Background, Facts and figures:
Nestled in the heart of the Swiss Alps, Lake Wägital is a true hidden gem. This picturesque lake, surrounded by majestic peaks and lush greenery, is the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. And for those based in Zurich it is reachable by car in just under an hour!
- Surface area: 4.18 km2 (1.61 sq mi)
- Maximum depth: 65 m (213 ft)
- Surface elevation: 900m (3,000 ft)
- Canton: located in the canton of Schwyz
Our recommended hike – from the lake to Schwarzenegghöchi:
We went to this lake spontaneously without any planning or knowledge about the area. We just looked at the map of Switzerland and randomly picked a lake we didn’t visit yet.
The road towards the lake was beautiful, incredible views and nice mountainy roads – nothing too steep or too curvy to make you carsick – but fun enough for an awesome ride and imprinting beautiful views into your memory.
Once we arrived, we were blown away by the beauty of the lake and its surrounding views! As we had no plan or map prepared, we decided to just walk up until sundown and making sure we had sufficient time to hike back down (ps. always carry a head lamp or flashlight with you in case you need to hike back down after sundown!)
From the parking lot (see map further down this post) of the lake we walked a few hundred meters across the lake and then starting hiking uphill until we reached the summit of Schwarzeneggghochi at 1364m (4472ft). The views were incredible!! Exactly how you would imagine Switzerland! Experience it all in one single view – beautiful lake, lush green meadows, forests, the classic sound of cowbells ‘tingelingeling tingelingeling 😉 ‘ in the backdrop and mountains. This is not a fancy route or by any means a sophisticated hike. Simply hike up, enjoy the view and hike back down! Sometimes keeping it simple gives you the best experience.
Pictures and full details on this hike further down this post! As always please feel free to leave a comment and we will get back at you.
Hiking route details, map and gpx file:
- Total Elevation: 487m (1598 ft) – being in good shape is recommended, this is not the toughest hike, but definitely not the lightest!
- Distance (one way going up): 4.2 km (2.6 miles)
- Estimated time (going up): 1 hour and 50 minutes (depending on your fitness). Make sure to calculate sufficient time to hike back down – it will be faster but be careful in case it is slippery. We ran down (we had to, otherwise would risk hiking in the dark..the perks of planning your hike for sunset type of pictures) and it took us approximately 45 minutes to get back down.
- Best time: we did this hike during Autumn (October). Would say this hike will be doable from late Spring through around mid-fall, depending on climate / weather conditions! As always picking out a clear Sunny day will provide the best views.
Map:
Please reach out in the comments case you would like to receive the gpx file. We use the iPhone app MapOut to record / draw our hikes.
How to get there / parking:
We recommend navigating to the village innerthal, located at the North side of the lake. We parked on the following location (see map below). Restrooms were available, but make sure you bring coins!
Public transport:
From Zurich travel to station Siebnen-Wangen. From Siebnen-Wangen Bahnhof you can take bus 523 to station ‘Innerthal Post’. Make sure to check timetables and whether this route still applies when planning your trip! Please note that some buses may only go once per hour, therefore plan carefully.
