Weg der Schweiz – Stage 1: Treib to Isleten

A panorama that won’t quit

This is the easy-going kind of hike, with a panorama that basically refuses to quit. Quick logistics: train from Zürich straight to Brunnen, then the boat across to Treib (there’s enough time for a coffee). From Treib, walk up toward Seelisberg rather than taking the cable car — the cable car is faster, sure, but you’d be skipping the best benches and viewpoints of the day. Don’t do that.

From Seelisberg the quiet road past the Rütli information boards keeps things mellow, and the little viewpoint above Hochegg is hands-down the best picnic spot on the route. Above Bauen, take the red trail — it’s worth it. The descent into Bauen is steep with big knee-rattling steps, and then the route continues via Seedorf through a long tunnel with a vaguely eerie vibe. There’s a swim waiting in Isleten at the end.

Tip: buses back from Isleten run on a relaxed schedule, so leave yourself buffer. And if you’ve still got energy, extending toward Isenthal is a fine call.

How it went for me

For me this is the perfect spring season-opener: little climbing, all the more view, a coffee on the boat and, at the end, a plunge into the Urnersee at Isleten. Exactly the kind of easy day that has you sitting on the train in the evening, sun-tanned and content, wondering why not every hike is this effortlessly lovely.