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Best Lake Hikes in Switzerland

We track 17 routes that match this search in Switzerland. They average 17.1 km and 523 m (1,716 ft) of ascent.

That is 0 percent of the 4,054 routes we map in Switzerland. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 17.1 km against 6.8 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 523 m (1,716 ft) on average versus 172 m (564 ft) across the wider area.

Lake routes give you a natural halfway point, somewhere to swim in summer, and the calmest reflections of the whole week if you get there before the wind picks up. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

Trails

Wanderwegweiser Dorfgastein
Expert

Zentralalpenweg 02

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
1146 km
/ 712 mi
Elevation gain
19,112 m
Typical duration
301 hr
  • Lake
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Vista sul lago Maggiore dall'alpetto Caviano
Hard

Cammino del Lago Maggiore

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
23.6 km
/ 14.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,111 m
Typical duration
6 hr 51 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Vicolo al Castello 3, Brissago. "Palazzo Branca-Baccalà" et musée Leoncavallo.
Hard

Cammino del Lago Maggiore

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
19.6 km
/ 12.2 mi
Elevation gain
989 m
Typical duration
5 hr 42 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
01 202 of "Verein Pacific 01 202" ahead (together with 01 1066) of a northbound special train at Minusio.
Hard

Cammino del Lago Maggiore

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
24.4 km
/ 15.1 mi
Elevation gain
193 m
Typical duration
5 hr 39 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Sentiero Lago di Lugano

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
33.0 km
/ 20.5 mi
Elevation gain
725 m
Typical duration
8 hr 29 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Eienwäldli - Wasserfall

Obwalden · Switzerland

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
47 m
Typical duration
31 min
  • Waterfall
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Giro della Valle del Salto

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
7.8 km
/ 4.8 mi
Elevation gain
171 m
Typical duration
1 hr 53 min
  • Waterfall
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Holzkapelle - Wasserfall

Obwalden · Switzerland

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
45 m
Typical duration
29 min
  • Waterfall
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Schaffhauser-Zürcher-Weg

Zurich · Switzerland

Distance
23.3 km
/ 14.5 mi
Elevation gain
380 m
Typical duration
5 hr 40 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Sentiero Lago di Lugano

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
10.8 km
/ 6.7 mi
Elevation gain
237 m
Typical duration
2 hr 36 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Sentiero Lago di Lugano

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
16.4 km
/ 10.2 mi
Elevation gain
361 m
Typical duration
4 hr
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Sentiero Lago di Lugano

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
22.6 km
/ 14.0 mi
Elevation gain
496 m
Typical duration
5 hr 40 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Sentiero Lago di Lugano

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
10.4 km
/ 6.5 mi
Elevation gain
229 m
Typical duration
2 hr 31 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Sentiero Lago di Lugano

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
11.3 km
/ 7.0 mi
Elevation gain
248 m
Typical duration
2 hr 43 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Sentiero Lago di Lugano

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
16.9 km
/ 10.5 mi
Elevation gain
372 m
Typical duration
4 hr 8 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Sentiero Lago di Lugano

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
15.2 km
/ 9.4 mi
Elevation gain
334 m
Typical duration
3 hr 40 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Sentiero Lago di Lugano

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
10.8 km
/ 6.7 mi
Elevation gain
237 m
Typical duration
2 hr 36 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Naturlehrpfad

Zurich · Switzerland

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
63 m
Typical duration
42 min
  • Lake
  • Wildlife watching
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Nidelbad - Wildpark Höfli

Zurich · Switzerland

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
57 m
Typical duration
37 min
  • Lake
  • Wildlife watching
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Cascada da Bernina

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
13 m
Typical duration
9 min
  • Waterfall
  • Lake
Moderate

5-Seen-Wanderung

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
9.9 km
/ 6.1 mi
Elevation gain
217 m
Typical duration
2 hr 23 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Hard

9 Seen-Weg

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
17.5 km
/ 10.9 mi
Elevation gain
754 m
Typical duration
4 hr 51 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Alosen - Oberhaltenbüel

Zug · Switzerland

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
39 m
Typical duration
26 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Beinwil am See - Breitholz

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance
2.7 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
60 m
Typical duration
39 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Beinwil am See - Mosen

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance
3.0 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
65 m
Typical duration
43 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bennau - Chatzenstrick

Schwyz · Switzerland

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
39 m
Typical duration
26 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bibersteg - Gutsch-Säge

Schwyz · Switzerland

Distance
2.7 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
59 m
Typical duration
39 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Birrwil am See - Beinwil

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
58 m
Typical duration
38 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Birrwil am See - Boniswil

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance
3.7 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
81 m
Typical duration
53 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bräggerhof - Waldeggli

Schwyz · Switzerland

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
33 m
Typical duration
22 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Champex-Lac > Champex

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
19 m
Typical duration
12 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Davos See - Meierhof

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
10 m
Typical duration
7 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Davoser See - Bad

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
11 m
Typical duration
7 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Dritte Altmatt - Bubrugg

Schwyz · Switzerland

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
62 m
Typical duration
41 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Egg - Jureten

Schwyz · Switzerland

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
26 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Giro del Lago

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
38 m
Typical duration
25 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Zentralalpenweg 02Grisons1146 km19,112 m301 hrExpertJuly to September
Via Alpina Stage 80: Trient - Champex-LacValais/Wallis14.8 km1,247 m4 hr 58 minHardJuly to September
Via Alpina Stage 81: Champex-Lac - Bourg St. PierreValais/Wallis16.4 km738 m4 hr 34 minHardJune to October
Cammino del Lago MaggioreTicino23.6 km1,111 m6 hr 51 minHardApril to October
Cammino del Lago MaggioreTicino19.6 km989 m5 hr 42 minHardApril to October
Cammino del Lago MaggioreTicino24.4 km193 m5 hr 39 minHardApril to October
Sentiero Lago di LuganoTicino33.0 km725 m8 hr 29 minExpertApril to October
Lac du Petit Mont-Fort - Col de la ChauxValais/Wallis1.6 km35 m23 minEasyApril to October
Crap da Sass - Ova dal Sagl (Wasserfall)Grisons1.5 km33 m22 minEasyApril to October
Eienwäldli - WasserfallObwalden2.1 km47 m31 minEasyApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Via Alpina Stage 80: Trient - Champex-Lac, Via Alpina Stage 81: Champex-Lac - Bourg St. Pierre, Cammino del Lago Maggiore. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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