Sunday excursion – hike to the Uetliberg

I’ve been living in the greater Zurich area for some time now (originally I’m from the canton of Bern and proud of it :-)) but have never made it to the Uetliberg. A week ago, on a Sunday afternoon, when the sun was shining beautiful and tempting and all the housework was done, I decided to change that.

“Hiking” to the summit

The Uetliberg is the local recreation destination for the people of Zurich and offers a fantastic view of the city, the lake and, in good weather, the Alps. But the best thing about the Uetliberg is that you can take the train from the main station almost up to the “summit”. The S10 runs from underground platforms 1 and 2 every quarter of an hour on weekends to the Uetliberg stop (duration approx. 30 minutes). The restaurant at Uetliberg train station is fittingly called “Gmüetliberg”. From the train station you have to hike uphill for about 10 minutes and you are already on the summit at the Hotel Uto Kulm. On the way to the hotel, you will pass public fireplaces, which are actively used. I then briefly regretted not having packed a cervelat, because it looked very cozy.

View from the Uetliberg

At Uto Kulm is the 70 m high steel observation tower, which is one of the highest public observation towers in Switzerland. I had to smile when the sign in front of the tower announced that this tower offers me the most beautiful view in Switzerland. The access to the tower is currently CHF 2 and actually offers a wonderful all-round view (whether it is then also the most beautiful, I cannot conclusively judge).

For those who want to do some sports, the Uetliberg offers the ideal starting point with very different hiking routes. But since we didn’t set off until late afternoon, there was no time for a longer hike. We then chose the short walk to the Ringlikon S-Bahn station, where we took the train back to the main station. However, the Uetliberg and its surroundings have surprised me positively and I will certainly take a Sunday trip to this area again and then set off a little earlier so that a hike fits into the program.

How do you get to the Uetliberg?

There are several ways to get to the top of the Uetliberg in Switzerland. You can take the train to Zurich and then take the S-Bahn line S10 or S4 to the “Uetliberg” station. If you like hiking or cycling, there are also well-marked trails available that will take you to the top of the Uetliberg. From there, you can enjoy spectacular views of Zurich, Lake Zurich, and the Alps.

 

I have put together other leisure activities in Zurich in another blog post.