Hiking in Switzerland

The Swiss are avid hikers are there are many great hikes around the country. One popular area is the Bernese Oberland (home of Interlaken, the famous Jungfrau, and the hikes around Grimmelwald).

Popular for a longer hike is the Schilthorn. Take a cable car from Mürren to the summit — which has a the Piz Gloria restaurant with a panoramic view — and hike down to the valley floor.

The Stoos Ridge hike is supposed to be particularly spectacular. Do this hike in conjunction with the intriguing Stoos Railway, and you could also include the exciting Fräkmüntegg toboggan run

Schäfler Ridge & Seealpsee. Begin this journey at the Wasserauen Gondola Station near Appenzell. Pay CHF 22 each for a one-way ticket to Ebenalp. From there, hike toward Berggasthaus Schäfler, where you can book a room for the night. This section of the hike is 2.4 kilometres and 355 m of elevation gain.

The Mount Titlis Suspension Bridge, located near the village of Engleberg, is a popular site which provides a spectacular view of the glacier and surrounding mountains. From Engelberg, you can hike to the bridge or take the Line 2534 gondola. Engleberg is about a 40 minute drive south of Lucerne.

An article from Neue Zücher Zeitung, The 15 Most Beautiful Hikes in Switzerland.

Piz Gloria restaurant at Schilthorn

Titlis Suspension Bridge

Transportation and Luggage

The transportation system in Zurich is complicated, with multiple zones and many pricing options for time of day and travel duration.
I think the simplest option is to buy a Zürich Card which is good for travel for 72-hour on all the various transit: tram, bus, train, boat and cable car. Information available on the ZVV website.

Rick Steves recommends the SBB app for buying tickets in Switzerland, including ZVV tickets. It has the advantage of holding your credit card information and being able to buy ZVV tickets using just the app — tickets are held as QR codes. Download the iPhone or android app.

Jaisli Mobility Service provide luggage transport throughout Switzerland. This is useful fro hikes and even for some trains rides that do not have luggage storage onboard such as the scenic railways like the Glacier Express and the Golden Pass line.