Walks in and around Wädenswil

Wädi wandert

A selection of short walks in and around the loveliest municipality on Lake Zurich

Treasures on our doorstep

Six walks around Wädenswil, and none of them needs high mountains

Inspired by the long out-of-print walking booklet «Wädenswil von Kopf bis Fuss» from 1981, I re-explored six routes for the Wädenswiler Anzeiger: from the lakeshore to the highest point of the municipality, on foot and on snowshoes. I was amazed myself how much Wädenswil has to offer.

Walk 6 of 6 · Autumn

Wädenswil from high above

The highest point of the municipality is further away than most people think. From the Ratenpass you walk over the heights to the Gottschalkenberg and stand there with half the canton in front of you: Lake Zurich far below, the Pfannenstil opposite, the Albis behind it. The path runs over pastures and through woodland, with views that rearrange themselves at every bend. At the top a long break is worth it — from here you can see how the country fits together. You walk back with the feeling of having seen Wädenswil from the outside for once.

GPX track PDF

Ratenpass – Gottschalkenberg · the walk's area, route to follow as GPX© swisstopo

The six walks

Choose a walk

The Wädenswiler Berg from north-west to south-east

Right across Wädenswil at half height, from north-west to south-east
An easy pace: plenty of distance, little climbing and a view over Lake Zurich all the way
A hidden gem to finish

From park to park, right across Wädi to the Au

Eight parks, each with its own history and flora, from the Schlosspark to the Au peninsula
A town walk that shows Wädenswil from its green side

A morning walk through the Häxetäli

Out while Wädenswil is still asleep
With a little luck you meet the animals that hide by day

The five-lakes walk

Five «lakes» in one day, from Lake Zurich to the moor lake near Hütten
The path leads through the shady Mülibach gorge, to the historic Sternenschanze and to a pond that once supplied energy

A snowshoe walk for connoisseurs

A romantic path between Schönenberg and Hütten
Snowshoes can be hired from Wander-Erlebnis.ch

Wädenswil from high above

From the Ratenpass to the highest point of Wädenswil
A wide view from the Gottschalkenberg over Lake Zurich, the Pfannenstil and the Albis