Walk around Lake Greifensee near Zurich

(This report was completed in December 2019 to catch up on earlier excursions for which I never got around to doing my albums).

Sunday May 26, 2019 -- There is a little lake near Zurich called Lake Greifensee, whose North and South ends are nature reserves for a large variety of birds and other animals; in fact, it is the largest nature reserve in Canton Zurich. There is a trail around the entire lake (a total of about 20 km) and because it is flat and easy to walk, it is a popular destination for city folk from nearby Zurich for a Sunday afternoon stroll and a dip in the lake. There are several wharves around the lake, many restaurants, and the tiny medieval town of Greifensee with its lakeside promenade and beach access are an attraction.

Back in January 2018 we walked around the southern half of the lake (pictures are HERE). At that time we started in Greifensee on the East side, and ended in Maur on the West side. It was always a plan to walk the other half, starting in Maur where we left off, and walking around the North end. It was a lightly cloudy but hazy day, and even though we saw a few birds and the lilies were blooming in the marshes, the walk itself was rather monotonous. I'm not too keen on lakeside walks especially when the trails are paved and there are lots of other people strolling along, and I must admit the lower half of the lake was more interesting to walk. 

But we did have a very nice lunch at one of the many restaurants along the way, pork steak from the outdoor grill where we sat on their covered terrace, no smokers for a change!

We took the bus to Maur, a little village on Lake Greifensee West Side, where we ended our hike last time. From the bus stop, a short walk through the village took us past some pretty farms to the lake.

Highlight of the day, this baby Alpaca!

On the lakeshore in Maur is a boat dock, where you can take a ride to the other side of the lake, to Niederuster. 

About a year earlier we started at the Greifensee train station and walked to Maur around the South end of the lake. This time we started in Maur and walked around the North side, which was a bit shorter. 

Heading North along the West side of Lake Greifensee

The meadows full of flowers looked much more spectacular than on the photos

Wonderful time of year for meadow flowers

A particularly nice clematis

We passed through only one small group of houses on our trail around the lake. Such houses make the monotonous lakeshore walk more interesting. 

Here at the campground we had a nice lunch on the covered terrace

At several points around the lake are wharves for lazying, but all of them were already occupied!

At the North end of the lake, where the Glatt River leaves the lake, is the large nature reserve / bird sanctuary

 

The Glatt River leaves the lake here and flows North eventually joining the Rhine River at the German Border

Very pretty marsh areas. There were lots of wild irises growing here. 

Lots of pretty birds in this nature reserve, although these here are pretty common birds that we encounter on all the lakes and ponds

We had to make a large detour around this very large marshy area, away from the lakeshore

Wild irises provide a splash of colour in the marsh grasses

The side of the lake we walked this time was a bit shorter than going around the South End. 

The interesting old church in Greifensee was built in 1340 and renovated in the 1970s. It is was placed under national heritage protection in the early 1900's

The castle at Greifensee, whose origins date from early 13th century, is now used as a venue for seminars, weddings, and other events.

Cute little "main street" old town Greifensee. 

Photos of the walk around the South end of the lake can be found by clicking HERE.