As I worked a lot over the last couple weeks, I had to take a time out on the weekend and went for a day hike even though the weather forecast was pretty bad. But instead of heading West, where the weather looked a bit better, I decided to go to the Eastern part of Switzerland where snow was predicted for the whole day. Of course this was not really weather to hike up in the mountains, so I planed to walk along the "Thurweg" (roughly translated as "Way of the Thur"). If you would walk the whole way it would take you about 8 days. I settled for day 3 which goes from Wattwil to Schwarzenbach. For once I started a bit later around 9 am and on my way out of Wattwil I encountered the river already the first time. For about 45 minutes I followed the Thur but as I was always close to houses, roads or railtracks during this first part, it wasn't really nice walking. The worst was that I had to pee and couldn't find any place as there were too many people around. Only about half an hour later I found a portable toilet on a construction site and sneaked in to relieve myself. :) Soon after that the trail finally ventured more into the countryside and I really enjoyed the silence after all the noise before. Two hours after my start in Wattwil I had to cross a bridge and it was the first time I took a short break. The river below was really calm and clear. The grass and moss in the water made it look super green and with all the snow and trees around it, it simply looked gorgeous.
In the meantime it had started to snow and through the snow flurry the trail led back into a town again. Luckily the villages were not that big anymore so I was back in the countryside soon enough. I enjoyed walking on the snowy paths and just before I arrived in Bütschwil, I passed a nice little waterfall in the woods right before I had to cross a hanging bridge. It snowed heavily now and with the gentle river below, the scenery as seen from the bridge was pretty epic. :) In Bütschwil I strenghtened myself with some food and kept on walking along the Way of the Thur. The way actually didn't always follow the river. Sometimes I didn't see it at all for quite a while. During the first part after lunch I even had to walk along a main road. Well there weren't that many cars but I was glad when I was back on a normal trail.
About an hour after lunch a viaduct appeared and right after that would have been a major sight: the old bridge of Lütisburg. Unfortunately the bridge was under construction and I couldn't cross it. So I had to use the "new" bridge which had a good view as well but definitely wasn't as charming as the old one would have been. Right after the bridge the way followed the shore of the Thur and once or twice there was a small path going down right to the edge of the river. Once more I enjoyed the serene beauty of this winter day and another moment of peaceful solitude.
While there was quite a lot of civilization along the whole trail, it grew thicker again towards the end. Just before I reached Schwarzenbach the path turned left and skirted a part of the town, following for a last time today the shore of the river. A last chance for me to say goodbye to the Thur. :) Arriving in Schwarzenbach I thought it a good idea to proceed all the way to Wil. Well I should have taken the bus as this extra 45 minutes of walking were mostly along a main road and therefore not really nice. Nevertheless I enjoyed this winter hike today. The snow, the fresh air and the nice river views made for a memorable day out.
Highlight of the day: the snow
This hike is for you if:
- you're looking for a long day hike in winter
- you want several options of opting out of the hike
- you're looking for a family friendly winter hike
- you don't mind a lot of civilization (towns, roads, railway tracks) along the way
This hike is not for you if:
- you're looking for panoramic views
- you prefer to walk up and down a lot
- you're seeking loneliness
Nice! 😀