Chäserrugg: The Loveliest Summit in Toggenburg, Cable Car from Unterwasser, Views Without the Crowds

There are mountains you tick off, and there are mountains you simply want to linger on. For us, the Chäserrugg belongs firmly to the second kind. At 2,262 metres, as the easternmost of the seven Churfirsten, it stands like a calm guardian over Toggenburg, and although it has everything a great excursion mountain needs, it never feels like a scrum up here. That is exactly what we love about it. It is a little like our whole region: hidden Switzerland, like Appenzell, only a touch lovelier and without the crowds.

If you stay with us in Louisa’s Loft or Gallery in the historic SutterSport building at Hauptstrasse 36 in Alt St. Johann, the Chäserrugg is practically on your doorstep. To reach the summit you first head the few minutes over to Unterwasser, by car or easily by bus and train, and from there the mountain ride up begins. Right beside us, just about 300 metres from the front door, is the Selamatt valley station: its own, equally lovely hiking and ski area. In winter you can even head off from there ski-in/ski-out right from the village. Either way, one of the most relaxed mountain regions we know starts on our doorstep, the perfect base for a whole day on the mountain.

The Cable Car from Unterwasser: Two Stages to Stillness

The ascent happens in the calmest way imaginable, in two steps. First the funicular carries you up from Unterwasser to Iltios. There you change to the cable car, which takes you the rest of the way to the summit. No jostling, no rushing. You look out of the window, watch the valley grow smaller, and suddenly you are at the top.

Those two stages have something wonderfully settling about them. You don’t just arrive, you make a little journey of it. For us, that is the essence of Slow Travel: the way there is already part of the experience, and what waits at the top is not a queue but open space. And because Unterwasser is only a few minutes from us, you can head off in the morning without any travel stress at all, it’s just a short hop to the valley station.

A Summit Restaurant You Have to See

Right at the top stands something you would never expect on a mountain: the summit restaurant, designed by the world-renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron. Completed in 2015, it is a timber building on a concrete foundation, and the loveliest thing about it is how understated it is. Nothing showy, no glass palace. The components were prefabricated by local craftspeople down in the valley and assembled up here over the course of a single summer. You feel that down-to-earth quality as you sit inside.

Inside, warm wood sets the tone; outside, the mountains. The view faces south, down to the Walensee and far into the Alps. The menu offers Toggenburg specialities, often reimagined with a fresh and delicate touch. We like the thought that you first arrive by way of this quiet mountain railway and then land in a room that draws architecture lovers from all over the world. Good food and good design, entirely without fuss.

Photo: Chäserrugg

The View Over the Churfirsten: and More Than 500 Peaks

And then, of course, there is the reason you come up in the first place: the view. From the Chäserrugg you look along the whole striking Churfirsten ridge, out over the Walensee and into a panorama that takes in more than 500 peaks. On clear days the view reaches well beyond the canton borders. You stand there, the wind is fresh, and for a moment there is simply stillness.

Photo: Chäserrugg

Summer and Winter: a Mountain for the Whole Family

What makes the Chäserrugg so special is that it works all year round. In summer, various walking trails set off from the top and around Iltios, among them lovingly designed themed paths such as the Klangweg, where children discover sounds and noises along the way. Perfect for families who want to do more than just walk, who want to experience something as they go.

In winter, the region turns into a wide-open snow-sports area, plus winter walking trails, tobogganing fun and a ski school that patiently gets even the littlest ones onto their skis, the ski school and children’s paradise are only about 200 metres from us, and the cross-country trail begins practically right outside the house. Whether it’s a family outing or a quiet winter day for two, the mountain makes room for both, and staying with us means you’re quickly out on the slopes.

And the best part: the Chäserrugg lies only about an hour from Zürich. Close enough for a day trip, lovely enough to stay much longer. If, after a day on the mountain, you long for a warm place to retreat to with a touch of Toggenburg charm, you’ll find it with us in Louisa’s Loft or Gallery, just a few steps from the Selamatt valley station, in the heart of this quiet corner of Switzerland. From our front door it’s also only two minutes to the bus and the grocery shop, so there’s nothing to worry about but the next sunrise on the summit.