, almost 1600 meters above sea level. From here we still have 25 minutes to the Vorder Höhi farm, and almost two hours to our goal in Stein.

Behind us on the higher part of the trail was still lots of snow, so we were glad we hadn't made a detour earlier to a higher elevation! Still, from here we had another uphill stretch heading north.

And now the larger Gentian! My favourite first alpine flower.

On the next uphill stretch we get sone really nice views again into the Glarus Alps to the southwest

Had we not taken this detour, we would have missed this large clearing with the newest crocuses, which appear fairly quickly where snow has just melted.

And now we get the first views into the Thur River Valley to the east, and the large Alpstein Massif. As we are near the Austrian border here, those mountains on the far right are in Austria. (Side note: The snow-covered couloir on the right side of the massif is one we descended on a fabulous hike in September 2021 from Saxer Lücke on the other side).

Enjoying the new crocuses.

Here we are a bit concerned about the amount of snow, but we did manage to navigate this.

Panorama view of the Thur River Valley and Alpstein Massif to the east.

A careful walk through a snowy patch!

Later, we descended along the base of those three peaks at the back, down the valley there.

At just after noon we are now on the last stretch to the farm at Vorder Höhi. The plan is to find a bench there for our lunch break, but we are hoping for some sunshine for that....

From the height of the Vorder Höhi farm, we can see the summit of Mount Säntis, as the clouds there clear a bit. At this site is a view point which I had walked to on my June 2024 hike here, amid loads of beautiful meadow flowers, but we did not make that detour this time.

There were several benches on the farm's property but many were already taken or exposed to a cold wind. So we used this bench next to the main house (the owners aren't up here yet) and were protected from the wind. A good place with a view for a short lunch break.

Our view south now once again to the Glarus Alps on the south side of Lake Walensee. Those mountains are within the UNESCO World Heritage Site Sardona Tectonic Arena. Also, below us is the paved road which is the regular way to reach this spot, including in winter when it is prepared as a walking trail.

This farm at Vorder Höhi is a popular goal for a winter hike from Arvenbüel, as the trail there is prepared as a good walking path. We did that hike in December 2018, and during the winter season the owners have set up this barn as a restaurant where they grill bratwurst and offer other food to the hikers, on a large number of picnic tables set up on this side of the barn. (See also this PHOTO).

PART II: Descent from Vorder Höhi to Stein SG via Dürrenbach River

From here at Vorder Höhi it's another 90 minutes to walk down to our goal at Stein, where we will be following the national Trail no.3: "Alpine Panorama Trail". It is also part of the regional Trail no.48 "Toggenburg High Trail", of which we walked a large section in August 2020.

First look at the Toggenburg Peaks in the Thur River Valley where we are heading now at 12:30, down this valley at the foot of the three peaks we saw previously. (Rotberg, Schär, Goggeien).

When I was here last time, there were cows here in the meadow! (See this PHOTO)

The snow has just recently melted here, and there were crocuses as well. Unfortunately, we are too early for the lovely meadow flowers I had experienced when I did this walk a couple of years earlier.

After a very nice downhill stretch on a small forest path, we reached this little picnic spot at 13:10, a good time for another break.

Finally, we get to enjoy a short sunny break!

We can still see the Alpstein Massif as we descend.

The mountains of the Toggenburg region up ahead. (We crossed that saddle in the center of the photo from Schwägalp on the other side, on a hike in August 2019. )

We then reached the part of the Dürrenbach River where there are about 100 dikes or walls set up along a 6-km stretch to help prevent flooding. The sign here on the upper portion of the 30-minute stretch describes how this region was reforested (about 100 years ago) to help prevent the common landslides due to the marshy ground and the river floods.

We have seen this bird once before. It is called a "Wasseramsel", or "White-throated Dipper", and is the only songbird which not only swims well but also dives very skilfully.

Now we come to the first of many such "steps" and waterfalls, created to keep the river in check and prevent flooding when the water level is high.

Walking down this little ravine now along the Dürrenbach River on a nice forest path. That boulder is HUGE!

On a hot day, it might be very inviting to take a dip in that pool!

Some of the walls are made with "bricks" and others with large stones. Others were concrete, and we even saw one built of logs. Imagine the work required to build these.

VIDEO:

A long series of waterfalls.

At the bottom of the stretch is another placard with information about the "waterfalls": The Dürrenbach river covers a drop of 650 meters over four kilometers, and features over 100 waterfalls! The project to build these steps was started at the turn of the 19th to 20th century, but was not completed till the end of the 1990's at a cost of over 4.5 million Francs.

Final set of waterfalls at the end of this 4-km stretch before we head into the pastoral landscape above the village of Stein.

At 2:30 p.m. we left the river and the forest for the final walk to the bus stop in the village of Stein. Up ahead we see another pass called the Risipass, which we crossed from the other side down into Stein from a hike we did from Schwägalp at the foot of Mt. Säntis in August 2019.

Heading down the road on the final stretch into the village of Stein on the Thur River. Here we are low enough to enjoy the meadow flowers.

Also down here we encounter the cows in the pastures!

A nice surprise is that there are still blossoming fruit trees, most likely late apple varieties.

Being observed, as usual. Barely visible on this photo are the Churfirsten peaks in the background.

Approching the main street now....

A close-up view of the church in Stein. Even though we have ended several hikes here, or passed through this village, we have never yet been inside of the church, which is where I am headed. (The bus stop is just a bit further than the church, but this time we have enough time).

Main street in Stein where the bus runs in the Thur Valley. While I go visit the church, Urs is doing his regular visit to the local bakery!

Main street in Stein in the Toggenburg. Compare this to how it looked on our September 2022 valley hike past here! (Photo HERE).

The Thur River runs right past the town's church. Even though we have passed here many times, including when we did a valley walk along the Thur River in September 2022., we never actually checked out the interior of the church, usually because we just had a minute or two to get the bus!

Details of the Catholic church and tiny cemetery in Stein. As it is now 14:43, we have another 10 minutes for the 14:53 bus.

Oh look! Here comes Urs with his pastries!

Looking up from near the bus stop toward the west, I believe the peak on the left is Mt.Speer, which we walked past on a hike in September 2023. (Other people were climbing to the summit, but we crossed the ridge below it).

In plenty of time for our 14:53 bus! (Bus to Nesslau, then train to Wattwil, and ultimately just a 2¼-hour trip home.)

What this hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps. We started in Arvenbühl at 9:45 and reached Stein at 14:45, passing via Vorder Höhi. So five hours for a 3½-hour hike.

All the hikes we have now done in the region around Amden/Arvenbüel and the Thur Valley region of the Toggenburg

PART III: Trip back home, just over two hours

As the train heads north from Nesslau, a nice look at the Churfirsten mountains to the south. The site here is the former Neu St.Johann Monastery, which operated from 1680 to 1805. Although we walked near here on our Thur River hike in September 2022, the trail did not pass through here, and so this is a site we have yet to discover.

These girls are determined to get somewhere!

Views of the Thur River and the trail we walked in September 2022.

A change of trains in Wattwil and emerging to Lake Obersee (the upper part of Lake Zurich) after the Ricken tunnel.

We often ride this stretch of railway between the Toggenburg Region and Lake Zurich, and always keep an eye out for the storks between Uznach and Rapperswil.

Passing the wooden boardwalk between Rapperswil and Hurden (seen from the Seedamm). This old boardwalk is supposed to be replaced soon, so we want to walk it again one more time before that happens. Last time we walked here was in 2014!

Between Hurden and Pfäffikon is a channel where the boats can pass below the land bridge from Lake Zurich in the north, to Lake Obersee in the south.

As I am headed back to Küssnacht, I can continue on the Süd-Ost Bahn between Lake Zurich and Goldau. This is the view toward lake Zurich as the train climbs to the west.

A nice view from here to Lake Zurich and the land bridge which separates it from Obersee on the right.

As the train reaches the wide valley between the Mythen and Rigi regions, we get a nice view of the Uri Alps on the west side of Lake Uri, and the summit of Mt.Fronalpstock on the left.

View to the city of Schwyz at the foot of the Schwyzer Alps to the south. Along that crest is the popular "Stoos Crest Hike", which has snow for a long time in spring.