Pfannenstiel hike: Greifensee – Lake Zurich

It’s one of those things with spring. On a weekend, it lures whole armies out into the fresh air with bright sunshine and T-shirt temperatures. While next weekend the uncertain weather situation lets us know who knows whether a day trip is worth it at all or whether the rain will catch up with us on the way. Such a mixed weekend took place at the beginning of April. Instead of mom, my mom and I took the opportunity to explore a corner of Zurich that I had studiously ignored until now – the Greifensee. Up until this point, I thought it was always hopelessly overcrowded on weekends.

Start of the hike at Lake Greifensee

Lake Greifensee is one of the most popular excursion destinations around Zurich. During our trip at the beginning of April, however, I noticed that the combination of an uncertain weather forecast with rain tendencies as well as early marching off had a positive effect on the overall experience (we hardly met any people on the way).

Shortly after nine o’clock we start our hike at the train station Nänikon-Greifensee. From here, a short walk takes us to the “Städtli” of Greifensee. The historic town with its castle, church and some spruced-up half-timbered houses is very pretty. Every year before Easter, an international Easter egg exhibition takes place in the castle and associated with it a small market with Easter handicrafts including nice souvenirs for the Easter brunch or your own balcony / garden.

Circular hike around the Greifensee

The circular hike around the Greifensee also leads directly through the town. After a short tour of the market, we follow it in the direction of Uster. I didn’t have any great expectations of this section in advance, but I’m already in a positive mood after just a few meters. The path leads off to the road through a sparse lakeside forest and allows you to explore the reed area on the shores of Lake Greifensee by means of footbridges.

From Maur to Erlenbach

It takes us less than an hour to reach the port in Niederuster. The shipping company Greifensee offers both round trips and scheduled boat trips on the Niederuster-Maur route. The GA travelcard (as well as the Half-Fare travelcard) is valid on this route and so we are chauffeured by boat to the opposite side of the river.

In Maur we follow the hiking trail through the Bachtobel uphill towards Forch. If the ascent from the boat landing stage in Maur to the Forchbahn station is not crisp enough for you, you can turn off in Forch onto the Pfannenstiel-Weg in the direction of Pfannenstiel / Meilen (12 kilometres / approx. 3 hours walking time).

As the sky has darkened abruptly on our arrival in Forch and we feel the first raindrops, we decide to take the “ringer” route over the Küsnachter Berg. At the hamlet of Wangen, the short detour through the very idyllic Tobelmüli is worthwhile. Then we follow the village stream to just before Limberg, where a direct “breakthrough” brings us to the second part of the Erlenbacher Tobel-Weg. This section also shows how much beauty the canton of Zurich has in store for us to the left and right of the densely built-up hillsides of the Gold Coast. Following the ravine of the village stream, we hike through a secluded forest landscape. To our surprise, splashing water thresholds are followed by a rushing waterfall shortly before Erlenbach.

By boat back to Zurich

Our timing on this day is so excellent that our hike not only works out with the boat trip across the Greifensee, but we also reach the boat station in Erlenbach on time with the incoming ship towards Zurich. And now that the Lake Zurich Shipping Company has abolished the controversial and much-discussed surcharge of 5 francs, the GA travelcard is also fully valid here.

We have hiked briskly up to here and slowly our stomachs are growling. Instead of having a bite to eat on the ship, we make a stopover in Küsnacht. Here, directly at the boat station, you will find the beautiful beer garden of the Seehotel Sonne. If you like it more sophisticated, you will find the gourmet restaurant Sonnengalerie behind it, which also offers light summer dishes and fine cakes on the terrace in the afternoon. A worthwhile stop – and an hour later we will definitely take the next ship back to Zurich. Apart from the dozen or so raindrops on the Forch, the weather held up well that day.

Practical information and tips for the hike over the Pfannenstiel

The route of our hike from Lake Greifensee via the Pfannenstiel to Lake Zurich (including a boat trip across Lake Greifensee) can be found on the map below. The first stage of the route from Greifensee (Nänikon-Greifensee railway stop) to the jetty in Niederuster is 4 kilometres long and mostly flat. The journey time is just under an hour. The second stage from Maur via Forch to Erlenbach has a distance of 11 kilometres. From Maur to the Forch, almost 400 meters of altitude have to be overcome. For this stage, a travel time of three hours must be calculated.

p.s. this entertaining hike is not only worthwhile in spring, but also guaranteed to cool off in summer – then just pack your swimsuit and a fine picnic for a stopover at the water.

Starting point	Nänikon-Greifensee
Length	15.6 kilometers
Elevation gain	↗ 394 m 434 m ↘
Duration	4:10 p.m.
Destination	Erlenbach ZH (See)
Refreshment stops	On the ship

This excursion tip doesn’t quite meet your expectations? No problem! In the article linked below you will find further suggestions on what you can do around Zurich: 9 great excursion destinations and short hikes in the vicinity of Zurich