High Trail along Kerenzerberg, Lake Talalpsee down to Mühlehorn

Friday July 18, 2025 -- Another beautiful day although light hazy cloud-cover was expected most everywhere, but it was off to another day hike!

Every day we go in a different direction, and this time it was toward the east again, but not as far as the Prättigau Region where we were the week before. This time we were doing a walk high above Lake Walensee, but on the south side of the lake, along Mount Kerenzerberg. (This side of the lake has lots of shade in late autumn and winter, so now is a good time to walk there).

Once before in May 2022, we had taken the chair-lift from Filzbach to an alpine pasture called Habergschwänd (saving us 550 meters of ascent) and from there walked westward into the Linth Valley along the "Schabziger Trail". This time we headed east to visit a popular alpine lake called Talalpsee, where we had never been before. (This lake is surrounded by steep vertical mountains on the north end of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tectonic Arena Sardona and was very beautiful). From the lake we then headed eastward, in several downhill sections until we returned to the railway line at lake level in Mühlehorn.

It was a very nice hike with lots of variety, and the few short sections on paved roads were not a problem at all, being there is little traffic up there. Highlights were two sections along steep ravines with narrow paths and even a suspension bridge!

After less than two hours of travel from home to Mühlehorn on Lake Walensee (getting here at 9:34), we take a 10-minute bus ride to the chairlift at Filzbach. Down below is the town of Mühlehorn where we ended our hike five hours later.

On the way to Filzbach, the bus passes through a pretty community called Obstalden, which we also passed through on foot on a hike in June 2020 (along the Old Roman Trail)

Views to Lake Walensee and the sunny hillside of Amden on the north side of the lake.

After a short walk from the bus stop, we were heading up on the chairlift by 10 a.m. The claim is, that this is the "slowest" chair lift in Switzerland. (In fact, it is about a 15-minute ride, taking us 540 meters up the mountain).

Unfortunately for me, there were several farmers blowing their dried hay with those terribly noisy leaf-blowers. I know it's less work for them, but it is a noise I cannot tolerate, so I had to block my ears all the way up the mountain.

Looking behind us at the village of Filzbach

We got to the summit at about 10:15. There is a restaurant up here called Berggasthaus Habergschwänd. We headed out on the hike shortly after getting here. Unfortunately, the sky is currently covered in veil-like clouds.

Placards along the way indicate that this is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tectonic Arena Sardona.

Starting at 10:15 at Habergschwänd, we first walked to Lake Talalpsee, did a 20-minute walk around the lake, then via forest, farms and ravines reached lake level at Mühlehorn at 2:30 p.m. It was a long downhill stretch but done in stages, so it was never really steep.

Looking behind us as we head eastward away from the Habergschwänd chair lift and restaurant. A few other people were also headed to the lake, as it is a popular excursion goal. In May of 2022 we walked westward from the chairlift and into the Linth Valley to Glarus along the Schabziger Trail. (That was a fantastic hike, photos are HERE).

The first 15 minutes of the 30-minute walk to the lake were the hardest, as the karst geology meant very slippery rocks on the trail due to recent rains.

The rocks on the trail down to the lake were very slippery due to recent rains.

When we got to the paved road, the going got easier!

Still some meadow flowers to enjoy here!

At the north end of the lake is a mountain restaurant. We did not stop here.

View south at Lake Talalpsee nestled in the Glarus Alps. At this point we decided to do a walk around the lake, which took about 20 minutes.

We walked counterclockwise around the lake.

View north along the lake

And now we are on the east side of the lake with views of the almost vertical cliffs on the other side, rising 900 meters straight up!

Apparently you can swim in this lake, but some locals told us that there were a lot of leeches in the water this year, and therefore people don't want to go into the water!

A final look at the lovely Talalpsee before continuing on the rest of our hike. I am very happy that the sky has cleared and we now have blue skies and lots of sunshine!

Urs buys some dried sausage again at the next farm we get to (Alp Anggä). Payment on the honour system into a little cash box...

Looking back behind us at the cliffs that surround the lake, and the small trail we just followed across that clearing.

Ahead of us we get the first glimpse of the Churfirsten mountains on the north side of Lake Walensee.

Views of the farms on the Kerenzerberg hillside, and the mountain town of Amden on the other side.

We were looking for a bench in the shade for our picnic lunch, as it was noon, and I had a feeling there might be a bench at the little house below....

....which was the case! An ideal spot in the shade to have our picnic lunch. We sat here for 15 minutes before heading out on our walk

The next stretch was a 15-minute section along a paved road. But there is almost no traffic on such mountain roads, so it's not tedious.

All around us the pastures have been mowed. This might be the third or fourth mowing this year! Lucky for me, the farmers break for lunch between 12 and 1 p.m., so I didn't have to put up with the noise of the leaf-blowers here!

In the shade of this barn, the farmer is taking a lunch break with some passersby... wit his leaf-blower at rest!

I loved this place, as they had a lush garden full of flowers!

The house with the beautiful garden!

Leaving the paved road, we continue on the next downhill section along a dirt road

Looking up the hill at the various barns there, and admiring how the steep hillsides get mowed.

A lot of work for this brick-laid road. Even though we had a lot of sunshine here, it wasn't hot at all.

Another view down to Lake Walensee and the Churfirsten Range.

At a place called Strigg, we could have taken a more direct route to Mühlehorn, but we preferred a detour away from the lake into a gorge called Staglen, which we were glad we did, as the trail followed a steep cliff face with some really cool bridges and boardwalks.

Very interesting section along the cliffs. It doesn't look like a lot of people walk here!

Steps are always fun.

There was a magical place here in the forest with so much moss-cover. The fountain is almost hidden in all the moss! But always great for fresh cold water.

After crossing the Meerenbach River and heading back out of the gorge again back toward the lake, we spied two large birds of prey on a rock below, probably buzzards

And higher up, also on a large rocks, two goats watching us!

Now at the level of the old Roman bridge called the "Sagenbrücke", we return on a section of trail which we covered once before when we walked the Roman Road in June 2020. The bridge crosses a river called Meerenbach, which empties into Lake Walensee at Mühlehorn.

Last time we were here in June 2020, we had been following trail no.820: "Kerenzerberg Roman Road", having ascended from Mühlehorn on the east side of the river. This time we are taking the trail on the west side of the river, which we knew would pass via a suspension bridge.

The first feature on this exciting variation of the trail is a cave-like tunnel!

A cool cave-like tunnel.

And then a cliff-side trail

Cliff-side trail with overhang

And then we got to the suspension bridge!

Crossing the suspension above a deep drop to the gorge below (Cliffs above and below!).

And another look at Lake Walensee

Always fun details along the way. This is now down in the town of Mühlehorn.

Last stretch along the Bachtobel on the outskirts of Mühlehorn.

It's a bit unusual to see such large palm trees here.

Lovely daisies in a private garden.

A look up the Bachtobel, where the Meerenbach river descends. We were up in this valley when we made the detour into the Staglen forest. We also crossed this river on the Roman Bridge. On the 2020 hike, we ascended on the right side of the river (left on this photo), and this time we descended on the left side of the river (right side of the photo).

Parish church in Mühletobel next to the train station. We had a quick peek inside, but didn't take any photos.

The cute train station building in Mühlehorn, which we reached at 14:30, just four minutes before the arrival of our train.

The 14:34 train heading east. We have to transfer in 7 minutes at Unterterzen to a train heading north, which is the fastest way home! (A 90-minute trip).

First the train heads eastward along Lake Walensee toward Unterterzen, where we change trains to head westward....

And now the train toward Ziegelbrücke passes the town of Mühlehorn (without stopping here).

What our hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps, including the Filzbach-Habergschwänd chair lift, the walk around Lake Talalpsee, and the descent via the gorge of the Meerenbach River.