Swiss National Park Hiking Guide
The Swiss National Park is one of those short trips where a simple weekend away feels a whole week. It is the pure wilderness we have been yearning for since our hikes in Tasmania, New Zealand and the Canadian Rockies.
Switzerland offers many hikes but most of them would take you through farms, mountain huts or restaurants and you would most definitely pass some cows, hear cowbells or just smell their near presence. These are special experiences too, especially if you just come for a short visit to Switzerland. However, The Swiss NP, with its wildlife and wild landscapes feels like the real deal, to us and friends visiting.
It is 3 hours from Zurich or 4 hours from Basel by train. It is more than possible to just stay 1 night in the park and cover a handful of hikes.
Places to stay
Il Fuorn Hotel or Chamanna Cluozza (Note: Chamanna is closed for the year of 2021 but welcomes thirsty and hungry guests between 12-2pm between June and October 2021 with a simple menu.)
Il Fuorn exceeded our expectations with a wonderful room, delicious dinner and buffet breakfast all nestled between the mountains by the river and the main road. Perfect recharge for another long day of hiking. Most hikes are easily reached on foot or by bus from Il Fuorn.
How to plan the hikes
We highly recommend the official park app. It provides information on all the hikes, on the fauna and flora, and can access an online or offline bus timetable.
As an extra tool and especially planning and navigating any hike in Switzerland we recommend Swisstopo app.
