Valais Canton, Zermatt
Distance: 12.20 km.
Walking time: 3h 5 min, (it took us double the time with breaks).
Elevation gain: 260 m.
Access: Fenicular from Zermatt ZBAG.
Start: from Blauherd (change required to get there)
End of hike: at Sunnegga ZBAG (direct)
FENICULAR TICKETS: It is possible to buy tickets online; however if you have a half-fare or full-covered fare train passes, it is better to buy the tickets in Zermatt to receive a discount. If travelling in 2020, Valais vouchers are valid for this fenicular.
Since moving to Switzerland, we knew we had to visit Zermatt at some point. We were very excited for this long weekend and we planned a number of hikes during our stay there. 5 lakes hike was on top of our list, and we made sure we scheduled in a full day for it to fully enjoy and dwell on all of the surrounding beauty.
The 5 lakes include: Stellisee, Grindjisee, Grünsee, Mosjesee, Leisee. The photographs picture the lakes in order:
The hiking path is quite famous and busy with hikers, however it was still easy to keep social distancing. We met plenty of kids, dogs, families and bikers on this hike. We also saw marmots, fish, goats and many birds. Swimming is allowed at Grünsee (3rd lake) and Leisee (5th lake). There was quite a few people going into the chilly water to cool down from the exposure to hot sun. Kids play park and water games can be found at the last lake.
The entire hike gives picnic opportunities and I think a picnic is something which should not be missed from this day excursion. I have found myself wishing to stop walking many times during this hike, to stare at the open space and the distant mountains. A picnic is just a wonderful excuse to stop for a longer time and dwell on the prettiness of the surroundings. There are plenty of benches available across the hike.
Near lake Stellisee, there is Bergrestaurant Fluhalp; Mountain Lodge Ze Seewjinu is near lake Grünsee; Paradise restaurant is on the climb up to the last lake Leisee; Buffet Bar Sunnegga is at the fenicular station Sunnegga.
THE ROUTE
There are plenty of beautiful hikes around Zermatt and we discovered that 2 other hikes we were interested in, intersect with the 5 lakes hike:
We started our hike with an open mind, hoping that we would be able to mix in the other 2 hikes into it. Fortunately, we managed to include a part of the Panorama trail (no. 9), but we did not manage to fit in the Nature trail. However, knowing that about a half of the Nature trail is covered by the 5 lakes trail, we felt quite satisfied.
TIP: We started our trail at around 10am and there was a small breeze - this affected the water reflections of Matterhorn in the lakes. If catching those priceless reflections is something one is interested in, it may be worth to consider staying overnight near the first lake Stellisee at Bergrestaurant Fluhalp. This could allow more opportunities and luck to catch the mountain reflecting on the lake's surface.
TIP 2: The earlier the hike is started, the bigger chances of seeing more marmots running around!
We started our walk with Panorama Trail (no. 9) and later followed the 5 Lakes Trail (no. 11). We felt very joyful to start the morning with a slightly less popular path, as we got a chance to see a few marmots. Some were more scared than others but a few allowed us to watch them. Binoculars could have been useful at that point! We enjoyed the surrounding emptiness, fresh morning breeze and sharp look of the mountains.
Once we got back to the 5 Lakes Trail, it suddenly got much busier around us. The path to the first hike was rather rocky with varying widths, but easy to follow. We would highly encourage walking around the lake Stellisee before starting to head to the next lake. The path to reach Grindjisee started with a wide gravel road and then continued on a small dirt path at the steep side of a mountain. The 5 Lakes path continued on the right side of the second lake. There were two ways of continuing the path around the lake: a platform walk on the right side (without Matterhorn reflection), or a path on the left side of the lake and around. The second choice is more challenging because there are some large rocks to climb through with low laying tree branches; however if lucky, Matterhorn may be visible in the lake's reflection. The path later followed through meadows and streams until it reached the third lake Grünsee. We hiked during autumn time and we enjoyed walking around the lake, appreciating the red colours of shrubs and bushes around it. Matterhorn is not visible in the reflection of this lake. There was quite a steep descent before reaching the fourth, artificial lake Mosjesee. The path varied in width and there were plenty of stones. At this point, we were happy to wear shoes with deep soles to prevent sliding. The lake had beautiful turquoise colours, but we didn't feel attracted to fully walk around it. Following the path to the last lake, we enjoyed more views from the side of the mountains. Once we reached a large pathway junction, the trail started climbing ~100m in elevation. At this point, we were tired from walking (what it felt like), the whole day. The ascent has stunning views and overlooked at a number of chalets. We were happy once we reached the top and when we stopped at the last lake for a snack-picnic! We appreciated all the kids activities around there, keeping our toddler occupied.
Fly fishing is allowed at Stellisee (1st lake), but only with a guide.
It is possible to bathe in Grünsee (3rd lake) or Leisee (5th lake), but the water is always very cold.
There are plenty of activities around Leisee: a play park, water games along the stream coming into the lake, a raft with a rope, relaxing laying chairs, picnic tables.
More information about this route can be found on Zermatt Tourism website here or MySwitzerland website here. More information about hiking routes can be found on SchweizMobil website here, and mountainbiking routes here. General information about Zermatt, including activities and hotel bookings can be viewed on Zermatt Tourism website here.
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