Bern Canton, Zweisimmen
Distance: 18.78 km.
Walking time: 5h.
Elevation gain: 1,069 m.
Highest point: 1,830 m.
Access: Car and/or train.
Parking: at Schönried train station 46.503804, 7.290967 - It is better to park in Schönried than leaving the car in Zweisimmen, because the free parking there is too short to make this hike.
We hiked through those beautiful alps before our son joined our family. We were stunned with the mountains! The hike opens to the views for the majority of the walk and the routes are well indicated. We came across cows and Saanen goats. There were not many picnic points, but it was easy to find a spot on the surrounding meadows. We did not meet many hikers.
Schönried is situated much higher in altitude than Zweisimmen, however we wanted a bigger hiking challenge. If one prefers a bigger descent than ascent, doing this hike in the opposite direction is also a possibility.
We left our car in Schönried and took the train to Zweisimmen to start our day of hiking. Once we crossed the village, the climb was very steep and tough to start with - it was a good workout to stretch back of knees and calves! The climb started in the forest, but soon it followed between the meadows. The trail goes through Sparenmoos, which is a known and beautiful spot for cross country skiing. About a half of the hike followed a single car-width road with tarmac or dirt/gravel covering. About half way up, the ascent eased off slightly and it was easier to climb. Once walking through the mountain tops, we decided to take a less crowded trail down to Schönried, but you could follow through Planihubel and Rellerli summits, taking the famous trail down from there. If you do that, bare in mind that the route is rather popular between hikers, mountain bikers and scooters. Our descent started quite rapidly, but it got smoother later on. We were quite happy and tired to arrive at our destination!
There is a restaurant Berghaus Rellerli at Rellerli summit if you follow a different way back. There are a few restaurants in Schönried - such as Hotel Kernen (where we had a lovely dinner) or Ermitage (where they also serve delicious cakes). If you wish to eat in Zweisimmen, there are also a number of restaurant choices.
The restaurant Berghaus Rellerli has stunning views from the terrace. There are also plenty of activities for kids and adults next to the restaurant - a toboggan run, mini train, swings. There are also scooters for rental at the top station, which you can leave later at the bottom station.
There is a possibility of cutting this walk short by taking the Rellerli cabin lift down.
Coming up to Rellerli summit with a lift up and down is also a beautiful idea for a scenic picnic or lunch at the restaurant.
Cable car cabins to nearby Rinderberg mountain are also open for private dining at specific dates. Prices and dates are available here.
More information about this hike can be found on SchweizMobil website here.
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