Fribourg Canton, Plaffeien
Distance: 7.56 km.
Walking time: 2h 8 min (we were fast on the way back)
Elevation gain: 493 m.
Highest point: 1,794 m.
Access: Car.
Parking: At mountain road close to Alp Schönenboden - 46.671251, 7.341181
Pram access: Salzmatt can be accessed through a tarmac road. Technically, it is possible to go there with a pram; practically, you need strong arms to push a pram up the hill. The way between Salzmatt and top of Hohmattli is not pram-friendly, nor is the way back.
This hike is like finding a secret gem amongst popular rocks. It is located in the neighbouring valley to Schwarzsee (Lake Noir). Once we arrived at the main parking, we realised that most of the hikers were from Fribourg Canton. It made us smile, as we believe, that local people tend to know well where to go to find beautiful, hidden places. We came across families, small groups of hikers and dog walkers. During the hike, we passed some pigs, lots of cows and horses - it made our toddler very, very happy!
There are a few restaurant opportunities on this hiking route. Right next to the main parking, there is Alp Schönenboden. At Salzmatt, there is Salzmatt Bergsommer. Food and drinks were also offered in a chalet with co-ordinates 46.672904, 7.332903 (I could not find any internet reference to this diner). However, there were also a number of opportunities for a picnic. If you follow our steps, we set up our blanket and the basket between the trees nearby the parking lot - we love having a picnic with views like this!
The hike to Salzmatt is a yellow path, however the remaining part of the hike is a mountain trail. Right from the beginning of the hike, the views open up towards Geissalp region. Most of the way towards Salzmatt can be either through a single path trail or a tarmac road. We chose to walk along the road for an easier ascent. The road went briefly into the forest, but it was mostly between the fields. The views are very pretty from Salzmatt and we deviated to a close by viewpoint before continuing our hike. There are multiple pathways going from Salzmatt and our trail went through the back of Salzmatt Bergsommer restaurant onto a single, steep path. The views kept getting better and better with the elevation gain. The top of Hohmattli is a field with 30 horses - it is quite a view to see a beautiful panorama behind many horses. The way back from Hohmattli starts through the forest and the path was quite muddy. The beginning of the descent is rather steep, but it soothes over time. The remaining half of the way back follows a single, bendy tarmac road.
You can check out more of our posts about hiking around this area and Schwarzsee:
There is a lift station near Salzmatt (from Schwarzsee). Our understanding is, that it is closed in summer. More information about Schwarzsee lift opening dates and times can be found on Schwarzsee website here.
More information about hiking routes can be found on SchweizMobil website here. Schwarzsee website offers more hikes around the area here. More information about Schwarzsee, events and general information can be found on Schwarzsee website here.
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