Una fioritura di eriofori sulle sponde del Lago Lunghin, in Engadina, Svizzera. Alle spalle, il Piz Lunghin.

Cotton grass in flower on the shores of Lake Lunghin, in the Engadine, Switzerland. Behind it, Piz Lunghin.

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Hikes in Switzerland

Switzerland is a hiking paradise, thanks to the meticulous care it takes of its natural landscape.

If you ask non-Europeans to place the Alps, there is a fair chance they will say “in Switzerland”. For some reason, perhaps its relentless tourism advertising, or the various Swiss brands associated with the mountains, Switzerland and the Alps are almost the same thing in many people's minds.

It is hard to fault this identification, though, given that of all the countries with a share of the Alps, Switzerland is by many accounts the one that has used it most wisely, with the most respect for the land and for local cultures. And walking in Switzerland, you can see it.

You only need to climb a little and look down into the valley to notice how neatly compact Swiss villages and towns are, surrounded by pastures and woods. Roads and new buildings are kept to a minimum, so that overall the Swiss alpine landscape has an air of near-perfection.

Good to know about Switzerland

In Switzerland the difficulty of a path is written on the signs themselves: yellow waymarks show hiking trails suitable for everyone; white-red-white ones mountain trails, steeper and narrower, with the odd exposed section; white-blue-white ones alpine routes, which may cross snowfields, scree or pathless ground. The Swiss Alpine Club pairs these colours with a scale from T1 to T6, which does not map exactly onto the CAI grades and always assumes favourable conditions. Before setting off it is worth checking the colour of the waymarks as well as our grade, since that is what you will be following all the way.

Wild camping in Switzerland is regulated by the cantons and often by the municipalities, so there is no single rule that applies everywhere. As a general guide the Swiss Alpine Club considers a night above the tree line acceptable, for one night and in small groups, while it is forbidden in nature reserves, wildlife rest areas and hunting ban zones. In the Swiss National Park, where Alp and Munt La Schera lie, the rules are stricter still: you may not leave the marked paths, dogs are not allowed even on a lead and sleeping outdoors is forbidden, so before pitching a tent it is best to ask the local municipality.