Winter Walk to Cham along the Shore of Lake Zug

Sunday January 4, 2026 -- Today we decided to brave the negative temperatures for the first time this winter, as the recent snowfall has left the landscape looking very pretty and not yet melted away. 

As it's not often that we get nice winter landscapes in the lower areas near where we live, we chose to stay close to home this day, just in case it would be too cold for us, and then we could return earlier from our walk! As it turns out, with the sun shining, temperatures of -2 degrees in the early afternoon were quite bearable, and we timed the 5-km walk perfectly to return before the skies became overcast.

We walked a stretch along Lake Zug to the train station in the next town of Cham, which we used to do at least once a week when I moved here 12 years ago, but which we haven't walked for a long time now. It's a lovely lakeside trail with (usually, but not today) views of Mt.Rigi and the Bernese Alps to the south, and lots of birds because this is a nature trail. On this beautiful Sunday afternoon, there were very many people walking along this trail in both directions. Once we got to Cham, we caught the little urban train back toward Zug, from where we still had to walk another ten minutes to home. 

At the Brüggli beach, you look south across Lake Zug, with Mt. Zug on the left.

The trail follows the lakeshore. 

We don't often have such nice winter trails to walk near the city at these lower elevations.

This trail is actually part of National Trail no.3: "Alpine Panorama Trail", of which we have done very many sections!

This cute little bird (a European Robin) was hopping around and not flying away. 

Bridge over the "Alte Lorze" River, which enters the lake here, and leaves as the larger main Lorze River just a bit further away in the nearby town of Cham. 

Across this little bay we get a glimpse of the city of Cham. That is where we are ending this day's walk.

Now the prepared trail follows the railway tracks all the way into the city of Cham. There were a lot of people out walking here on this beautiful day. 

There are usually a lot of water birds here on this part of another river called the Dorfbach, which enters Lake Zug here. In spring they nest on the edges of the left side of the stream. Straight ahead we should be able to see Mt.Rigi, which is hidden in the clouds this day.  

Passing the entrance to the privately-owned St.Andreas Castle. (In April 2016 we got a private tour of the grounds from Urs' cousin, who used to work there. Those photos are HERE).

Typical farmhouse for this region. In the background is the very tall bell-tower of the town's church. The train station is across from the church. 

View toward Mt. Zug in the back. The bridge takes you into the Villette Park, which we didn't walk this day. (Back in June of 2019 we did a nice walk around the Villette Park).

Up ahead is the train station. To our left are the grounds of the Villette Park.

The town of Cham featured highly in the early Industrial Period, as the Lorze River provided a large amount of water to run the factories. This is a typical house from that period (Called "Jigsaw Architecture"). We did a very interesting "Industry Tour" in May 2019. 

Between the path and the railway line: Not sure what this building was used for. It seems it might once have been part of grounds of the Villette. 

A quick detour into the Villette Park after all, as I wanted a photo of the Villette villa.

From previous research, history of the Villette: "At this site just south of the railway line, there used to be a farm which was heavily affected by the building of the railway. A rich banker from Zurich (Heinrich Schulthess-von Meiss) bought the property and used the rubble from the railway to extend the property into the lake. The villa was built from 1864 to 1866 and served as summer residence for the family. By 1983, the community of Cham had purchased the entire property (in sections over decades since 1948)." 

The other side of that cute house between the walking trail and the railway line. 

Final stretch to the train station in Cham. 

This was an easy walk for us. We started at 12:45 and got onto the train in Cham at 14:14. From the train station near our home, we still had to walk another 700 meters home. So in all, this was a 6-km afternoon walk for us and 1½ hours of fresh air!

This is what the St.Andreas Castle looks like from the boat on Lake Zug. 

Short Afternoon Walk Nearby from Kappel a.Albis to Blickensdorf

Wednesday April 9, 2025 -- On this lovely day, Urs' day off, he had appointments in the morning and in late afternoon, so we couldn't really go far for our mid-week excursion. This was OK with me as I had done a 14-km walk the day before (photos HERE). So we headed into the hills north of our home, to the village of Kappel below the Albis mountain range in Canton Zurich, a 30-minute bus ride from here.

From there we walked a path we hadn't walked yet (we have done a lot of walking in this region!), a 6-kilometer walk on both forest and pasture trails, down to the community of Blickensdorf near Baar. It was only a 90-minute walk, but it was a hot afternoon and Urs still has pain when walking. It was just fine for a nice afternoon walk.

Kappel am Albis, the start of our hike, is the site of an ancient Cistercian Monastery, grounded in 1185, and we have visited the church building there twice before, so didn't go in this time. (November 2023 and August 2017). 

Along the way we enjoyed a large variety of flowering trees and bushes, some nice half-timbered houses, cows in the pastures and a buzzard on a branch much too small. Also, and always interesting, we crossed Canton border lines along the way, starting in Canton Zurich, and ending in Canton Zug.

It takes only 30 minutes by bus to get here, to the Monastery buildings in Kappel a.Albis. The bus stop is right next to this pond. 

The Cistercian Abbey church in Kappel, built in the 13th and 14th Centuries, is apparently one of the best preserved early Gothic buildings in Switzerland. We did not stop there this time, as we have seen the interior twice before. (2017 and 2023)

Houses in Kappel am Albis

One of many large blossoming trees we saw along the way. 

And here was a magnificent magnolia tree. 

A look back at the buildings surrounding the Abbey Church as we start out on our walk at about 2:30 p.m. 

At about 2:30 p.m. we started our walk in Kappel am Albis in Canton Zurich, via Uerzlikon (where I had ended a hike in April 2015) and through the forest, crossing the Canton Border into Canton Zug, and ending in Blickensdorf. Originally we wanted to walk to the train station in Baar, but there was a bus coming within a few minutes of our arriving there, so we ended the hike there. 

A look behind us as at the road we came down. Behind the village is the mountain range called Albis, which separates this region from Lake Zurich. 

Another close-up look at Kappel am Albis. 

My Dad used to have a tractor almost exactly like this. 

Past these large-growth trees we spotted a large bird high up on the skinniest of branches!

It always amazes me that these large birds can sit on such skinny branches!

A gorgeous bird of prey: The Common Buzzard. 

We are enjoying all the blossoming trees during this beautiful spring season!

After a stretch through the forest, we got to the next village called Uerzlikon. There were many pretty houses here.  

I also love the way many of these homeowners decorate their properties. So many loving details!

Another fabulous blossoming tree, pink this time. 

This cute little building is across from the bus stop in Uerzlikon. This is where I ended a my short walk from Knonau back in April 2015. 

More Magnolias

More white blossoms

More half-timbered houses. 

And the daffodils are at their peak right now!

More very pretty houses, still in Uerzlikon

What a fantastic house

This one is particularly cute because of the tiny half-timbered house next to the flag-pole!

At this time of year, the new leaves on the willow trees add a special green to the countryside. And it's so nice to see the cows out in the pastures again. 

Soon all of these trees will be blossoming as well. And far to the south we get a glimpse of the peaks in the Schwyzer Alps south of Lake Zug. 

At this point we have reached the Canton border. I am standing in Canton Zug, and Urs is still in Canton Zurich, taking a photo of me. 

Originally we were going to walk all the way to the Baar train station, at least 20 minutes more than the bus stop at Blickensdorf, where we then ultimately ended the hike (90 minutes instead of two hours) because there was a bus just arriving there. 

A view over the city of Baar as we descend to the bus stop in Blickensdorf

Such pretty blossoms!

And now the tulips are starting to show their colours!

This is what our walk looks like on Google Satellite Maps (blue trail). We had done several other walks in this region close to our home, but other than a short piece near Kappel am Albis, it was a path we had not yet walked before.