Another weekend, another hike. :) Today I was aiming to start in Zurich and walk along the Albiskette until Sihlbrugg. As it turned out that was a really good idea. The beginning of the hike was at Albisgüetli just below the Üetliberg. I always thought that Albisgüetli was only a restaurant and event hall, but today I learned that there is also a shooting range, with people firing away like maniacs on an early Saturday morning. Of course that was not that nice as the sound of the gun shots kept following me all the way up to Üetliberg. The only choice I had was to ignore the noise and trying to focus on the beautiful things around me like this view I found along the way.
The way up to Üetliberg is not that steep and I was there in basically no time at all. As I started quite early there were not that many people there yet. The views were great that morning and I enjoyed a break and a second breakfast on the top. A well maintained walking path runs from Üetliberg all the way to Felsenegg. That was the way to go now. This part is well known and easy to do for everyone, so usually it's pretty crowded. Every now and then the view opens up between the trees and I enjoyed the beautiful view of the lake of Zurich with the Alps in the background. At Felsenegg there is a cable car and also a restaurant, so a lot of people stop or end their hike there. For me it was only beginning now. :) After Felsenegg comes Buchenegg followed by a pretty long stretch where the path is mainly in the forest with no views at all. This probably keeps the people away a bit as this was the most quiet part of the whole day. After the gun shots in the morning this suited me just fine. So after a while, and after crossing the pass of Albis, there was a pleasant surprise waiting for me: a viewing tower. The view from up there along the Albiskette was simply amazing.
Soon after that I passed the highest point of the Albiskette and then reached the Albishorn where I decided to stop for a beer. It was well deserved (in my opinion) and I couldn't take my eyes off the stunning view, so it was the perfect spot for a longer break.
After Albishorn the way went steadily down until I reached Sihlbrugg. For me that was the end of the hike. Basically one can extend the hike all the way to Baar but as far as I knew, it's not a really nice stretch so I skipped it and took the bus. Which, after 22 km of walking, didn't come with a guilty conscience. :) It was another beautiful day and I was reminded again that I don't have to go too far from home to enjoy a great day of hiking.
Highlight of the day: the panoramic views all along the way
This hike is for you if:
- you stay in Zurich and don't want to get up too early
- you don't mind the crowds
- you're looking for panoramic views of the lake of Zurich and the surrounding area
This hike is not for you if:
- you're annoyed when you have to share the hiking path with mountain bikers
- you need heights of over a 1000 m above sea level
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