All hikes: Along Water

After the rock outcrop at Stalvedro the trail winds its way down to the floor of the Leventina valley. Alongside the Ticino River and changing from one bank to the other, you reach Rodi and the Dazio Grande customs house, one of the impressive symbols of the ViaGottardo.

A magnificent forest track borders the lake on hilly ground from Corbières to Botterens. It is quiet on the way back, with magnificent views of the Moléson, the Dent de Broc and the Gibloux. Chocolate treats in Maison Cailler and an opportunity to swim in Les Laviaux.

Hike along the idyllic Seerhein shore and through shady northern slopes above the lake with views of Untersee and Insel Reichenau. Historic places of interest along the way: Gottlieben, Ermatingen, Steckborn and Arenenberg Castle with its Napoleon Museum.

On a tour of Geneva, you soon realize that the vibrant metropolis also offers wonderful locations in natural surroundings. Combined with the urban background, the attractive promenade alongside the lake, is the ideal place to take a stroll.

In Lausanne, the ViaJacobi leads from the Notre Dame Cathedral down the Escaliers du Marché. In Vidy it crosses an idyllic park with Roman ruins and then follows the popular lakeside promenade along Lac Léman to Morges.

An excursion from Fiesch to the Fieschertal - always alongside the lively Wysswasser river - is the purest of natural experiences. Here the mountain landscape of the Valais is presented at it's best. It's impossible to do anything but relax and enjoy it.

The old mule track is a walk through history and the world of the Kraftwerke Oberhasli power company. From the dam to the works railway, many facilities are accessible – guaranteeing many memorable moments.

Stroll with views of the Alps - from Küssnacht through the nature reserves in Wagenmoos, along the lakeshore at Meggen and Meggehorn castle. Approach to the city of Lucerne and arrival along the 19th-century tourism alley, its quay with distant views of the Alps.

The Lützelsee lake in the Zürcher Oberland provides the region with an extremely popular recreation area. The round tour starts in Hombrechtikon and leads through the lush green landscape alongside the sparkling lake.

French poet Gilles described the beauty of the Venoge, the river that this stage follows from Cossonay to Saint-Sulpice, sometimes high up, sometimes beside the water. The pilgrims’ path finally reaches Lac Léman and continues on via the Roman town of Vidy to Lausanne.

Witness the pioneering efforts of man and nature on the Path of the Pioneers, which takes you to the geographic centre of Graubünden. The Crap Furò natural forest reserve is home to one of the most diverse forests in Switzerland on such a small area.

Closely watched by the devil, the route leads from Wassen to Göschenen and through the bottleneck of the Schöllenenschlucht gorge to Andermatt. The sequence of historic routes, bridges, customs posts and hostels bring pre-modern transport to life.

The Vier-Quellen-Weg (Four Springs Trail) in the Gotthard Massif leads to the sources of four rivers: the Rhine, Reuss, Ticino and Rhone. A tour through an exceptional Alpine landscape with a wide diversity of fauna, flora and witnesses to a historic past.

The ViaRhenana, one of Switzerland's longest hiking trails, runs for ten days along the historic waterway between Untersee and Hochrhein. The fourth stage takes four hours from Schaffhausen to Rheinau with its baroque monastery church.

This route starts in the lakeside town of Neuchâtel at the well-known Place Pury and leads to the Piscine du Nid-du-Crô swimming complex. The vibrant metropolis of Canton Neuenburg is combines natural beauty with a permanent holiday atmosphere.

The hike starts in Malval and follows the entire course of the Allondon, a tributary of the Rhone and hugely important floodplain biotope.

The trail follows the high banks of the Rhein river, which here are strongly influenced by the industrial and traffic infrastructure of Basel's catchment area. The ruins of Augusta Raurica, the Rhine harbour, river power stations and Basel's city-silhouette are outstanding.

The route in and around the charming town of St-Ursanne in Canton Jura is a treat for history lovers. The captivating little town on the River Doubs has changed little over the centuries. It is impressive and well worth a visit.

Over the valley slopes to Oberengadin - and Brail with its ornate small church; the Ober and Unterengadin border by «Punt Ota» and old customs house (later to become a parsonage and then school) with inscription: «Veglia chesa da scuola.» Pretty Cinuos-chel village centre by the church.

Numerous places to take a break or swim are found along the lake shores – and the unspoilt Lachner Horn landscapes and Schmerikon estuary cordially invite you to rest a while. Attractive contrast on this leg is the crossing of the woods by Buchberg.

The Thur flows between the Churfirsten and Säntis Massif through the Canton of St. Gallen toward the canton to which it has lent its name. A well-known personality, Ulrich Bräker (1735-1798) was a citizen of Wattwil. Why not read his lifestory “The Poor Man of Tokkenburg“ (“Der arme Mann vom Tokkenburg”) as spiritual preparation? In any case, the fantastic landscape in the green valley can be thoroughly enjoyed at all times.

This route starts in Pfäffikon SZ and leads along the bank of the Seedamm (lake dam) to Rapperswil SG. The section is marked by wonderful far-reaching views over an endless plain with flower-filled fields and meadows as well as the glistening Zurichsee (lake). The ultimate holiday feeling!

This route starts in Bendern in the Principality of Liechtenstein and leads mainly along the Rhine dam. The wide, smoothly surfaced path and breathtaking views make this an ideal leisure area.

This hike from the Tracouet mountain station to Haute-Nendaz leads to the largest and oldest larches in Europe. Further highlights include the gondola ride with its beautiful panoramic views, the Lac Noir (Black Lake) mountain lake, the wonderful forest paths and the Bisse de Saxon irrigation channel, the longest in Valais.

This hike does full justice to its name. The trail leads from Les Brenets near La Chaux-de-Fonds to St. Ursanne, almost always alongside the River Doubs and crossing the Doubs Regional National Park from west to east.

The hiking trail leads almost continually through the riverside woodlands of the Rhein, which here gets pushed aside by the walls of moraine at the foothills of the Schwarzwald. Ruins of several Roman watch towers lie alongside the trail as well as the «Bürkli» earthworks at Riburg.The hiking trail leads almost continually through the riverside woodlands of the Rhein, which here gets pushed aside by the walls of moraine at the foothills of the Schwarzwald. Ruins of several Roman watch towers lie alongside the trail as well as the «Bürkli» earthworks at Riburg.

Before the opening of the Axenstrasse road in 1865, the main route was by lake. The trip by steamship still remains an exceptional experience. From the jetty at Flüelen, you hike into the cantonal capital of Altdorf.

The route from Zug to Cham leads along the shores of the Zugersee lake. A route marked by variety with it's urbane promenades, tranquil woodland and meadow sections and idyllic views of the lake.

Via the north wall to the other shore and the Bürgenstock cliff path, which as an Alpine promenade, afforded well-heeled ladies and gentlemen a view back to the city of Lucerne. Past the pilgrimage site of St Jost along the shore at Ennetburgen, Buochs and Beckenried.

This section includes a boat trip from Brunnen to Treib, the ancient refuge harbour at the point where cantons Uri, Schwyz and Nidwalden meet. The chapels along the way and the Winkelried memorial in Stans are worth seeing.

This route runs around the enchanting hamlet of Lucelle, which is set in a nature reserve. The remains of a Cistercian monastery will take you back to bygone days and the wild vegetation along the lake shore will make this an unforgettable tour.

The Thur now flows eastwards and straightened through the principality. There is hardly any altitude difference to overcome on the embankment and through shady forest. The Huserfelsen cliffs just before the cantonal border are the only notable elevation. After this the trail ascends to Bischofszell.

A stage for railway fans: part of the trail runs right alongside the railway tracks, past Göschenen and Andermatt, which played important roles in Gotthard traffic history. In between the Schöllenenschlucht (gorge), shrouded in myth.

The route leads back to Thun over the Spiezberg hill and along the tranquil lakeside path. It's worth making the detour to the church in Einigen, which illustrates 1300 years of cultural history around Lake Thun. To finish, the numerous restaurants in the town wait to welcome weary travellers.