Hiking in Switzerland
Trails, Safety & Local Knowledge

In Switzerland, hiking is something close to a national sport — and once you understand why, it makes perfect sense.

The Swiss are proud people. Exploring their own country on foot fits naturally with that pride. But it goes deeper than that. Before cable cars, trains, and modern roads, the people living in remote mountain villages — mostly farmers — had no choice but to walk. Getting from one valley to the next meant hiking, and that was simply normal life for generations. It is only recently that access to the mountains has become easy. The traditions stuck. Hiking is in the blood here, and mountaineering in general is one of the most common passions you will find across the country.

All of this has led to something visitors benefit from directly — an incredible network of well-marked trails with difficulty options for every level, from gentle lakeside walks to serious high-altitude routes.

As a mountain enthusiast who moved to Switzerland, discovering the landscape became a quest that is still ongoing — because the amount of beautiful terrain in this country is so vast that one lifetime is probably not enough. It took me a solid six years just to properly know my own home region. And that region is very small.

This guide covers everything we think hikers should know before heading into the Swiss mountains — from trail markings and difficulty ratings to weather safety, gear, and the best routes we know.