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Hard Hiking Trails near Sankt Gallen

The directory currently contains 59 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Sankt Gallen. Their average mapped distance is 27.6 km and average recorded ascent is 963 m (3,159 ft); the longest route in the set is 162 km.

This subset represents 35% of the 170 quality-checked routes near Sankt Gallen. Its average distance is 27.6 km, compared with 13.2 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 963 m (3,159 ft), versus 538 m (1,765 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

This set contains routes rated hard or expert from their available distance and elevation measurements. Within this set, 0 routes (0%) are rated easy, 59 (100%) are rated hard or expert, and 3 (5%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

12.1 km

Via Alpina Green C1

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

432 m

Alpine Panorama Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

0 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
15.5 km
/ 9.6 mi
Elevation gain
432 m
Typical duration
3 hr 53 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
17.4 km
/ 10.8 mi
Elevation gain
468 m
Typical duration
4 hr 24 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Hard

Via Alpina Green C1

Liechtenstein

Distance
12.1 km
/ 7.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,339 m
Typical duration
4 hr 32 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
12.4 km
/ 7.7 mi
Elevation gain
977 m
Typical duration
4 hr 3 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Glarus · Switzerland

Distance
25.8 km
/ 16.1 mi
Elevation gain
670 m
Typical duration
6 hr 43 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
13.8 km
/ 8.6 mi
Elevation gain
830 m
Typical duration
4 hr 7 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Toggenburger Höhenweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
87.5 km
/ 54.4 mi
Elevation gain
2,859 m
Typical duration
24 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Rheintaler Höhenweg

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
106 km
/ 65.8 mi
Elevation gain
2,903 m
Typical duration
29 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Thurgauer Panoramaweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
37.4 km
/ 23.3 mi
Elevation gain
703 m
Typical duration
9 hr 32 min
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Züri Oberland-Höhenweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
74.2 km
/ 46.1 mi
Elevation gain
1,497 m
Typical duration
19 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Kulturspur Appenzellerland

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
70.3 km
/ 43.7 mi
Elevation gain
2,100 m
Typical duration
19 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Kulturlandschaft Rheintalmoor in Lauterach , Vorarlberg Hier: der “Jannersee” Veröffentlicht: Georg Kessler in "Freizeit im Ländle, Die schönsten Ausflugziele in Vorarlberg ISBN 978-3-7022-3068-5 2010
Hard

Jakobsweg Vorarlberg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
21.6 km
/ 13.4 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
4 hr 43 min
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Hard

ViaJacobi

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
30.0 km
/ 18.7 mi
Elevation gain
924 m
Typical duration
8 hr 6 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

ViaJacobi

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
27.8 km
/ 17.3 mi
Elevation gain
589 m
Typical duration
7 hr 3 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

ViaJacobi

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
24.0 km
/ 14.9 mi
Elevation gain
811 m
Typical duration
6 hr 30 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

ViaJacobi

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
25.7 km
/ 16.0 mi
Elevation gain
264 m
Typical duration
6 hr 4 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

ViaJacobi

Thurgau · Switzerland

Distance
27.3 km
/ 17.0 mi
Elevation gain
229 m
Typical duration
6 hr 24 min
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Neckertaler Höhenweg

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
53.5 km
/ 33.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,835 m
Typical duration
15 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Neckerweg

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
37.6 km
/ 23.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,330 m
Typical duration
10 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Appenzeller Weg

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
42.5 km
/ 26.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,006 m
Typical duration
11 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Via Alpina

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
16.1 km
/ 10.0 mi
Elevation gain
539 m
Typical duration
4 hr 12 min
  • Waymarked route
Jugendstilvilla an der Schweizerstrasse 7 in Altach , Vorarlberg Architekt: Baujahr: Bauherr:
Expert

Rheintalweg Vorarlberg

Liechtenstein

Distance
50.2 km
/ 31.2 mi
Elevation gain
692 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Frümsen-Salez

Appenzell Innerrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
5.7 km
/ 3.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,292 m
Typical duration
3 hr 7 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Gaflei - Planken

Liechtenstein

Distance
12.9 km
/ 8.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,404 m
Typical duration
4 hr 47 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein View from castle hill on city and wineyards
Hard

Gaflei - Letzi - Vaduz

Liechtenstein

Distance
8.3 km
/ 5.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,170 m
Typical duration
3 hr 30 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Geologischer Wanderweg Alpstein

Appenzell Innerrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
16.4 km
/ 10.2 mi
Elevation gain
582 m
Typical duration
4 hr 20 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Silberplatten West

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
16.8 km
/ 10.4 mi
Elevation gain
2,287 m
Typical duration
6 hr 58 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Tschingla Chäserugg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
4.0 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
956 m
Typical duration
2 hr 16 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Appenzeller Alpenweg

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
28.3 km
/ 17.6 mi
Elevation gain
1,364 m
Typical duration
8 hr 20 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Switzerland , Canton of St. Gallen , impressions along Thurweg
Hard

Thurweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
20.5 km
/ 12.7 mi
Elevation gain
754 m
Typical duration
5 hr 34 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Margelchopf-Gipfelweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
10.0 km
/ 6.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,648 m
Typical duration
4 hr 33 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Hard

Liechtensteiner Panoramaweg

Liechtenstein

Distance
11.8 km
/ 7.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,049 m
Typical duration
4 hr 2 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Quinten Seeweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
10.7 km
/ 6.6 mi
Elevation gain
886 m
Typical duration
3 hr 33 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Thurweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
25.8 km
/ 16.0 mi
Elevation gain
381 m
Typical duration
6 hr 16 min
  • 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
[E4/E5] Europäischer Fernwanderweg Rhein bis Grenze DSt. Gallen60.7 km1,656 m16 hrExpertApril to October
Alpine Panorama TrailAppenzell Ausserrhoden15.5 km432 m3 hr 53 minHardJune to October
Alpine Panorama TrailAppenzell Ausserrhoden17.4 km468 m4 hr 24 minHardApril to October
Via Alpina Green C1Liechtenstein12.1 km1,339 m4 hr 32 minHardJune to October
Alpine Panorama TrailAppenzell Ausserrhoden12.4 km977 m4 hr 3 minHardApril to October
Alpine Panorama TrailGlarus25.8 km670 m6 hr 43 minHardApril to October
Alpine Panorama TrailSt. Gallen13.8 km830 m4 hr 7 minHardApril to October
Via Alpina Stage 56: Feldkirch - GafadurahütteLiechtenstein11.6 km1,307 m4 hr 23 minHardJune to October
Via Alpina Stage 58: Sücka - SargansSt. Gallen27.7 km524 m6 hr 56 minHardApril to October
Bodensee- Rundwanderweg (Abschnitt Lindau - Kreuzlingen)St. Gallen87.3 km286 m20 hrExpertApril to October

[E4/E5] Europäischer Fernwanderweg Rhein bis Grenze D, Alpine Panorama Trail, Alpine Panorama Trail currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

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Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

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Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

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Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

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