Hiking in Toggenburg: the loveliest walks from Alt St. Johann

There are holiday regions where you have to plan for a long while before you take the first step. Alt St. Johann isn’t one of them. Anyone who wakes up with us at Stay with Louisa has the whole of Toggenburg and its trails practically on the doorstep, some genuinely begin right at the Hauptstrasse, while for others you hop into the car or the cable car first. And that’s exactly what we love: every morning you get to decide anew how big the day should be.

We’ve put together five of our favourite walks here, deliberately mixed. A flat loop for families, a couple of quiet mountain lakes, a summit with a huge view, and one proper, long Alpstein hike. For each one we tell you honestly how demanding it is and how you get there. Because hiking in Toggenburg, for us, doesn’t mean “higher, faster, further”, it means finding the right piece of mountain for the right day.

Start gently: the Thur waterfalls and the Sound Trail

If you’d like to start small, with children, tired legs, or simply to arrive, the Thur waterfalls near Unterwasser are ideal. From the car park it’s only about 15 minutes on foot, the path is easy and largely stroller-friendly, and at the end the water of the young river Thur thunders through a narrow gorge. A short outing with a big effect. You’ll find more in our post on the Thur waterfalls.

A little higher up, but still relaxed, is the Klangweg (Sound Trail). It runs along the top of the Selamatt, which you reach comfortably by gondola, the valley station is only about 300 metres from our house. Up there you wander from sound station to sound station, play giant instruments and take in the mountain views along the way. For families it’s a small celebration every time; how it all works, we describe in our post on the KlangWelt Toggenburg.

Two quiet mountain lakes: Schwendisee and Gräppelensee

If you like things peaceful but still want a destination by the water, the two mountain lakes are just right. Schwendisee above Unterwasser is only a few minutes away by car. You almost drive right up to the shore. Gräppelensee, by contrast, keeps itself a little more hidden: you drive to the Parkplatz Laui, and from there it’s about an hour on foot up to the lake, nestled among alpine pastures at the foot of the Lütispitz.

Together, the two make for a wonderfully slow summer’s day, the stillness of Gräppelensee in the morning, a swim in the warmer Schwendisee in the afternoon. In our detailed post on Schwendisee and Gräppelensee you’ll find where swimming is allowed and what to keep in mind. There’s no wrong itinerary here, only different ways of slowing down.

A big view without a big climb: the Chäserrugg

If you want the really grand panorama without climbing all day, the Chäserrugg (2262 m) is our tip. Important to know: you don’t reach it from the Selamatt, but from Unterwasser, first the funicular up to Iltios, then the cable car to the summit. Once at the top, you suddenly stand in the middle of the Churfirsten, looking out over Lake Walen and far across the land.

The lovely thing is that there’s gentle walking up there too. You stroll along soft ridges beside the panorama, and if you like, you can stop at the striking summit restaurant designed by the architects Herzog & de Meuron. How to get there and what awaits you at the top, we’ve written down in our post on the Chäserrugg.

For ambitious days: the Saxerlücke

For anyone after a proper, long mountain hike, there’s almost no way past the Saxerlücke, for us one of the most spectacular spots in the whole Alpstein. Let’s be honest: this is a good half to full day with plenty of ascent, exposed sections and a long stage. Sturdy boots, a head for heights and stamina all belong in the pack.

And the approach is a different one: you don’t start in Alt St. Johann but drive over Wildhaus into the St. Gallen Rhine Valley to Frümsen, where the Staubernbahn cable car takes you up. From there you walk along the ridge to the narrow rock gateway of the Saxerlücke, behind which the Kreuzberge drop away almost vertically. All the details, including the easier variant, are in our post on the Saxerlücke.

Right on the doorstep: along the young river Thur

And if some days you simply don’t want to go far, you don’t have to. Right by us, quiet paths follow the young Thur through the valley, and if you fancy a little more, you can walk up towards the Alp Selamatt, past meadows, with the Schafberg always in view. No ticket, no journey, just the front door closing behind you. That’s exactly what we mean by slow travel: sometimes the loveliest walk is the one that begins at the garden fence.

Either way, after any of these walks, Louisa’s Loft or the Gallery in the historic SutterSport building in Alt St. Johann is the quiet place to come home to. Tired legs up, perhaps an evening in your own hot tub beneath the Schafberg, a fondue in the warm living room, and the next morning you decide, in your own time, which piece of Toggenburg is next.