Töss-Jona-Route
Overview
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Distance 39 km
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Ascent 340 m
Intro
The winding Töss could be a raging torrent after a storm but has been tamed by numerous industrial canals, creating a lot of power and some regret. Tössbergerland is shaped by forested hills, steep slopes and rugged ravines.
Description
At Turbenthal railway station, you can cross the river Töss over a bridge made of planks. However, the notice board stresses that this is at your own risk. People used to build plank bridges of this kind in the time before rivers were straightened by human intervention and therefore constantly changing their direction of flow. This meant that there was usually little sense in building permanent bridges. To cross the river, people fitted two flexible planks to each bank of the river, propped up by a support halfway across.
Following with the railway line, this leg leads upstream through the Tösstal valley. The main valley is narrow and the side valleys create a rugged impression. The settlements here are named Wila, Saland and Bauma. Interestingly, Bauma’s historic station concourse was developed by the architect Ludwig Rudolf Maring for Basel SBB railway station in 1860, but was later transported to Olten and finally rebuilt in Bauma in 2015. Sometimes a steam train runs here on summer weekends.
Shortly after the footbridge, the Töss heads towards the Tösswald forest. South of the Fischenthal fen, the watercourse is known as Jona. Then you will see a sign reading “Welcome to the ski jumps of Gibswil!” You can go ski jumping here all year round. It is beautiful to watch kestrels fly stubbornly against the wind and staying in the same spot, looking for mice. Equally beautiful is the area in and around the woodlands around the the village of Wald, which is in the canton of Zurich. The landscape now becomes more open, with views over part of Lake Zurich and towards the Alps. Between Eggwald wood and Lattenbach stream, the route continues through little Lütschbach and on to Ober, Mittler and Unter Tägernau. The farmhouse on the way is said to have been built in 1730. It is one of the most impressive wooden buildings in the canton of St. Gallen.
Roe and red deer live in the nature conservation area of Unter Tägernau. Majestic fallow deer are clearly at home in this expansive enclosure. The route continues straight to the Rapperswil, the town of roses, on the shores of Lake Zurich. Rapperswil’s main landmark is its castle, but the lakeside promenade with its restaurants is also a scenic spot to stop a while. If you like, you can cycle a little further to visit the well-known Kinderzoo, a zoo aimed at children.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Turbenthal
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|---|---|
| Destination |
Rapperswil
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| Ascent |
340 m
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| Descent |
480 m
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| Distance |
39 km
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| Distance on tarred ways |
39 km
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| Physical requirements |
Easy
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Quick Facts
Route number
